Drive-In Movie Theaters Make A Comeback During Coronavirus Pandemic
Drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback.
Seeing a big screen in the middle of a parking lot might lead you to believe that you teleported back to the 50s’, but it’s only one of the many changes that the coronavirus has brought us.
Cinemas all across Miami-Dade County were forced to close their doors after a shelter-in-place order was issued back in March. Some movie releases were postponed, while others soldiered on through online streaming platforms.
But faced with a need to bring life back to the entertainment industry, many cities started to host drive-in theaters. It became a fun way for people to leave their homes without putting their health at risk.
Dezerland Park was the first to open a drive-in theater during the pandemic. This indoor theme park in North Miami was temporarily closed due to the coronavirus, but reopened its parking lot on May 22 for special drive-in movie nights. Weekly showings will run until July 3.
The theater, called Carflix Cinema, is like a blast from the past. Movies are shown on a 40-foot LED screen, with the sound coming from your car radio. Cars are organized by height, and the cinema is equipped with restrooms (which are sanitized after each use).
To keep the audience safe from infection, only 150 cars—spaced apart—are allowed. Food orders are taken through a phone app and delivered to your car.
The Hard Rock Stadium plans to host drive-in movie events to show classic Miami Dolphins content from the team’s long history. The theater will accommodate up to 230 cars, also hosting smaller private groups in their open-air theaters. If you want to know when tickets are available, sign up here.
Even Miami Dade College got into the action. The Kendall Campus in collaboration with the Miami Film Festival is hosting a drive-in movie night to show the Argentinian comedy Heroic Losers on June 20.
People were asked to RSVP for the event—which is free for MDC students, staff and faculty—but they got such a positive response that the event and waitlist is now full.
