As the sun begins to set, screens across the city flicker into life. From brand-new releases like “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and feel-good favourites such as “Mamma Mia!” to lesser-known arthouse gems waiting to be discovered, there’s plenty to choose from.
Discover Cologne’s 6 open-air cinemas for 2026:
- Naturstrom Open-Air-Kino at Rheinauhafen
- Cinenova courtyard in Ehrenfeld
- Odonien beer garden
- Kalkberg
- Courtyard at MAKK (Museum of Applied Arts Cologne)
- Car park next to Filmhaus-Kino
Waterfront vibes: Naturstrom Open-Air-Kino at Rheinauhafen
600 seats on the riverside steps, views of Cologne Cathedral and a 30-square-metre LED screen floating on the Rhine: Naturstrom Open-Air-Kino offers one of the city’s most spectacular settings for an open-air movie night.
It’s not only one of Cologne’s most unusual open-air cinemas, but also its largest. The programme features everything from the latest releases and arthouse films to action, comedies and travel documentaries, with screenings running until early September. Some films are shown in their original language with subtitles.
A few highlights from the programme:
- 10 and 24 July: Disclosure Day – Steven Spielberg’s latest film, starring Emily Blunt
- 25 July and 1 August: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – the feel-good favourite that’s made for singing along
- 13 July and 4 August: The Devil Wears Prada 2 – the eagerly awaited sequel starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway
- 18 July and 11 August: Ocean Film Tour – a collection of inspiring films about people and their connection to the sea
Before the film begins, there’s a little warm-up, too: just before dusk, local artists take to the stage for 15-minute live sets, performing 3 or 4 songs from their own repertoire. From indie and R&B to pop, jazz and beyond, there’s something for every taste. Alongside established artists from Cologne and across North Rhine-Westphalia, including Paul Weber, Bruchbude, Cage and Dan O’Clock, up-and-coming newcomers regularly kick off the evening.
When? Gates open at 7 pm, the live performances start at around 9.30 pm, and the film begins at dusk (around 10 pm).
How much? €12 standard admission, €9 for selected special screenings (some even offer €1 tickets for students and apprentices).
What’s on? The full programme and tickets are available on the Naturstrom Open-Air-Kino website.
Where? Rheinauhafen, Harry-Blum-Platz 1, 50678 Cologne
Top tip: If you’re planning to sit on the steps, bring a cushion for a little extra comfort.
Popcorn and pints: Cinema in the Cinenova beer garden in Ehrenfeld
During the summer months, Cinenova beer garden transforms into an open-air cinema with a carefully curated programme. Each week brings a hand-picked selection of films, from romances and dramas to action films and arthouse favourites.
Coming up next:
- 3 July: 23000 Lives – about a daring rescue mission
- 4 July: The Camino Therapy – Find Your Way – a journey of self-discovery along the Camino de Santiago
- 6 July: Perfectly Normal – about the life of a boy with Tourette syndrome
- 7 July: Stromberg – Wieder alles wie immer (Business as Usual) – the second Stromberg film starring Christoph Maria Herbst
- 8 July: Glennkill: A Sheep Detective Story – starring Hugh Jackman
Another highlight is SurfFilmNacht, featuring inspiring documentaries about surfing and outdoor adventures. This summer, Kingdom of the Evening and We the Surfers are screening on 23 July.
Pair your film with a cold beer or soft drink from the bar and some popcorn. If you’d like one of the best seats, it’s worth arriving before 9 pm.
When? The film starts at dusk (around 10 pm).
How much? €9 standard admission, €14 for special screenings (plus a 10% advance booking fee).
What’s on? The programme is published every Monday, with listings up to the following Wednesday, on the Cinenova website, where you can also book tickets.
Where? Herbrandstr. 11, 50825 Cologne
Top tip: A little rain won’t spoil the evening. If it rains or there’s a thunderstorm, the screening simply moves indoors.
Wonderfully quirky: Film nights at Odonien
There’s something new to discover wherever you look at Odonien. Created by Cologne sculptor Odo Rumpf, this “Free State for Art and Culture” is hard to pigeonhole: it’s an artwork, workshop, creative space and event venue all in one.
In summer, Odonien’s unconventional beer garden also becomes an open-air cinema, showing films that will appeal to everyone from indie fans to lovers of cult classics.
This year’s programme includes so far:
- 29 July: Lesbian Space Princess – an LGBTQIA+ animated film
- 30 July: Sound of Metal – a drama about a life changed in an instant
- 5 August: Oh Boy – a tragicomedy about searching for your place in life
- 6 August: No Country for Nobody – a documentary about Europe’s borders
- 12 August: Little Miss Sunshine – a tragicomedy about the strength of family
- 13 August: Mulholland Drive – a mystery thriller about a woman who has lost her memory
- 19 August: Sirat – an independent film set at a rave in the Moroccan desert
- 20 August: Perfect Days – a German-Japanese drama about the beauty of life’s little routines
- 26 August: The Rush – a Danish tragicomedy about 4 teachers embarking on a risky alcohol experiment
- 27 August: Chihiro’s Journey – an anime classic about a girl who enters another world
When? Gates open at 8 pm, and the film starts at around 9 pm.
How much? €11.20 standard admission, €9 concessions.
What’s on? Tickets are available online via Rausgegangen or at the box office (cash only).
Where? Hornstr. 85, 50823 Cologne
Top tip: Admission to No Country for Nobody on 6 August is free.
Cinema with a view: Open-air cinema on Kalkberg
Cinema under the stars: at Kalkberg, films are shown on the huge weatherproof screen of the former helicopter hangar. Add popcorn, drinks from the panoramic bar and a starry sky, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a memorable movie night. The open-air cinema is organised by the Kalkberg Citizens’ Initiative.
Kalkberg has an unusual history. The former landfill site of the Chemische Fabrik Kalk was set to become the location of a rescue helicopter station from 2013 onwards. But problems caused by the unstable ground brought the project to a halt in 2015. Since then, the Kalkberg Citizens’ Initiative has been campaigning to open the site to the public.
Two screenings are still to come:
- 11 July: Cinema Paradiso – a beloved 1988 Italian classic celebrating the love of cinema
- 5 September: Film to be announced
When? The panoramic bar opens at 7 pm. The film starts at 10 pm on 11 July and at 8.15 pm on 5 September.
How much? Admission is free, but donations are welcome, according to the organisers.
Where? Kalkberg, entrance at the corner of Istanbulstr. and Kalk-Mülheimer Str.
Top tip: If you’d like to stretch out on the grass, don’t forget to bring a blanket.
Culture at its best: Open-air cinema in the courtyard of the Museum of Applied Arts
Once the doors of the Museum of Applied Arts Cologne (MAKK) have closed for the day, a different kind of stage opens up in its historic courtyard. From 9 July, MAKK’s courtyard transforms into an atmospheric open-air cinema for anyone who enjoys experiencing culture under the stars.
The programme features films from around the world, including some that rarely make it to the big screen. July highlights:
- 9 July: Glennkill: A Sheep Mystery – starring Hugh Jackman
- 10 July: The Drama – starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson in a story about an unexpected revelation
- 11 July: Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke (Oh, That Gap, That Terrible Gap)– an offbeat German comedy
- 16 July: Paris Murder Mystery – a psychiatrist takes the investigation into her own hands after one of her patients dies under mysterious circumstances
- 17 July: Sentimental Value – about the relationship between a daughter and her father
- 18 July: The Devil Wears Prada 2 – the eagerly awaited sequel starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway
- 23 July: H for Hawk – about the extraordinary bond between a woman and a hawk
- 24 July: 22 Lanes – based on Caroline Wahl’s bestselling novel about family, freedom and finding your place in life (bring tissues!)
- 25 July: The Astronaut – Project Hail Mary – starring Ryan Gosling as a scientist who travels into space and makes an unexpected encounter
When? Gates open at 8.30 pm, and the film starts at around 10 pm.
How much? €8 standard admission (plus a €0.90 advance booking fee), or at the box office (cash only).
What’s on? The full programme and tickets for the MAKK open-air cinema are available via Rausgegangen.
Where? An der Rechtschule 7, 50667 Cologne
Top tip: If there’s a storm or severe weather, the screening is moved to the arthouse cinema Filmkunstkino Filmpalette.
New perspectives: Open-air cinema at Filmhaus Köln
At Filmhaus Köln, films aren’t simply screened – they’re an invitation to see things differently. The open-air programme combines exceptional cinema with social, political and personal themes that encourage reflection.
If you’re looking for thought-provoking cinema beyond the mainstream, this is the place to be. And there’s one more thing that makes it special: everyone watches the film through wireless headphones, so you can focus entirely on what’s happening on screen.
The Filmhaus Open-Air programme:
- 3 July: Robber’s Hands – about friendship, identity and growing up
- 4 July: La Haine – Hate – a drama about social inequality and violence in the suburbs of Paris
- 5 July: A Day Without Women – about the women’s strike that made history
- 7 July: Kill the Jockey – an unconventional search for identity
- 8 July: Hysteria – about prejudice, power and social tensions
- 13 July: Es gilt das versprochene Wort (The Spoken Word Prevails) – about migration, identity and belonging
- 14 July: Das tiefste Blau (The Deepest Blue) – about people, the sea and the environment
- 15 July: Crocodile Tears – about family conflict and self-determination
- 20 July: The Teachers’ Lounge – a gripping drama about justice
- 21 July: Aftersun – a moving father-daughter story
- 22 July: Un poeta – about art, dreams and self-discovery
- 27 July: Es war einmal Indianerland (Once upon a time in Indian Country) – about love, friendship and growing up
- 28 July: The Chronology of Water – about trauma, healing and new beginnings
- 29 July: Sorry, Baby – a story about loss and hope
When? The film starts once it’s dark enough, usually at around 9.45 pm.
How much? €9.
What’s on? The full programme and tickets are available via the Filmhaus Köln online calendar.
Where? Maybachstr. 111, 50670 Cologne (car park next to the cinema)
Top tip: If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the screening can easily be moved indoors.
Extra tip: Summer Cinema Week at Filmforum in Museum Ludwig
When summer has a firm grip on Cologne, there’s hardly a better place to escape the heat than a cool cinema. The city has no shortage of great cinemas, but Filmforum adds its own special summer twist. From 12 to 16 August, it will be screening 9 films over 5 days, each exploring summer from a different perspective.
Sometimes light-hearted and nostalgic, sometimes romantic or edge-of-your-seat thrilling – every film captures a different side of the season. It’s the perfect way to cool down without missing out on the summer atmosphere.
Filmforum screening programme:
- 12 August (8.30 pm): Jaws – perhaps the world’s best-known shark thriller
- 13 August (7 pm): Rear Window – a thriller about mysterious neighbours
- 14 August (6 pm): Crazy – a coming-of-age drama, followed by a Q&A with the director
- 14 August (8.30 pm): Sun and Concrete – about the lives of 3 teenagers growing up in the city, based on the bestselling novel by comedian Felix Lobrecht
- 15 August (4 pm): Little Miss Sunshine – a tragicomedy about the strength of family
- 15 August (6 pm): Before Sunrise – about cross-cultural love and the magic of summer
- 15 August (9 pm): Dazed and Confused – about the carefree spirit of youth in the 1970s
- 16 August (2 pm): Ponyo – an anime inspired by the story of The Little Mermaid
- 16 August (4 pm): Grave of the Fireflies – an anime about 2 young people struggling to survive on their own at the end of the Second World War
When? 12–16 August. Screening times vary depending on the film.
How much? €18 – one ticket gives you access to all screenings.
What’s on? The full programme and the combined ticket are available via Rausgegangen.
Where? Bischofsgartenstr. 1, 50667 Cologne
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