Festive pop-up cinema screenings in Bristol this Christmas

These days, watching festive movies is so ingrained in Christmas, that many of us would feel bereft if the season went by without quoting Home Alone word-for-word or sniggering at the shenanigans in Christmas with the Kranks. There’s nothing wrong with plonking down on the sofa amongst a ton of Quality Street wrappers to watch your yuletide favourites unfold, but how about taking the whole family to an atmospheric venue, to catch a Christmas movie on the Big Screen too? I’ve rounded up the best family-friendly festive pop-up cinema screenings in Bristol this December that are sure to fill you with Christmas cheer.

Festive pop-up cinema screenings in Bristol this Christmas

Elf at Arnos Vale Cemetery (6pm, 6-7 December 2019)

Pick up a hot chocolate from Cleverchefs at Arnos Vale, and settle down to this magnificently silly Christmas classic, starring Will Ferrell, in Arnos Vale’s Anglican Chapel. Don’t forget your torch, and a fluffy blanket (it can get a little chilly). Tickets £10.

Pop-up Cinema at Passenger Shed (22 December 2019)

Transformed into a circus-themed extravaganza this Christmas, the Passenger Shed – in collaboration with Bristol Film Festival and Hype Agency – invite you to take a seat in the Big Top for an immersive yuletide pop-up cinema experience.

Book popcorn, drinks and a beanbag beforehand and cosy up to watch:

Arthur Christmas (9.45am-12pm)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (12.15pm-2.45pm)
Elf (3.15-5.45pm)
and The Greatest Showman Singalong (6-8.30pm)

Bristol Film Festival at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (29 December 2019)

There is magic of all kinds at Bristol Museum this Christmas. Live performers will be setting the scene for two bewitching movies after-hours. Be drawn into well-loved classics, The NeverEnding Story (6.45pm – 8.45pm) and The Princess Bride (9pm – 11pm) inside the atmospheric museum.

There’s also a chance to visit the enchanting new Magic exhibition beforehand.

Bristol Film Festival at Bristol Old Vic (30 December)

For the first time, Bristol Film Festival are partnering with Bristol’s oldest theatre – all the better for us festive cinema buffs! Take your pew in the Auditorium to watch family-friendly seasonal favourites A Muppet’s Christmas Carol (11am-1.15pm) and The Wizard of Oz (2.30-5.15pm) surrounded by over 250 years of history.

We The Curious Big Screen Bristol

We The Curious’ Big Screen in Millennium Square will be bringing al fresco, cinematic winter joy to the masses with outdoor screenings of classic Christmas movies. And it’s free!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (30 November, 12pm)
The Grinch (1 December, 12pm)
Scrooged (18 December, 6pm)

Other places to catch a festive movie on the big screen in Bristol this Christmas:

Festive films at Watershed, Bristol

Is it even Christmas if you haven’t chuckled your Christmas socks off to Buddy (Will Ferrell) – a man who was raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole – and his search for his biological father in the human world? Don’t be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins (if you know, you know), put Elf (14-15 December) on your list, sit back and watch the hilarious scrapes ensue.

Dickensian classics do well at Christmas time and Frank Capra’s Christmas masterpiece, It’s a Wonderful Life (21-22 December) is no exemption. A timeless story of redemption and hope that is sure to give you all the good tidings vibes.

Christmas at Curzon Cinema, Clevedon

Ok not technically a pop-up cinema, but it is an extremely characterful film-screening venue that will be screening festive movies this Christmas. One of the oldest continually working cinemas in the country, this venue has been screening flicks since the Titanic sank in 1912. Their Christmas cornucopia of family movies includes Elf at 2pm on Christmas Eve.

Image source – Curzon Cinema

Every single cinema in Bristol

If you’re are a parent and you haven’t been living a life of obscurity, you’ll of course know that Disney’s Frozen II comes out on November 22, 2019. The ice, the snow, the songs…it’s the perfect recipe for a Christmas movie. Let the first of the eleven billionty times you see it be at one of Bristol’s cinemas.

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