Outdoor movies combine two things we love about L.A.: an appreciation of movie-making and spending as much time as possible outside. Alfresco screenings usually start to pop up across the city in the early spring and continue into the fall and holiday season, be it atop rooftop bars, at L.A.’s best parks or even at a Hollywood cemetery.
Most of our favorite outdoor series fall into two formats: Alfresco screenings where moviegoers bring their own chair or blanket and can pack together some picnic food, and rooftop ones where you’ll be offered a seat and some on-site snacks as you catch films both old and new. (If you’re looking for a fun date idea, this one takes the cake.) Be sure to check back all year long for updates on the list, as new screenings are always being added.
Looking to see a new movie any night of the week? Check out the best movie theaters in L.A. or the few remaining old-school drive-in movie theaters. And for some at-home inspiration, you can always catch up on the best L.A. movies of all time.
For screenings with multiple movies on a single night, each film is separately ticketed unless otherwise noted. Also, movie selections tend to change, but we’ll do our best to keep the list below updated on a weekly basis.
A month-by-month calendar of L.A.’s outdoor movies
November
Nov 1
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Selena + Longlegs at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 2
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents IT at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Legally Blonde + The Great Gatsby at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 3
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Scream at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Notebook + Love Jones at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 7
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Devil Wears Prada at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents La La Land at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 8
Rooftop Cinema Club presents 500 Days of Summer + The Holiday + Friday at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 9
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Charlie’s Angels at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + Pride & Prejudice + Deadpool & Wolverine at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 10
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents La La Land at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Greatest Showman + Home Alone at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 11
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents 50 First Dates at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Twilight at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 12
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Poetic Justice at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 14
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Wolf of Wall Street at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 15
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind + Fight Club at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 16
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Notting Hill at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Serendipity + Brown Sugar + Pulp Fiction at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 17
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Parent Trap at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Casablanca at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 18
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Happy Gilmore at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Edward Scissorhands at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 19
Rooftop Cinema Club presents White Chicks at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 20
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Home Alone at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 21
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Gilmore Girls at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 22
Rooftop Cinema Club presents When Harry Met Sally… + Sweet November + Knives Out at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 23
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Superbad at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + The Notebook + Scream at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 24
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents My Best Friend’s Wedding at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Planes, Trains & Automobiles + The Holiday at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 25
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Notebook at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents La La Land at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 26
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Home Alone at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 27
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Friends at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 29
Friday Movie Nights presents How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Ovation Hollywood.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Nightmare Before Christmas + Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Min + Twilight at LEVEL DTLA.
Nov 30
Rooftop Cinema Club presents How the Grinch Stole Christmas + Elf + Kiss Kiss Bang Bang at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents Elf at Heritage Square Museum.
December
Dec 1
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents A Christmas Carol at E.P. & L.P.
Dec 2
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Deadpool & Wolverine at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 3
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Dark Knight at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 4
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Grinch at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents White Chicks at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 5
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Holiday + The Shining at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 6
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Just Friends + Love Actually + Friday After Next at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 7
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Santa Clause at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + You’ve Got Mail + Die Hard at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents Home Alone + Home Alone 2: Lost in New York at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 8
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Unaccompanied Minors at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents It’s a Wonderful Life + Last Holiday at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 9
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Nightmare Before Christmas at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Home Alone at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 10
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Home Alone 2: Lost in New York at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 11
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Family Stone at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 12
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Serendipity at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 13
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + Home Alone + This Christmas at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents Edward Scissorhands + Violent Night at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 14
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Santa Clause 2 at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Nightmare Before Christmas + National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation + The Night Before at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents How the Grinch Stole Christmas + Polar Express at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 15
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Muppet Christmas Carol at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents How the Grinch Stole Christmas + Carol at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 16
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Four Christmases at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Love Actually at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 17
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Polar Express at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Family Man at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 18
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Bad Santa at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Holiday at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 19
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents The Holiday at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Office + Office Christmas Party at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents The Nightmare Before Christmas + Love Actually at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 20
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + Home Alone + Friday After Next at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents A Christmas Story + National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 21
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Gremlins at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Nightmare Before Christmas + Serendipity + Die Hard at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents The Muppet Christmas Carol + Gremlins at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 22
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Love Actually at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents It’s a Wonderful Life + The Best Man Holiday at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents Home Alone + Home Alone 2: Lost in New York at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 23
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Holiday + National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at LEVEL DTLA.
Yuletide Cinemaland presents Elf at Heritage Square Museum.
Dec 24
Melrose Rooftop Theatre presents Elf at E.P. & L.P.
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Elf + Home Alone at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 26
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 27
Rooftop Cinema Club presents Sleepless in Seattle + About Time + Beetlejuice at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 28
Rooftop Cinema Club presents 10 Things I Hate About You + Waiting to Exhale + La La Land at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 29
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Notebook at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 30
Rooftop Cinema Club presents The Great Gatsby at LEVEL DTLA.
Dec 31
Rooftop Cinema Club presents When Harry Met Sally… at LEVEL DTLA.