Back-to-back Sandy Cinemas at Penrith Beach

The New Year has brought in huge numbers of visitors to Penrith Beach, with over 51,000 people flocking to the shores to enjoy the sun, sand and water so far this summer.

And locals will have even more fun with two Sandy Cinema screenings this weekend on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 of January.

Friday’s visitors will be flying high after a screening of the recent blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick, while Saturday’s attendees will be singing along with Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas following the screening of Wonka.

The Sandy Cinema is the most recent free activity on offer with locals and visitors enjoying a range of activities such as boot camp classes with Penrith rugby league royalty Mark Geyer, Wildlife Wednesdays with Sydney Zoo, a junior lifesaver program run by The Royal Life Saving Society, and free skin cancer check clinics with Skin Check Champions.

Sandy Cinema will bring family classics to life next to the iconic backdrop of the Blue Mountains.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their blankets, picnic chairs and snacks for one of Sydney’s truly unique cinematic movie experiences under the stars. There will also be a food truck available on site.

The Beach will be closed to non-ticket holders at 7pm as per the usual operation of the beach however visitors with Sandy Cinema tickets can enjoy a swim at the Beach with Surf Lifesavers on patrol until 7.45pm.

Tickets are free but visitors attending this event must book a car park pass in advance to secure their spot. Passes must be shown to obtain entry to the car park.

Up to $2.5 million has been invested by the NSW Government to keep the beach open for the entirety of the 2024/25 summer swim season up until 27 April.

To book a pass, see upcoming movie session dates and check out upcoming summer events, visit the Penrith Beach website.

Screenings will proceed in the event of light or intermittent rain. However, as weather conditions are unpredictable, we may have to cancel close to the screening. We will give people as much notice as possible should this occur. 

In the event that a session is cancelled, ticket holders will receive an SMS and email notification.

Acting Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Anoulack Chanthivong said:

“It is important that we have public spaces that can be enjoyed by the whole community. Penrith Beach has a range of activities and I’m pleased to announce two more Sandy Cinema screenings this weekend.

“Penrith Beach has so many great activities and experiences on offer and the Sandy Cinema is just another option.

“Our Government is determined to keep delivering for residents in Western Sydney with additional open spaces that are free and the entire community can use and benefit from.”