It’s Galileo open air cinema season!

Last week Wednesday I attended the opening night of the 2018/2019 Galileo Open Air Cinema season.

The movie?  Dirty Dancing (only one of my favourite movies of all time).

The vibe?  A perfect Cape Town evening in the most beautiful setting within the Kirstenbosch Gardens, getting cosy while enjoying an ice cold beer & something yummy to eat, before settling in to watch a movie under the stars…  I mean seriously, what more could one want?

The Galileo Open Air Cinema really is one of my favourite things to do during the summer season here in Cape Town, and also something I always recommend to friends & those visiting the city.

Here in the Western Cape we have some of the most breathtaking backdrops in the world & therefore (in my humble opinion) this beats any fancy cinema experience out there today.

This season they’re bringing a fresh, new lineup of movies and introducing some exciting new venues as well.  This is the venue breakdown for this year:

• Wednesdays:  Kirstenbosch Gardens
• Thursdays:  4 Rotating venues in Cape Town – Willowbridge Mall in Bellville, Kenilworth Racecourse in Kenilworth, Glenellen Farm in Hout Bay & Rustenburg Girls’ High School in Rondebosch
• Fridays:  3 Rotating venues in Cape Town – Central Park in Century City, the V&A Waterfront’s new “Battery Park” venue & Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville
• Saturdays:  Cape Winelands – Lourensford, Leopard’s Leap, Vergenoegd, Nederburg, Boschendal, Plaisir De Merle, Warwick, Vredenheim, Rhebokskloof to name a few… (check out the full list here)
• Sundays:  Kelvin Grove in Newlands – aka the “family zone” with lots of activities to keep the little ones entertained.  Think face painting, jumping castles, drawing stations & games.  Mom & Dad can also sit back & relax while the Galileo’s dedicated child minders make sure the little ones are looked after.

You can check out the full movie schedule over here.  Price-wise, they offer various different options (and as a side note – these prices are all still the same as last year – so no increase at all.  #HighFiveToThat):

• Standard: R89
• Warm: R97 (plus blanket)
• Comfy: R105 (plus backrest)
• Warm & comfy: R110 (plus blanket and backrest)
• VIP: R175 (Reserved premium seating, blanket, backrest, popcorn, Coca-Cola and Frey chocolate)
• Snuggle: R320 per couple (Reserved area with mattress, blankets x2, pillows x2 and Frey chocolate)

I always recommend going to the comfy or warm & comfy options because it’s pretty easy to bring your own blanket, but that backrest is a must.  Makes things way more comfortable.  The VIP & Snuggle options are obviously also cool if you want to splurge a bit.

The movies typically start as the light starts to fade (which is around 7:45pm currently), but it’s best to get there early, like from 6pm onward to get a good spot on the grass & to grab something to drink & eat before.  Each venue has a little food market where you can grab stuff like movie snacks, pizza, nachos, wine, beer, coffee & more.  You can also pack your own picnic basket of course (you’re just not allowed to take in any wine into any of the wine estates).

Then there are also 4 special screenings to take note of:

• Halloween (Wed, 31 Oct 2018 – Kirstenbosch Gardens)
  – Movie:  IT (2017)
  – R150 pp incl. backrest, blanket, sweet treat and themed décor.
• Christmas (Tue, 25 Dec 2018 – Meerendal Wine Estate)
  – Movie:  Home Alone
  – R150 pp incl. blanket, backrest, candy cane and Santa hat.
• Valentine’s Day (Thu, 14 Feb 2019 – Nooitgedacht Wine Estate)
  – Movie:  Romeo+Juliet (1996)
  – R225 pp incl. blanket, backrest, welcome drink, Frey chocolate and lollipop.
• Easter (Sun, 21 Apr 2019 – Kelvin Grove)
  – Movie:  Hop
  – R150 pp incl. blanket, backrest and Frey chocolate. Kids under 10 years old enter for free.

So yeah, lots to look forward to. 🙂

Do hop on over to their website & have a look at the schedule.  I’m sure you’re going to find lots of movies you want to see.  Also be sure to try out a new venue this year!  All tickets can be booked online & you’ll find all the important FAQs & Terms & Conditions on the site.

To further entice you, I’m going to leave you with a couple more venue shots…  Hopefully I’ll you at the movies…

xxx