Tag: St Andrew Square Garden

Square Cinema returns to St Andrew Square Garden for a FREE outdoor film festival this June!

Enjoy recent blockbusters, family favourites and cult classic films in the heart of Edinburgh 13 – 15 June 2025

Edinburgh’s much-loved free outdoor movie weekend, Square Cinema, returns this June, bringing three days of big-screen entertainment to the heart of the city in one of the UK’s biggest free outdoor cinema events.  

Set in the picturesque surroundings of St Andrew Square Garden, the three-day event is funded by Essential Edinburgh with LNER continuing their headline support. It all kicks off this year on Friday June 13th with a packed line-up!

Family audiences are in for a treat with daytime screenings including Wicked, a Paddington double bill with Paddington 2 and Paddington In Peru, Inside Out 2, The Wild Robot and Moana 2.

Later in the day, the programme shifts to Hollywood blockbusters and cult classics including The Lost Boys, Chicago, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Mrs Doubtfire, Twisters, and Gladiator 2, all shown in a relaxed, picnic-style setting.

Don’t live locally to Edinburgh? Don’t worry, if you enter the Square Cinema competition on-line you can be in with a chance of winning a fantastic luxury weekend-stay in Edinburgh for four!

Enjoy 1st class travel and entry to Square Cinema’s First Class Lounge provided by partners LNER, a two-night stay in the sumptuous George Hotel just seconds away from St Andrew Square Garden, A £300 gift card for Multrees Walk – Scotland’s luxury shopping destination – with a lunch and dinner being provided by Bar+Block Steakhouse Edinburgh and Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill, and entry to The Edinburgh Dungeon to top it off. 

Emily Campbell Johnston, Senior Manager Marketing & Communications for Essential Edinburgh, said: “Over fourteen years, our outdoor film screenings produced by Unique Events have evolved into one of the largest free outdoor cinema events in the UK – attracting locals and visitors alike to enjoy our wonderful city centre.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with LNER, working together to create happy memories for all, and this year to also offer audio-described screenings. It’s a fantastic, free event that truly has something for absolutely everyone – come rain or shine – from daytime family fun to movie-lovers at night.

“Square Cinema is always fabulous fun and offers a wonderful communal film experience. It brings people into the city centre and they can then enjoy all that is on offer, helping drive footfall and provide a welcome boost for local businesses.”

Jake Orros, Community Partnerships Manager at LNER, added: “We are delighted to continue our headline sponsorship of this special outdoor event that brings people into the heart of Edinburgh.

“In 2025, we’re proud to introduce a new community partnership element, further strengthening our commitment to inclusivity and connection.”

Entry to Square Cinema remains free and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Concessions available within Square Cinema include drinks from Heineken 0%, food tasters from Dishoom, and sweet treats such as ice cream, popcorn, and confectionery from Alandas.

To be as inclusive as possible, all films will be shown with subtitles, and select films will be audio-described. For full entry terms and conditions, or to reserve a headset for audio-described screenings, please visit www.squarecinema.co.uk

SQUARE CINEMA PROGRAMME 2025*

Friday 13 June: 

4:30pm         Moana 2 (2024) – Cert PG (Audio Described Available)

6:30pm         The Meg (2018) – Cert 12

8:35pm         The Lost Boys (1987) – Cert 15 (Audio Described Available)

Saturday 14 June: 

11am         The Wild Robot (2024) – Cert U

1pm            Paddington 2 (2017) – Cert PG (Audio Described Available)

3:15pm      Mrs Doubtfire (1993) – Cert 12A

5:45pm      Chicago (2002) – Cert 12A

8:00pm      Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (2024) – Cert 15 (Audio Described Available)

Sunday 15 June: 

11am          Inside Out 2 (2024) – Cert U

12:50pm   Paddington in Peru (2024) – Cert PG

2:50pm      Wicked – Sing-along (2024) – Cert PG (Audio Described Available)

5:45pm:     Twisters (2024) – Cert 12 (Audio Described Available)

8:00pm      Gladiator 2 (2024) – Cert 15 

*Film titles and times may be subject to change

Competition Prize and Entry Details

Win a luxury weekend in Edinburgh for four people to attend Square Cinema with LNER from 13th to 15th June 2025.

For your chance to win 1st class tickets for four to travel to Edinburgh with LNER, a weekend stay in Edinburgh City Centre at Edinburgh The George, a £300 gift card to spend on Multrees Walk, lunch at Bar+Block Steakhouse Edinburgh, dinner at Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill and entry to The Edinburgh Dungeon, simply complete the entry form on the Square Cinema website: 

https://www.edinburghcitycentre.co.uk/square-cinema-comp/.


Prize List

  • LNER 1st Class return tickets for four (4 adult or family of 4 ticket option) to travel to Edinburgh from Friday 13th – Sunday 15th June 2025.
  • Two King Premium rooms that are interconnecting provided by Edinburgh The George, for Friday 13th – Sunday 15th June 2025.
  • A £300 gift card to spend at a brand of choice* at Multrees Walk, Scotland’s Luxury Shopping Destination.
  • £150 credit to spend at Bar + Block Steakhouse on Princes Street, Edinburgh, during your stay.
  • Dinner at Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill – Churrasco Experience for four guests, bottle of Catena Paraje Altamira Malbec, Dry-Aged Tomahawk and Brazilian Sweet Treats to finish your experience – during your stay.
  • Entry for four to The Edinburgh Dungeon to enjoy the darker side of Edinburgh during your stay
  • Access to the Square Cinema with LNER’s 1st class Lounge across the event weekend.

T&Cs apply.

Film Fest In The City 2022 Programme Revealed

Edinburgh International Film Festival in partnership with Essential Edinburgh returns to St Andrew Square Gardens for an opening weekend of free outdoor screenings from Friday 12th August to Sunday 14th August.

Film Fest in the City in St Andrew Square Gardens returns as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival programme on the festival’s opening weekend from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th August. The free and non-ticketed outdoor screening programme of new and classic cinematic favourites reflect the wider EIFF 2022 themes, including a celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen for Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022.

The programme is delivered in partnership with Essential Edinburgh and supported by Innis & Gunn, EIFF’s Official Beer Partner, travel partner LNER and supported by EventScotland as part of the Year of Stories 2022 and reflects EIFF’s return to August embracing other cultural festivals around it. EIFF is working closely with local travel partner Lothian Buses to encourage sustainable travel to Edinburgh’s city centre, plan your journey at lothianbuses.co.uk or download the Lothian buses app.

On Friday 12th August, EIFF tips its hat to the Edinburgh International Book Festival with a day of films that all started in the twinkle of an author’s eye.

The day will also feature a selection of short films with a Scottish connection, screened before feature films and presented in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 as Scotland’s Stories on Screen. 

On Saturday 13th August, the celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen picks up pace as the Film Fest in the City programme fills the square with homegrown stories and some family fun, including a special live musical performance to accompany the 100 year anniversary screening of the 1922 classic Rob Roy, as well as Brave, set in the Highlands story of Princess Merida and The Illusionist set in Edinburgh plus more short films with a Scottish connection. And if all that homegrown fun wasn’t enough, stay on and enjoy the evening with the family favourite WALL-E followed by the recent blockbuster, Free Guy.

Sunday 14th August sees EIFF Youth Programmers from Edinburgh and Aberdeen take over the square with a selection of favourites including Twilight, Big, Shrek and Whip It to celebrate big screen favourites all directed their favourite female directors.

As a nod to EIFF’s closing night film, After Yang, the Film Fest in the City explores the idea of Artificial Intelligence on screen. For sci-fi purists out there there’s Stanley Kubrick classic, 2001 A Space Odyssey. If you like your A.I. all singing, all dancing, don’t miss everybody’s favourite Pixar robot Wall-E or maybe you just want to spend Saturday night with Ryan Reynolds (who doesn’t?!) then don’t miss Free Guy.

This special open-air series of screenings coincides with the main programme of full in-person cinema screenings as part of the 75th anniversary of the city’s International Film Festival, giving the Film Festival an East-to-West city centre presence and making cinema accessible to both film buffs and Edinburgh residents of all ages. Attending audiences can look out for lots of special surprises at each screening too.

These events are free. Film times and details of accompanying activities can be found by visiting www.edfilmfest.org.uk.

Audiences will enjoy the outdoor screenings with an amazing range of food and drink produce available to purchase on site, including EIFF Official Beer Partner Innis & Gunn. Heritage gastropub The Voyage of Buck will be have a bar on site which will be focusing on Lind and Lime Gin cocktails including collins and spritzes featuring summer flavours with London essence tonics and sodas.

Bring your favourite cinema snacks and picnic blankets or sit yourself down on one of the famous St Andrew Square deck chairs to enjoy the following:

FRIDAY, 12 AUGUST

11.00 | Paddington (2014 / dir. Paul King)

Everyone’s favourite bear in his first big screen adventure as he travels from deepest darkest Peru to London to try and find himself a new home.

13.00 | Fantastic Mr Fox (2009 / dir. Wes Anderson)

Filmmaker Wes Anderson guides an A-list cast in this stop-motion take on Roald Dahl’s classic book.

14.45 | SHORT FILM: What Makes Soup, Soup? (dirs. Conor Reilly, Tommy Reilly, Malcolm Cumming)

…one of life’s greatest mysteries. From BBC Social team, a short film including a rising star, Glasgow-based Malcolm Cumming and composer Tommy Reilly, both known for their work on Anna & The Apocalype. In celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

15.00 | Christopher Robin (2018 / dir. Marc Forster)

Perth-born Hollywood actor Ewan McGregor stars as a now-grown-up Christopher Robin who is visited by Winnie the Pooh to help find his lost friends in the Hundred Acre Wood.

17.00 | SHORT FILM: Neville is Dead (dir. Louis Paxton)

Neville is Magnus’ best friend. Neville can’t die. This is going to be AMAZING. A short film from an Edinburgh filmmaker who recently directed the last ever episode of tv series Shetland. In celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

17.30 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000 / dir. Ang Lee)

Join us for high-flying spectacle in filmmaker Ang Lee’s martial arts masterpiece

19.40 | SHORT FILM: Flit (dir. Jack Allen)

A world-renowned, professional fly killer, named Carl, is on the cusp of finalising his latest and most powerful invention… an exciting new short film from an emerging Scottish filmmaker and animator.

In celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

20.00 | 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968 / dir. Stanley Kubrick)

One of the greatest cinematic experiences of all time. Stanley Kubrick’s journey into space is designed for the big screen.

SATURDAY, 13 AUGUST

11:00 | Brave (2012 / dirs. Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews)

Follow Princess Merida as she forges her own path in Disney and Pixar’s journey into the mythical Scottish kingdom of DunBroch. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen. Pre-screening family entertainment, including face-painting.

12.50 | SHORT FILM: Fear of Flying (dir. Conor Finnegan)

A small bird with a fear of flying tries to avoid heading South for the winter. A short animation which screened at EIFF in 2013. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

13:00 | The Illusionist (2010 / dir. Sylvain Chomet)

Based on the story by Jacques Tati, this beautifully animated tale tells of a French illusionist who travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman where their exciting adventures together change both their lives forever. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen. Pre-screening family entertainment.

14.49 | SHORT FILM: Widdershins (dir. Simon Biggs)

A pampered gentleman’s seamlessly automated life is thrown into chaos when he pursues a free-spirited woman, against the advice of his robot butler. Scottish Film Talent Network-funded Scottish animation from the team at Once Were Farmers. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

15:30 | Rob Roy (1922 / dir. W. P. Kellino), in celebration of Scotland’s Stories on Screen

Join us for a special live musical performance to accompany this impressive 1922 classic film.

17.20 | SHORT FILM: Betty (Will Anderson)

A new short from the BAFTA Award-winning Scottish animator tells the story of an avian protagonist as he falls in love with Betty and then loses her through a series of bad decisions…

Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

18:00 | Wall-E (2008 / dir. Andrew Stanton)

An all singing, all dancing modern classic from Pixar.

20.00 | SHORT FILM: Don Vs Lighting (dir. Big Red Button)

Unlucky Don keeps getting struck by lightning… a short film from Big Red Button (Johnny Burns and Pier van Tijn), starring award-winning Scottish actor Peter Mullan. Celebrating Scotland’s Stories on Screen.

20:15 | Free Guy (2021 / dir. Shawn Levy)

Affable bank clerk Ryan Reynolds discovers he is a computer game character in this recent action comedy.

SUNDAY, 14 AUGUST

11:00 | Shrek (2001 / dirs. Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson)

Join a whole host of fairy tale characters in this animated, tuneful and funny animated adventure.

13:00 | Big (1989 / dir. Penny Marshall)

Tom Hanks reconnects with his youth in this 80s family classic.

15:15 | Whip It (2009 / dir. Drew Barrymore)

Get your skates on and join Babe Ruthless and the roller-derby team in this funny and quirky drama.

17:30 | The Farewell (2021 / dir. Lulu Wang)

A funny and uplifting tale of a family reconnecting with their past

19:45 | Twilight (2008 / dir. Catherine Hardwicke)

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart star in this everlasting teenage vampire romance.