Free Summer Movies in New York 2024 | The COMPLETE Summer Guide
Every year during the summer there are free movies in the many parks of the city; from Brooklyn to Queens and Manhattan, you have several places to choose from. You can find out everything you need to know about free movie performances here!
My tip: also check out Free Concerts in the Parks!
What are the Free Summer Movies?
First and foremost, movie screenings are my favorite summer event! The free movie screenings have a long tradition and now span all the boroughs of the city. You can enjoy summer movie screenings both in Brooklyn Bridge Park, overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline, in Bryant Park, and on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid.
One of the most famous and, for me, most beautiful places to see movies is definitely Bryant Park. And the best part? They’re free! If you’re in New York City at this time of year, catching a free screening is a MUST DO (or rather, MUST SEE)!
When do the Free Summer Movies take place?
You can enjoy the free movies from Memorial Day weekend in late May through September. Be sure to plan one of these events into your itinerary, it’s worth it!
Where do the Free Summer Movies take place in New York?
You can choose from several parks and locations. I really liked Brooklyn Bridge Park with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline as well as the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid where you can enjoy the summer at the movies.
These are the locations in 2024:
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01
Movie Nights at Bryant Park
Other Attraction in Midtown Manhattan
One of the best things to do in summer in New York is visit the free Bryant Park Movie Nights. In the heart of Manhattan, people gather in the summer months with blankets and chairs they’ve brought themselves to relax at the outdoor movie theater and concerts by the New York Philharmonics. Bryant Park is just under a 5-minute walk from Times Square, surrounded by tall trees, so it’s a bit secluded from the rest, but you’re still in the middle of it all: Awesome!
The lawn opens at 5 pm and all the movies start at 8 pm. You should arrive early for a good spot.
Schedule 2024:
- June 10: Forrest Gump
- June 17: The Talented Mr. Ripley
- June 24: Boomerang
- July 1: Gladiator
- July 8: Old School
- July 15: Funny Face
- July 22: Cinema Paradiso
- July 29: How to lose a Guy in 10 Days
- August 5: Arrival
- August 12: Titanic
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02
Movies With a View - Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn
Other Events in Brooklyn HeightsOur Highlight
This year marks the 24th year of the Movie With A View and is part of the Free Summer Movies that take place throughout New York. It’s a free event organized by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. Food and drinks will be provided by the Time Out Market, doors open at 6 pm.
Schedule 2024:
- July 11: Past Lives
- July 18: Pulp Fiction
- July 25: Mean Girls
- August 1: Creed
- August 8: But I’m a Cheerleader
- August 15: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
- August 22: The American President
- August 29: Public choice!
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Pizza Wine Movie Nights at the Rooftop Reds (until October 2024)
Other Attraction in DumboOur Highlight
The only problem with this beautiful view of the NYC skyline? It just happens to be interrupted by NYC’s only rooftop vineyard! Located in Brooklyn, Rooftop Reds is actually the world’s first commercially viable urban rooftop vineyard. That means in addition to getting a wide-open view of the NYC skyline, you’re also supporting one of the most innovative wine projects in NYC.
And what would a glass of wine be without a great pairing? Rooftop Reds offers the amazing Pizza Wine Movie Nights from June until October!
Schedule 2024: From June to October, you can choose from a total of 45 films. Here you can see the complete line-up including a link to the tickets.
These are some of the movies you can see:
- June 16th: Poetic justice
- June 23rd: Anchorman
- June 30th: Surprise Movie!
- July 7th: Jurassic Park
- July 14th: Barbie
- July 25th: Everything everywhere all at once
- August 8th: Twister
- August 11th: Crazy Rich Asians
- August 29th: Top Gun Maverick
- September 5th: Legally Blonde
- September 12th: The 40-year-old Virgin
- September 22nd: When Harry met Sally
- October 13th: Insidious
- October 27th: The Conjuring
- October 31st: Hocus Pocus
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The Seaport Cinema at Pier 17
Pier in Financial District
Three different film screenings will take place on the roof of Pier 17 this year – and by the way, you’ll have a sensational view of the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River and Brooklyn!
Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the films start at 7:30 pm. The free tickets are available here!
Schedule 2024:
- JUNE 10: MAMMA MIA
- JULY 1 – SING
- AUGUST 12 – A STAR IS BORN
- TBA – SCHOOL OF ROCK
- TBA – BARBIE
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Intrepid Summer Movie Nights
Museum in Hell's Kitchen
The Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum is the only floating museum in NYC. You will find a wide array of historically significant military and maritime vehicles as well as a collection of museum ships on this aircraft carrier which is docked on the Hudson River. This is great for kids and adults alike as it discusses and shows a wide variety of artifacts regarding the US military and maritime history.
You can watch movies on the deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid for free. This year this event celebrates its 42nd anniversary – and it is one of the most popular locations. So get here early! Doors open at 5 pm.
Schedule 2024:
- June 28: Apollo 13
- July 26: First Man
- August 23: Moonfall
For more on Summer Movie Nights at the Intrepid Museum, click here.
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Free Summer Movies Governors Island
Other Events in Governors Island
Also on our favorite island Governors Island, you can experience the Free Summer Movies this year. From June to September, you can watch free movies. The schedule for 2024 is yet to be announced.
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Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn
Other Events in Prospect Heights
Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn will show movies at three different Brooklyn parks throughout the summer beginning in late June. The first four films will be shown at McCarren Park beginning in June. That will be followed by four films at Prospect Park on Long Meadow, and then there will be four films at McCarren Park. There are classics from the ’90s as well as current hit movies to see. Best of all, the movies are FREE!
Schedule 2024:
McCarren Park:
- June 14: Empire Records
- June 28: But I’m a Cheerleader
Prospect Park:
- June 26: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
- July 3: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
- July 10: School of Rock
- July 17: Clueless
Coney Island Beach
- July 11: Film TBA
- July 18: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
- July 25: Everything everywhere All at Once
- August 1: Love & Basketball
- August 8: The Warriors
Fort Greene Park:
- August 15: Past Lives
- August 22: School Daze
- August 29: Bob Marley: One Love
- September 5: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
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Rooftop Cinema Club Midtown: Not free, but amazing!
Other Art & Culture in Midtown ManhattanOur Highlight
We love the Free Summer Movies, which are available at different places in New York. They are an absolute MUST DO in the summer, so you should definitely plan the Free Summer Movies for yourself. But you can also go one floor higher: with the cinema events on the roofs of hotels or bars. The Rooftop Film Club on top of the Skylawn Embassy Suites shows films in lofty heights on several days during the summer and although the tickets are not free you shouldn’t miss this event!
These are some of the movies they show in June:
- June 11: Selena | Clueless | The Mummy (1999)
- June 12: How to lose a Guy in 10 Days | The Color Purple (2023) | Friday the 13th
- June 14: Pride & Prejudice | The Birdcage | Goodfellas
- June 17: Back to the Future | Coming to America (1988) | American Psycho
- June 20: The Princess Bride | But I’m a Cheerleader | Pulp Fiction
- June 22: The Sandlot | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone | Pretty Woman | Drop Dead Gorgeous | The Sixth Sence
- June 28: Crazy, Stupid, Love | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | The Talented Mr. Ripley
Check out the official Rooftop Cinema Club website for more information.
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Tribeca Film Festival
Other Attraction in Tribeca
In 2002, Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal created the Tribeca Film Festival to bring life back to the neighborhood near Ground Zero. New York City suffered greatly from the attacks of September 11, 2001, and Di Niro’s intention in creating the festival was to help New Yorkers out of this deep-seated depression and give them a reason to celebrate again.
The Tribeca Film Festival has grown over the years, and now all the big names from the film industry show up each spring. There are many associated events like short film presentations, film premiers, and various awards. Check out the Tribeca Film Festival website for the full schedule.
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Films on the Green
Other Art & Culture in Greenwich Village
Films on the Green is a free outdoor French film festival running from May 31 to September 6 in Manhattan and Brooklyn parks. This year’s festival showcases 11 thrilling films that celebrate the excitement, competition, and triumphs of sports.
The selection includes a variety of sports films, from exhilarating boxing matches to the elegant movements of artistic swimming, appealing to viewers of all ages. Experience the resilience of real-life soccer legends or dive into the intense world of major tournaments like the Tour de France.
The 2024 lineup:
- June 14, 2024: The Odyssey (L’Odyssée) | Washington Square Park
- June 21, 2024: My Donkey, My Lover & I (Antoinette dans les Cévennes) | WNYC Transmitter Park
- June 28, 2024: The Triplets of Belleville (Les Triplettes de Belleville) | J. Hood Wright Park
- July 5, 2024: Marinette | Seward Park
- July 12, 2024: Air of Paris (L’Air de Paris) | Seward Park
- July 19, 2024: Les Cinq Tulipes Rouges (Five Red Tulips) | Riverside Park – Pier I
- July 26, 2024: The Golden Ball (Le Ballon d’or) | Riverside Park – Pier I
- September 5, 2024: Ride Above (Tempête) | Columbia University – Low Plaza
- September 6, 2024: Racetime (La Course des Tuques) | Msgr. McGolrick Park
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Pier 1 Picture Show (Summer on the Hudson)
Other Events in Upper West Side
Summer on the Hudson is Riverside Park & West Harlem Piers Park’s annual outdoor arts and culture festival. Between 59th and 153rd Streets on the Hudson River, you can experience live DJs, exhibits, special shows for kids, and of course, outdoor movies. And the best part? All the events are free!
In July and August the Pier 1 Picture Show hosts seven movies at Pier 1 (70th St):
- July 10 The Outsiders (1983)
- July 17 Clueless (1995)
- July 24 The Princess Bride (1987)
- July 31 Persepolis (2007)
- August 7 The Bad Guys (2022)
- August 14 The Big Sleep (1946)
- August 21 Little Women (2019)
Picture: Christian Reimer – many thanks for this!!!
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