Y ou might now have heard that this week the brand new Barking Riverside Overground station opened. This makes the journey from Leytonstone High Road to this new Thameside location a hop of only four stops – just over fifteen minutes, in fact.
Which is handy as this emerging district is playing host to an open-air cinema experience later this month for ‘Screenings by the River’, a three-day event along its impressively big-sky waterfront. Better still, Leytonstoner readers can bag 20% off tickets (scroll down to find out how).
Get to the venue early and you can enjoy a stroll along the 1.6km footpath, with its epic views across one of the widest sections of the Thames (see pic below). It’s hard to believe this is still London, in fact; you might even glimpse a seal.
Back to the movies: the open-air cinema kicks off on July 28th and will screen two films per day: a 3pm afternoon screening showing family movies, and an evening 7pm screening for adults.
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Families can enjoy recent faves Encanto and the 2019 live action remake of Lion King, whilst adults can lap up all-time classics Back to the Future, Dirty Dancing and Mamma Mia.
You’ll be able to lounge in deckchairs set right beside the Thames, with audio delivered through personal headphone sets, allowing a totally immersive open-air cinema experience.
And there’s plenty of food and drink, too: as well as a wood-fired pizza truck, a brand new pop-up bar and restaurant on-site is serving craft beers, wines and cocktails, as well brunch, coffee and buddha bowls (or just loaded fries, if you’re not in the mood for a full meal).
For Barking Riverside and Thames Ward residents, a limited number of free tickets are being exclusively offered for a special local screening on Thursday 28th July. And, as well as the new Overground, there’s also an Uber Boat by Thames Clippers services to Barking Riverside.
The screenings are part of By The River, a brand-new pop-up summer programme offering workshops, events, food and drink offerings on the waterfront at Barking Riverside for six weeks throughout July and August. So watch this space.
Riverside Cinema: map and details
Afternoon screenings
Moana – Thursday 28th July, 3pm – Free screening for locals
The Lion King (2019) – Friday 29th July, 3pm
Encanto – Saturday 30th July, 3pm
Evening screenings
Back to The Future – Thursday 28th July, 7pm
Dirty Dancing – Friday 29th July, 7pm
Mamma Mia – Saturday 30th July, 7pm
Tickets cost £6 for children and £10 for adults in the daytime, and £15 for all guests in the evening. Quote (upper case) LEYTONSTONER20 for 20% off ticket price. Riverside Cinema is at Barking Riverside Project Office, Project Road, Barking, IG11 0YP. For more information and to book tickets, please visit here. For more on Barking Riverside itself, click here.
Further reading: last year we walked from Leytonstone to Barking – read the account of our 5-mile hike here.
This is a sponsored post in association with Barking Riverside. If you’re a North or East London business wanting to access tens of thousands of Londoners across our north and east London newsletters, websites and social media network, please email info@leytonstoner.london or info@londonbelongstome.com
