The Queen's country estate is hosting a drive-in cinema
Kicking back with a good movie with the Royal Family isn't exactly your average Friday night.
But, the prospect isn't entirely out of the question — kind of. Sandringham Estate, the Queen's country abode, is hosting a drive-in cinema within the grounds. So, you'll be able to put your feet up and watch Toy Story or A Star is Born in what is essentially the Queen's back garden.
In the UK, drive-in cinemas have been permitted since June 15 when lockdown restrictions began to lift. Indoor cinemas have been allowed to reopen since July 4 in the UK, but some delayed reopening to put in place strict safety measures — and even then, you attend at both your own risk and that of others. As for those outside, to ensure safety, the UK Cinema Association has been working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to put together health and safety guidelines for drive-in and outdoor cinemas.
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And that includes the Queen's estate, too. Sandringham is situated in Norfolk, England, and has been the private country residence of four generations of British kings and queens since 1862. Every year, the Royal Family decamps to Sandringham on Christmas Day to attend a service at the St Mary Magdalene church on the estate.
But now, you can feel like royalty while enjoying a good film with a view of a palace in the background. Pop-up cinema company Enchanted Cinema is hosting the socially-distanced, three-day drive-in on Sept. 25, 26, and 27. There's a choice of several different movies, too. On Friday, you can catch a showing of 1917 or Rocketman. On Saturday, pick between Toy Story, The Greatest Showman, or Bohemian Rhapsody. On Sunday, you can see Moana, Grease, or A Star Is Born.
They'll be playing the movies on a 100-foot-high LED screen to ensure you have a decent view from your car in all weather. The movie sound will be transmitted via Bluetooth to your car's speakers. Plus, there will be street food and a pop-up bar to keep filmgoers fed and watered.
If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of some royals, I'd manage expectations now. The Queen has been camped out at Windsor Castle during the pandemic, but did go up to Balmoral in August for her usual summer break.
And as always, make sure you take the proper precautions and adhere to those of the cinema.
Tickets cost around £32.50 and can be purchased via the Sandringham website.
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
