Overview
What do Heath Ledger serenading Julia Stiles and a monkey playing music have in common? If you head to Moonlight Cinema in February 2025, they're both on the program — and they're indicative of a lineup that's going big on films about love and also flicks where tunes have a prominent part. 'Tis the month for big-screen romances, unsurprisingly. The outdoor picture palace is celebrating a heap of recent pictures that are either musicals or about musicians, too.
If you'll be attending with a date, 10 Things I Hate About You is on the bill nationally, as are The Notebook and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. With Moonlight Cinema operating in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, some cities will also get the chance to revisit Notting Hill. And from cinema's brand-new fare, the Florence Pugh (Dune: Part Two) and Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven)-starring We Live in Time is popping up multiple times at all sites, while the new Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is scoring a preview screening. All of the above pop up in what the venue is calling a 'week of romance' — around Valentine's Day, naturally.
Wicked keeps earning a place on Moonlight Cinema's roster, this time with sing-along sessions in all cities. In some locations, A Complete Unknown is another returning title, because who can get enough of Timothée Chalamet (Wonka) as Bob Dylan? So is Mufasa: The Lion King, complete with songs by Hamilton great Lin-Manuel Miranda — and also Better Man, aka the Robbie Williams biopic that brings the British singer to the screen as a CGI chimp.
With the specific program varying per venue, viewers can also look forward to the electing-a-new-pope thrills of Conclave, the 1972 Munich Olympics-set September 5, a preview of Gettin' Square sequel Spit, and blasts from the past courtesy of Twilight and The Devil Wears Prada — among other titles, and depending on where they live.
If you're in Queensland or South Australia, take note: Brisbane's season is on until Sunday, February 16 in Roma Street Parklands, while Adelaide's runs till the same date in Botanic Park. Elsewhere, Moonlight Cinema's stints at Centennial Parklands in Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth all extend through to Sunday, March 30 — so there'll be another lineup drop to come.
As always, the films and the setting are just two parts of the Moonlight experience. Also a drawcard: the Aperol spritz bar. Nosh-wise, the event is again letting you BYO movie snacks and drinks (no alcohol in Brisbane, though), but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's two VIP sections for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, too, as well as a platinum package with waiter service in Sydney and Melbourne only, and a beauty cart handing out samples.
Plus, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds.
Moonlight Cinema 2024–25 Dates
Brisbane: Thursday, November 21, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025 in Roma Street Parklands
Sydney: Friday, November 22, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Centennial Parklands
Adelaide: Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, February 16, 2025, 2024 in Botanic Park
Melbourne: Friday, November 29, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Royal Botanic Gardens
Perth: Thursday, December 5, 2024–Sunday, March 30, 2025 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Moonlight Cinema runs until February 2025 in Brisbane and Adelaide, and until March 2025 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website — and we'll update you with further program details when they're announced.