Stanley Park Cinema

Summer Cinema is a series of FREE outdoor movies showing once a week on Tuesday evenings in Vancouver’s Stanley Park on the lawn by Second Beach in summer.

To learn about the films at Stanley Park, continue reading. For information about free outdoor movies at other venues elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, see our article about Free Summer Movies. Also, on August 17th, 2022, the movie Pitch Perfect showed for free at Sunset Cinema outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. At that event there was also live music before the show!

SUNSET CINEMA IN AUGUST

Another great place to watch free outdoor movies this summer is outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in August. Vancouver Civic Theatre hosted the movies Spiderman and In the Heights on August 24th and 31st in 2022. To learn more see our article about Vancouver Civic Theatre’s Sunset Cinema. To learn more about free outdoor films in other places, see our article about Lower Mainland Outdoor Movies.

Movie Nights at Stanley Park

The movies at Stanley Park typically run from early July until around the third or fourth week of August. They take place at Ceperley Meadow beside Second Beach.

Shows are all free and usually start at dusk, which is at about 9:30 pm at the first show and at around 8:30 pm with the last (plus or minus).

The event wasn’t able to take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the spread of the coronavirus and restrictions on gatherings. The outdoor movies resumed in 2022 on Tuesday nights in July and August. The dates were on July 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th, followed by August 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd. The exact dates for the July and August movie shows in 2023 are to be confirmed.

Summer Cinema Schedule

Below were the listed movies for the 2022 cinema season.

Note: Show times and film details were subject to change.

July 5th, 2022 – Lion King (1994): it started at around 9:20 pm and was rated PG.
July 12th, 2022 – Zoolander (2001): it started at around 9:15 pm and was rated PG.
July 19th, 2022 – Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981): it started at around 9:10 pm and was rated PG. (Top Gun was originally going to be the movie, but it got changed to Indiana Jones.)
July 26th, 2022 – Jurassic Park (1993): it started at around 9:00 pm and was rated PG.
August 2nd, 2022 – Spice World (1997): it started at around 8:55 pm.
August 9th, 2022 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): it started at around 8:40 pm and was rated PG.
August 16th, 2022 – Dirty Dancing (1987): it started at around 8:25 pm and was rated PG.
August 23rd, 2022 – Grease (1978): it started at around 8:15 pm and was rated PG.

LIVE MUSICAL THEATRE

Don’t forget that in addition to the weekly outdoor movies at Stanley Park, some of the region’s best theatre productions also happen in the same park every night in July and August. Last year We Will Rock You featured music from the band Queen. We saw the show and it was awesome! Something Rotten!, meanwhile, was a second musical with a Shakespearean-themed comedy. We loved it too!

The two live shows scheduled to play in the park in 2023 are Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical and the Broadway hit musical The Prom. We can’t wait to see them!

If you like live theatre and musicals, these are great shows you won’t want to miss! See our article about Theatre Under the Stars for details.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your summer entertainment experiences in Stanley Park.

TIP #1: Bring your own blankets or deck chairs, and dress warmly. Especially towards the end of the summer, it can get cool at night.

TIP #2: Get there early to find parking and a good spot to set up your blanket or lawn chair.

TIP #3: If you like being entertained in the outdoors, check out the Theatre Under the Stars shows. They also take place at Stanley Park in the summer and they are highly recommended.

TIP #4: Don’t just go to Stanley Park for the movies (or live theatre). There is so much to do in the area, so combine your trip to see a show with some late afternoon and/or early evening exploring. Go for a walk or bike ride along the seawall, take your swimsuit and enjoy a swim, or have a picnic and enjoy the park.

Other Free Outdoor Movies and Information

See the Summer Cinema website or the Outdoor Movies BC Facebook Page for more information about the above series of outdoor films.

Stanley Park isn’t the only place to find free outdoor movies in the Lower Mainland in the summer. In fact, there are usually over 50 films showing at different venues throughout the region. Click Lower Mainland Outdoor Movies for information on other venues.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: