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Drive-in cinema hopes to bring lockdown audiences the magic of the silver screen

Planned week-long event in Tampere will go ahead in June providing ban on gatherings of more than ten people is lifted

Tampereen messu- ja urheilukeskuksen Pirkkahalli ulkoa.
Organisers plan to turn Tampere's exhibition and sports centre into a lockdown-safe cinema Image: Petri Aaltonen / Yle
Yle News

While a trip to the cinema has been off-limits during the coronavirus lockdown, an events agency has announced plans to open a drive-in theatre in Tampere allowing punters to watch films on the big screen from the safety of their vehicles.

The planned week-long happening is scheduled to take place at the start of June at Tampere’s Exhibition and Sports Centre if the coronavirus situation allows.

On the billing will be titles for children, families and young people as well as films for adults, to be shown in the centre’s 10,000 square metre main hall.

“The audience will sit in their own cars during the film,” agency Finland Events said in a statement.

“In order for the film week to go ahead, gatherings of over ten people will have to be allowed in Finland,” the company said, adding that the project will be reorganised later if necessary.

Since mid-March Finland has banned groups of more than ten people in public, a rule which is due to be lifted on 13 May unless ministers decide to extend it.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said that the previous ban on gatherings over 500 people will come into place after that, and will remain until the end of July.

“The exceptional circumstances forced us to quickly think up with new ways of doing things, and in March we had the idea for an indoor drive-in cinema,” the agency said.

Tickets will cost 25 euros per vehicle.

Drive-in cinemas have popped up elsewhere in the Nordic countries, including Norway and Denmark, since the coronavirus led governments to impose strict lockdown rules in March.

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