Outdoor cinemas in Brighton is not one thing. It is five separate operators turning up at a lido, an Edwardian manor lawn, a walled garden in Stanmer Park, the Fig Tree Garden at Wagner Hall and the end of the pier, each with a different idea of what a film night outside should be. One lets you swim before the film. One puts a £7 bar credit on every ticket bought direct. One sells rain ponchos on site, which tells you how the evening might go.
The outdoor cinema in Brighton season runs from June to early September. Vision take a weekend at the pier, Picturehouse run at Preston Manor in two separate blocks, White Wall move outdoors in high summer, and Cinestock schedule the latest dates of the five.
This guide covers who runs what, what each one is like and what your ticket does and does not include, with this year’s remaining dates gathered in one place further down. Details are checked against current operator and venue pages.
Table of Contents
5 Outdoor Cinemas in Brighton Featured in This Guide
| Operator | Venue | Seating | Ticket includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picturehouse | Preston Manor | Limited free deckchairs | £7 food credit on direct bookings |
| White Wall Cinema | Wagner Hall garden | Cushions or blankets, chairs by request | Garden and bar before the film |
| Frontier Sapiens | One Garden, Stanmer Park | Reserve a chair at booking | No seat included, food available |
| Cinestock | Saltdean Lido | VIP upgrade, sells out | A swim in the heated pool |
| Vision Cinema | Brighton Palace Pier | Included in ticket | Seat included, mobile ordering to it |
Line-ups change every season, so confirm dates on the operator’s own page before booking.
Picturehouse at Preston Manor
The Duke of York’s takes its programme outdoors in summer, using the south lawn at Preston Manor on Preston Drove, in the grounds of the Edwardian manor house.
A useful extra is that every ticket bought directly from Picturehouse includes a £7 credit towards food and drink, issued on entry and usable in one go at the bar. That bar runs to alcohol, soft drinks, popcorn, nachos and hot dogs. It is a licensed event, so you cannot bring your own alcohol, and the whole site is cashless.
Films start at dusk rather than a set time. Blankets, cushions, small picnic chairs and camping chairs are all allowed, a limited number of deckchairs are supplied first come first served, and they sell blankets and rain ponchos on the night. Dogs are welcome, provided they stay on a lead and under adult control. There is step-free access, though the lawn has slopes and banks.
Door times are listed on each event page and the films start at dusk, so check your confirmation before travelling rather than assuming a fixed start.
White Wall Cinema
A Brighton-based pop-up founded in 2015, White Wall run screenings throughout the year, describing their programme as interesting, unusual and overlooked cinema, classic and new. Their home is Wagner Hall on Regency Road, ten minutes from the station, and in summer some screenings move into the Fig Tree Garden under the venue’s gothic-revival church tower.
For the garden screenings the rules are specific: blankets and small cushions are fine, camping chairs are not permitted, and guests who cannot sit on the ground can reserve a limited chair by emailing White Wall after booking. Arrive before the 7.45pm last-admission cut-off. They also relocate to their usual indoor room if wind or rain is judged too risky, so the screening is scheduled to go ahead regardless of the weather.
The outdoor nights run differently from the big operators. Doors open at 6.45pm for drinks in the garden with music chosen to match the film, the screening starts at sunset rather than a fixed time, and last admission is 7.45pm, so this is not one to roll up late for.
Their programme continues indoors beyond the garden screenings, so it is worth checking their listings after summer.
Frontier Sapiens at One Garden Brighton
The one for people who find musicals a bit much. Frontier Sapiens run an adventure film festival at One Garden Brighton in Stanmer Park, screening award-winning adventure, cultural and environmental documentaries rather than blockbusters.
Tickets do not include a seat. You bring blankets, cushions or camping chairs and sit on the grass, or reserve one of a limited number of chairs when you book. Food and drink come from the One Garden team on the night.
The start is late, well after 8pm, so dress for a Stanmer Park evening rather than an afternoon.
Cinestock at Saltdean Lido
The only one of the five where you can swim first. Cinestock have run open-air cinema for over a decade, and Saltdean is one of six venues in their season across July, August and September.
The venue does the heavy lifting. Saltdean Lido is a listed Art Deco lido a few metres from the beach, called probably the most architecturally significant open-air pool in the country by the Twentieth Century Society and one of the Seven Wonders of the English Seaside by English Heritage. The screen goes up poolside.
Your ticket includes a pre-film swim in the heated pool, though numbers are limited so arrive early. There is a live DJ or acoustic artist as the sun goes down, a full bar with cocktails and hot drinks, and food including woodfired pizzas, burgers and crepes. Seating is a paid upgrade: a high-back padded chair with pillow and blanket, either as a premium ticket or added to a standard one. Cinestock say these are limited and sell out, so booking the upgrade in advance is the safer option.
Cinestock run the latest dates of the five, into the first week of September.
Vision Cinema at Brighton Palace Pier
Films at the end of the Palace Pier, with the sea on three sides. Vision held a two-day outdoor cinema event on the pier on 27 and 28 June 2026.
Seating is included in the ticket, and there is a licensed bar, a chef on site, cinema snacks and gourmet extras, with mobile ordering so food comes to your seat. Vision have not published a 2027 Brighton date, so check their Brighton page rather than assuming it returns.
What’s On This Summer
This section needs updating each season. Recheck the operator policies above at the same time, since ticket inclusions and seating rules also change.
August
- 8th, Frontier Sapiens at One Garden, 8.45pm
- 14th, Muriel’s Wedding, Preston Manor
- 15th, Evil Dead 2, Preston Manor
- 16th, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (preview), Preston Manor
- 21st, Dirty Dancing, Preston Manor
- 21st, Grey Gardens in 2K, White Wall garden
- 22nd, Stop Making Sense, Preston Manor
- 23rd, Paddington 2, Preston Manor
- 23rd, Stand By Me in 4K, White Wall garden
September
- 5th, Back To The Future, Saltdean Lido
Vision Cinema’s pier weekend ran in late June and they have not published a return date.
Also Worth Knowing
Door times and film times are different. Across the outdoor cinema in Brighton listings, the entry time is earlier than the film for Picturehouse, White Wall and Cinestock. Picturehouse start at dusk, White Wall at sunset, and Cinestock publish separate gate and film times on each event page. That gap is half the point, so arrive for the doors.
Check what your ticket includes before you pack. Vision include seating. Picturehouse supply a limited number of free deckchairs, first come first served. Cinestock sell a VIP seating upgrade that sells out. Frontier Sapiens let you reserve a chair at booking. White Wall want cushions or blankets, not chairs, with limited chairs for those who cannot sit on the ground if arranged ahead. Bring more layers than you think, because it drops sharply once the sun goes.
Weather policies differ, so read the terms. Picturehouse may cancel for heavy rain, high winds or thunderstorms, can stop a screening partway through, and refund in full either way. They also sell rain ponchos on site. White Wall take the opposite approach and move the screening indoors if the risk is judged too high, so the film goes ahead regardless. The others each set their own policy, so check before booking if the forecast looks doubtful.
The lido is the outlier. A pre-film swim in a heated Art Deco pool is not something the other four offer, and Cinestock cap the numbers. Saltdean sits about five miles east of the city centre, still inside Brighton and Hove but a bus ride from town, so factor in the journey back.
Off-season, the city is well covered. Once the outdoor season ends the cinemas in Brighton pick it up, including the Duke of York’s, which opened in 1910 and is verified by the Cinema Theatres Association as the UK’s oldest purpose-built cinema.
FAQs
When is outdoor cinema season in Brighton?
June to early September. Vision Cinema take a weekend at the pier around midsummer and Picturehouse open at Preston Manor in June. August is the busiest month, with Frontier Sapiens at One Garden, a second Picturehouse run and White Wall moving into the Wagner Hall garden. Cinestock go latest, into the first week of September. This year’s dates are listed above.
What should I bring to an outdoor cinema in Brighton?
A blanket, cushions and something waterproof. Picturehouse allow blankets, cushions, small picnic chairs and camping chairs, and sell blankets and rain ponchos on the night. Frontier Sapiens expect you on the grass unless you reserve a chair. Bring layers whatever the forecast, because it gets cold once the sun drops on the coast.
Do you get a seat at an outdoor cinema?
It depends on the operator. Vision Cinema include seating in the ticket and Picturehouse supply a limited number of free deckchairs first come first served. Cinestock sell a VIP seating package with a padded chair, pillow and blanket, and Frontier Sapiens let you reserve a chair at booking. White Wall ask guests to bring cushions or blankets and do not permit chairs, though limited chair seating can be arranged in advance for people with mobility needs.
What happens if it rains?
Policies differ. Picturehouse may cancel for heavy rain, high winds or thunderstorms, can stop a screening partway through, and refund in full either way. White Wall relocate indoors instead, so their screenings go ahead whatever the weather. Cinestock, Frontier Sapiens and Vision each set their own terms, so check before booking.
Can you swim before the film at Saltdean Lido?
Yes. Cinestock tickets at Saltdean include a pre-film swim in the heated pool, but numbers are limited, so arrive early if you want time in the pool. The bar, food and live music run alongside it while the sun sets.
Can you take dogs to an outdoor cinema in Brighton?
Picturehouse allow dogs at Preston Manor provided they are kept on a lead and under adult control. Cinestock do not allow dogs at Saltdean Lido, except service dogs. Check with White Wall, Frontier Sapiens or Vision before bringing one.
How much does outdoor cinema in Brighton cost?
Prices vary by film, date and operator, so check the individual event listing. The one published extra worth knowing is Picturehouse’s: every Preston Manor ticket bought directly from Picturehouse includes £7 towards food and drink. Cinestock offer early bird, couples, group, family and concession tickets at Saltdean.
Final Thoughts
Picturehouse at Preston Manor suits groups: direct bookings carry the £7 credit, you can bring picnic or camping chairs, and their published policy allows dogs on a lead.
If you only do one, make it the lido. Poolside at Saltdean pairs a pre-film swim with a screening beside the Art Deco lido, and Cinestock schedule the latest dates of the five.
Whichever you pick, get there when the doors open rather than when the film starts. At the evening screenings the time before the film is part of what you are paying for, so arrive at the operator’s advertised time.
