Drive-In Cinemas in France

Drive-In Cinemas in France

France has no permanent drive-in cinema. One seasonal venue — CinValley in the Alps — operates during summer. The country that invented cinema never adopted the car-based screening format. France’s strong traditional cinema culture, variable weather, and urban-centered lifestyle worked against it.

Early History

France’s first cine-parc opened in 1967 in La Farlede near Toulon, along the National 97 highway. It operated for nearly ten years before closing. Two years later, a drive-in opened in Marseille on Boulevard Schloesing, inaugurated by actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.

The most ambitious French drive-in opened on August 7, 1970 near the Halles de Rungis south of Paris. It had a 500 to 600 square meter screen — the largest in Europe at the time — and capacity for 1,500 cars. The first film screened was Chisum starring John Wayne. The venue declined within a few years in its industrial setting.

Why Drive-Ins Never Took Hold

France has a deep attachment to traditional cinema — the experience of les salles obscures (dark screening rooms). French urbanization patterns, public transport use, and the social importance of indoor cinema meant drive-ins were a curiosity rather than a viable alternative. Northern France’s climate made year-round operation impractical.

COVID-Era Revival

The 2020 pandemic triggered the most significant drive-in activity France had seen in decades. The French revival was explicitly framed as a solidarity gesture for struggling cinemas.

The Drive-In Festival was created as a non-profit touring event with profits donated to cinemas and distributors affected by closures. It opened at Bordeaux’s Place des Quinconces in May 2020 for up to 220 vehicles, then toured to Marseille and northern France.

Pop-up drive-ins appeared in Crest with a 15-meter inflatable screen, at Les Sables-d’Olonne with over 200 vehicles, in Caen where the art-house cinema Lux organized screenings, and on the Croisette in Cannes. The Drive-In Festival Bordeaux operation has since ceased.

Current State

CinValley Drive-In in Barcelonnette is France’s only regularly operating drive-in venue. It runs during summer months in the southern Alps. Audio is via FM radio. Tickets are 20 euros per car for up to 5 passengers.

France has an active outdoor cinema scene (cinema en plein air) — Paris alone hosts dozens of free outdoor screenings each summer — but these are walk-in events in parks and public spaces, not drive-ins.

Visiting Tips

CinValley Drive-In operates seasonally in summer. Check drive-in.cinvalley.fr for the current schedule. Audio is via FM radio. Bring a portable radio as backup.

For outdoor cinema in France, check local listings for cinema en plein air events during summer months.

Sources

• fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cine-parc — French-language history of the drive-in format
• drive-in.cinvalley.fr — CinValley Drive-In, Barcelonnette
• allocine.fr — French cinema listings and drive-in event coverage
• Le Monde — Coverage of the 2020 Drive-In Festival solidarity movement

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