Somebody pop the Champagne, because Sydney’s most stunning outdoor cinema is back by the harbourside. Westpac OpenAir is taking over Mrs Macquaries Point again this summer, with panoramic views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge as its staggering backdrop.
Running over 41 nights from January 9 to February 18, the film program includes the first Australian screenings of A Complete Unknown, starring
Meanwhile, there’s more than iconic views and the latest blockbusters in store. This year’s ‘Festival of Film’ is accompanied by an equally glittering ‘Festival of Food’, with three of Sydney’s best chefs setting up shop at the harbourside cinema. Film fans can fuel up before the credits roll with a bowl of excellent pasta from the pop-up ‘Fabbrica at Chandon Garden’ curated by Scott McComas-Williams, or a selection of Vietnamese fusion sharing plates from ‘Luke Nguyen at The Point’. If you’re looking for a refined full-service affair, then ‘Summer House Dining by Danielle Alvarez’ will be brought to life by Alvarez herself (chef and culinary director of the Sydney Opera House event venues, former Head Chef at Fred’s).
Just after a sundowner? Then order a beer (or an entire bottle of Champagne, ice bucket and all) and settle in for a film screening projected on the huge 350-square-metre, three-storey-high screen that lights up as night falls over the harbour.
If you really want a run-up for the view, take a stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens on your way to the cinema (but word to the wise, don't leave it too late, lest you be caught wandering through a maze of dead ends in the dark, and missing the start of the movie... true story).
You'll always have something to awe at, even if the film you've chosen doesn't turn out to be to your taste – though that's unlikely, given your plethora of options. Tickets are now on sale, and for the full line-up, you can visit Westpac OpenAir's website here.
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