Summer cinema al fresco with the Galileo

The Galileo Open Air Cinema returns to Cape Town this summer for its eighth season, offering a line-up packed with 117 familiar favourites – from the classics to family-friendly flicks, creepy horrors and heart-tugging romances.

Running from Wednesday to Saturday and Sundays in December, The Galileo combines movie magic with picturesque venues that bring your favourite flick to life under the stars in the urban outdoors.

The Kirstenbosch Gardens is one of The Galileo’s beloved venues and will be raising the curtain every Wednesday and Thursday evening this summer.

On Fridays, venues rotate between Battery Park (V&A Waterfront), Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville, Central Park (Century City) and Steenberg Farm in Tokai.

The Cape Winelands set the scene for Saturday evening moviegoers, and 20 award-winning wine estates will open their doors across Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Franschhoek and Paarl.

( We enjoyed the recent screening of Eat, Pray, Love at Dornier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.)

On Sundays during the December school holidays, the Kelvin Grove Club in Newlands also has a special, family-themed series lined up with events.

The movie starts once the sun sets and the stars begin to shimmer, but the doors open early with a mini market and giant lawn games set up to keep you entertained or chilled out.

This season, The Galileo will be introducing a classic Bollywood movie to its line-up, as well as the birthday-week offer which allows free entry to a screening in your birthday week. There’ll also be special screenings too for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween.