12-05-2020

Drive-in Cinemas Make a Comeback in Poland

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    Movie Drive will launch drive-in cinemas in over 50 locations across Poland Movie Drive will launch drive-in cinemas in over 50 locations across Poland

    WARSAW: Cinemas in Poland remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it is not likely that they will open soon. Several Polish companies are opening drive-in cinemas both locally and on a national scale to meet the audience's demand.

    The trend has made a big return in the United States, where existing drive-in cinemas are experiencing a real boom, and screenings on weekends are usually sold out. Exhibitors in several CEE countries are also taking advantage of the opportunity. With the gradual loosening of restrictions, similar institutions are to start operating in Poland. Two new brands are leading the way. Auto Cinema plans to open branches in most major Polish cities on 28 May 2020. Movie Drive is a similar initiative, launching drive-in cinemas in over 40 locations all around Poland, including Warsaw, Gdańsk, Katowice and Poznań. 

    Local companies are undertaking similar initiatives. The Moonlight drive-in cinema is to be opened in Warsaw's Żoliborz on 28 May. Traditional outlets are also planning to organise outdoor screenings. The ticket price ranges from 7.6 to 8.7 EUR / 35 to 45 PLN per car. 

    The first drive-in cinema in Poland was launched by Dariusz Krzysztof Zawiślak and Rafał Wnuk in 1994, it was located in the Żerań estate in Warsaw. It screened box office hits of the time, among other films a pre-premiere screening of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, which opened the cinema, and The Flintstones with performances by actors dressed as characters from the film and a special firework show. Currently there are two dozen drive-in cinemas active seasonally in Poland with the traditional season for open-air screenings beginning in May.