Night cinemas make a comeback, but with glamour

Back in the day, an unspoken rule united children and families not for chores, but for the allure of the big screen. As dusk fell, school assignments and family dinners were cast aside for the excitement of an outdoor film under the vast open sky.

By 7pm, expectant faces filled the open field, eager for the two-hour spectacle about to unfold. “Watoto kaeni chini!” a voice would command, signalling the start of the show. A narrator, positioned near the projector, would translate the film’s dialogue into Kiswahili, ensuring everyone was in on the action.

Then came the era of drive-ins, with the Bellevue Drive-In on Nairobi’s Mombasa Road offering a refined cinematic experience in the 90s. Families and couples enjoyed the classics, like “Texas Ranger”, from the comfort of their cars, tuning into the soundtrack through crackling radio transmissions. For just Sh5 per car and per person, you could experience the magic of cinema in the open air.

Today, a new wave of outdoor cinema experiences is making a comeback, combining nostalgia with modern glam. Gone are the days of sitting on grass. Today, moviegoers enjoy their favourite blockbusters with cozy blankets, lying on pallet beds, under fresh air, and the twinkling stars overhead—redefining the outdoor movie experience with added comfort and luxury.

Venues like Whistling Moran in Athi River, Machakos County, now host Midnight Vibes, where movie addicts creep in to enjoy the latest cinema experience. At a glance, the glow of coloured headphones flickers across the open-air space with the moviegoers lounging on the pallet beds and the scattered pillows. Some are seated alone, completely absorbed, while others are coupled up.

We found Lucy Brenda seated alone, flipping a stack of cards labelled “Girls’ Night Out.” She had coloured headphones on, with her eyes darting between the screen and the cards on her hands.

“This is my first time attending such an event, and I came alone. Actually, it is my birthday, and I am planning to start getting out of my comfort zone this year,” she says, adjusting her pillow.

She pauses, glances at the screen far ahead of her, and then continues, “This is a pretty chilled space to both interact and do something I like which is watching movies. It’s night, everyone is chilling in their own space, it’s just a perfect place to unwind,” she tells Lifestyle.

I could not help but ask why she did not come with friends, especially on her birthday.

“I am an introvert, so friends are not my thing. I just wanted to do it alone,” she says, adding, “being someone who is usually at home with my books or watching movies or working, this is the one place where I can break the introversion shell and try to interact with people. Being in a space with many people scares me generally, but it is fun. People here are very welcoming, the ones I have talked to.”

Bill Makomere, another attendee at Midnight Vibes, has been a loyal customer since the first event and has found love at the outdoor movie night.

“I like the fact that people come here to interact, socialise and bond,” says the graphic designer by profession. “There is no stress, no pressure. I have been attending almost every one of their events since they started. Honestly, at first, I enjoyed coming alone. But this event gave me something unexpected, my girlfriend,” he says.

“Unfortunately, she [his partner] is not around tonight because of an emergency, but I will never forget the night we met. I wouldn’t even remember the exact movie we watched that day, but I do remember seeing her after the show. It’s funny how life works,“ he says laughing.

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For him, the experience is more than just an outdoor movie night. “This place is therapeutic. People come here for different reasons. Some come just to relax, others to enjoy an evening out, others to connect or find an escape for a while.”

Midnight vibes

David Andove, a director at Midnight Vibes, which stretches from dusk till dawn with fun activities to keep attendees engaged, says they usually showcase two to three movies per night.

“We’ve come a long way from hosting less than 20 people to now 150 attendees on some nights. The crowd is usually a mix of people of different age groups, but most people are in their 30s,’’ he says.

When we visited, the first movie of the night was “The End of Sex.”

“It’s a romantic comedy,” David tells Lifestyle.

A short break follows. “After the short break, we have our second movie, “One of Them Days,” it’s a comedic adventure. Then we will have a second break, a one-hour-long break,” he adds.

The break is not just downtime; that is when they ramp up the fun. “During the one hour, we do now karaoke and short intermissions of fun games to recharge before the late-night fun. If it doesn’t rain, we have a bonfire,” he says, “our third movie is “Trap,” it’s a thriller.”

David explains that the unpredictability of human interaction also plays a role in how things unfold. “Like tonight, the crowd is chilled. So maybe they won’t be part of the bonfire part. They are likely to just want to watch movies, karaoke and play games.”

To woo different crowds, they sometimes theme them, for instance, for single people. However, he says, single-themed movie-watching editions are not always popular.

“I won’t lie, it’s usually not promising. And mostly, we have so many ladies than men,” he says.

The seating arrangements also cater to different group dynamics. Single attendees are given the choice to either socialise or remain in their own space. “For example, if you are single, we ask you if you want company. If not, then you sit alone,’’ he says.

Managing the bookings is another tussle David faces. “You need to work with logistics, and everything needs to be very accurate. When the number is too high, it becomes a problem with the setup.”

Cinema gardens

Cinema Gardens, another company bringing outdoor movie experiences to life, takes it a step further with local films.

Wendy Karani, a partner at Cinema Gardens, recalls the thrill of the drive-ins.

“I heard about it, but I was young; there was no way I was going to tell my mother that I was going to a movie at night in a car,” she says, laughing.

In 2024, just in time for Valentine’s Day, she thought of replicating that experience in addition to empowering African creatives through her company Afreative.

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“It’s so important that as Africans, we learn to appreciate our own content first. We have so much beautiful work here,” she says.

She then thought of how to make outdoor movie-watching comfortable.

“I knew the priority was comfort. A lot of outdoor spaces I visited had no back support. Who can watch a whole movie like that? Not in this 21st century,” she says, “we use a stack of hay as back support, cover it and add pillows and cushions. It feels like you are lying on your bed but now in an outdoor space while watching a movie with others.”

She added candles, lights, and flowers, creating a perfect movie atmosphere. She also added games, speed-dating, and even a “sip and paint” experience.

“It’s about connecting people. We have had people who have found love; it’s beautiful to witness.”

Lynne Chebet, another partner of Cinema Gardens, says they also cater to children.

“Children play a lot; they play games and then settle down for a movie. It’s a perfect way to tire them out before bed. And for adults, we sometimes bring a saxophone player,” she says. “People love this so much that some of them stay until the morning, yet the event ideally ends at midnight.”

Their top clients, they say, are women.

“Women have no fear of discovering new things that make them go out of their comfort zone,” Chebet says. The location of each screening plays a crucial role in attracting different audiences.

“The location of the screening plays a huge role in determining the audience. In Kilimani [Nairobi], for example, it attracts an older crowd, while in our other place along Waiyaki Way, because of the adventurous vibe, it draws younger people, more adventurous individuals,” Wendy says.

They have even hosted wedding after-parties for couples who prefer a movie night over traditional dancing.

“The newlyweds didn’t want the traditional evening dancing. They wanted to watch a movie with their friends,” she adds.

As the outdoor cinema scene continues to evolve, Kenya’s movie lovers are rediscovering the magic of cinema under the stars—combining nostalgia, modern luxury, and the thrill of the big screen.

In the heart of Nairobi’s Parklands, K1 Clubhouse also brings a unique outdoor movie experience. With Maasai shukas and free-flowing popcorn, moviegoers can enjoy their favourite films in a relaxed, fun atmosphere.

mrsitawa@ke.nationmedia.com