Blacktown Drive In: Why should I visit the Skyline cinema in Western Sydney?

The Blacktown Drive In cinema in Western Sydney – officially known as the Skyline Drive In – offers nostalgia, a retro diner and date night romance.

The Blacktown Drive In cinema in Western Sydney has a 50 year history, although in recent years it has been officially known as the Skyline Drive In.

Like the Yatala Drive In on the Gold Coast, the Blacktown Drive In has a distinctive USP in the Covid-19 era. You don’t have to cram into a darkened room to watch a movie – you can sit by your car instead.

13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book

The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

(💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
(Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
(🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.

Date night at the Skyline Drive In, Blacktown. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Where is the Skyline Drive In?

The Skyline Drive In is next to the Atura Hotel Blacktown, and has its own on-site retro diner. The idea is that you drive up in your car, listen to the film via your FM radio and watch the movie on the big screen in front. You can stay in the car or roll out a blanket and sit next to it – the choice is yours.

The movies shown at the Blacktown Drive In tend to be either new Hollywood blockbusters or much-loved classics.

Nostalgia and romance are very much the keywords, here. The Blacktown Drive In is strongly angled towards couples wanting a 1950s experience date. It doesn’t matter much if you can’t see or hear the film as well as you would in the cinema. It’s the atmosphere, not the movie, that really counts.

Blacktown Drive In listings

The Skyline Drive In is run by Event Cinemas. You’ll find up-to-date listings of screenings on the Event Cinemas website.

Pricing varies by film, but tickets are by the car load, not the individual. So if you’re not on a date, you might as well bring a few friends with you.

Sydney day out including Blacktown Drive In cinema

It’s perfectly feasible to tag the Blacktown Drive In onto a day out in Western Sydney. Other options relatively nearby in Doonside include the Featherdale Wildlife Park and Nurragingy Reserve.

A little further to the east is one of the most impressive heritage buildings in Sydney. Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta has a strong claim to being the oldest building in Australia. You’ve also got excellent walking in the Cumberland State Forest or Bidjigal Reserve in West Pennant Hills.