Buckle up as drive-in cinema is coming to Knebworth House in July.
For the first time ever, The Luna Drive In Cinema is coming to venues across the country, including the grounds of Hertfordshire stately home Knebworth House.
Kicking off at Knebworth from Sunday, July 5, you can catch new and classic movies in a nostalgic, socially-distanced, drive-in setting from the comfort of your car.
With remote order and delivery of food and drink, state-of-the-art sound and visuals using the UK’s highest definition outdoor screens, and a new in-car digital sound solution, it promises to be the ultimate drive-in cinema experience.
Among the films being screened at Knebworth are Elton John fantasy biopic Rocketman, the Oscar-winning Joker, dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park, musical favourites Grease and La La Land starring Emma Stone, and cult classics such as The Blues Brothers, Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing.
Over the past 12 years, The Luna Cinema has established itself as the market leader in the UK’s open-air and pop-up cinema industry.
Now, in the era of social distancing, the company is launching The Luna Drive-In Cinema.
Fusing the nostalgia of classic American drive-in with up-to-date films and state-of-the-art sound and visuals, for those itching to return to the cinema this summer after months of home movie nights in, it’s the perfect way to return to the big screen in a safe and socially distanced way.
George Wood, founder of The Luna Cinema, said: “Since 2008, when we first started putting on outdoor cinema events, I’ve been asked countless times ‘why not expand into drive-in screenings?’.
“My answer was always that they lacked the sociable, communal quality of open-air screenings, as the audience were cocooned in their cars.
“We were also unsure of the quality of the sound experience when running through an FM frequency into the car radio.
“Fast forward to the era we are currently living in, when social distancing is the ‘new normal’, and drive-in with its immediate separation from other audience goers, is the perfect solution to get people back to the big screen!
“Not only that, but we are confident we have cracked the sound with an incredible in-car wireless solution.”
Knebworth House will host a single screening each evening, seven nights a week.
It’s the perfect night out for those dreaming of a bit of lockdown escapism.
Bringing drive-in into the 21st century, the Luna team has spent the last few months working to develop a bespoke sound system, the only one of its kind in the UK, that means each car has its own personal wireless speaker so viewers can hear the film in amazing cinematic quality digital sound, without any distractions.
The introduction of this technology will mean there will be no need to have the car radio running and risk draining the battery.
There will also be a fantastic selection of food and drink items available either as a pre-order with tickets, or ordered from the car on the night using a smart phone, with staff speedily delivering orders on roller skates and scooters.
George Wood added: “We’ve managed to make every aspect of the event fully compliant with social distancing regulations, from the way the tickets are scanned through to the provision of food and drink, audiences can attend our drive-in screenings with confidence, and return to one of the things we’ve all been missing most in lockdown – enjoying a great film on a giant screen under the stars.
“We plan to commence open-air cinema screenings as soon as it is safe to do so, when the official advice allows, but in the meantime, we can’t wait to welcome audiences for a fantastic drive in cinema experience.”
There are currently 15 movies to see between Sunday, July 5 and Sunday, July 19 at Knebworth. Screenings will start at 8.30pm.
Parking spaces will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis, according to the event info on the Luna Cinema website.
Once parked, you will not be able to leave your allocated bay until the end of the event. No vehicles are allowed to move while the film is being shown.
There will be toilets on site that are 2m apart and regularly cleaned and fully stocked with hand sanitiser.
Food and drink ordered will be cooked on site and delivered without the need for people to leave the vehicle.
Tickets are on sale now, and capacities are limited for each screening.
You must provide the registration number for the car you are going to attend the event in. This will be used onsite to identify your booking.
If you need to change your vehicle, contact info@thelunacinema.com at the earliest opportunity to provide your new registration plate.
Home to Saracens rugby club, Allianz Park in Hendon has also been chosen as a venue and will be the London host for The Luna Drive In Cinema.
For more, visit www.lunadriveincinema.com
The Luna Drive In Cinema screenings at Knebworth House are:
• Sunday, July 5 – Rocketman
• Monday, July 6 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Tuesday, July 7 – Jurassic Park
• Wednesday, July 8 – The Devil Wears Prada
• Thursday, July 9 – Back to the Future
• Friday, July 10 – La La Land
• Saturday, July 11 – Grease Sing-Along
• Sunday, July 12 – Romeo + Juliet
• Monday, July 13 – The Blues Brothers
• Tuesday, July 14 – Joker
• Wednesday, July 15 – Moulin Rouge!
• Thursday, July 16 – Sister Act
• Friday, July 17 – Pretty Woman
• Saturday July 18 – Dirty Dancing
• Sunday, July 19 – The Goonies
The ticket price for the drive-in cinema is £29.50 per car for two people for off-peak screenings, and £35 per car for peak screenings. Additional occupants will be charged £5 each.
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