Some of Purbeck’s most magical places are to be transformed into open-air cinemas, as part of Purbeck Film Festival’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
Tickets have gone on sale to watch top films – both new and classic – in the most atmospheric of locations including Corfe Castle, The Blue Pool, and Careys Secret Garden near Wareham in Dorset.
Settling in for a summer screening at The Blue Pool
Choosing settings to enhance the film
The Purbeck Film Festival’s summer programme starts on Saturday 15th August 2026 and runs on selected dates until Saturday 5th September 2026.
Cinema Under The Stars opens at Langham Wine Estate near Puddletown on Saturday 15th August 2026 with the popular film The Blues Brothers, accompanied by local wine in a setting that has become a crowd favourite.
The festival organisers say they have always sought to choose settings that change how it feels to watch a film, and this year they have taken that approach much further.
Corfe Castle was a great backdrop for Harry Potter and should work just as well for the new Wicked film
Atmospheric evenings
Careys Secret Garden hosts The Magic Faraway Tree in a real woodland clearing, while at Knoll House Hotel in Studland, guests can watch Jaws on the Jurassic Coast.
Among the ruins of Corfe Castle over the August Bank Holiday weekend, audiences can watch films Paddington 2 and the newly released Wicked: For Good.
To add to the evening atmosphere, the medieval stonework will be illuminated in an orange marmalade colour in honour of the world’s most famous bear and then in pink and green as a backdrop to the Wicked sequel.
Visitors can arrive at Corfe Castle station on Swanage Railway’s popular Sunset Shuttle – making the journey itself part of the night out.
The Blue Pool near Wareham provides a natural stage for Labyrinth, Jim Henson’s cult fantasy, its wooded banks lending the film a genuinely otherworldly atmosphere.
The festival closes at The Blue Pool with The Devil Wears Prada 2, one of the year’s most talked-about releases – a characteristically sharp final note.
Spending the evening round the pool at Knoll House Hotel
Summer programme 2026
- Saturday 15th August: The Blues Brothers (15) at Langham Wine Estate
- Friday 21st August: The Magic Faraway Tree (U) at Careys Secret Garden, Wareham
- Saturday 22nd August: Jaws (12A) at Knoll House Hotel, Studland
- Friday 28th August: Paddington 2 (PG) at NT Corfe Castle
- Saturday 29th August: Wicked: For Good (PG) at NT Corfe Castle
- Friday 4th September – Labyrinth (PG) at The Blue Pool
- Saturday 5th September – The Devil Wears Prada 2 (12A) at The Blue Pool
With the Purbeck hills in the distance, cinema goers get a unique experience at Corfe Castle
“Create something people will genuinely travel for”
Purbeck Film Festival director Claire Burns said:
“We’ve always focused on matching films with places in a way you can’t replicate inside a cinema.
“Our 30th year is about doing that at its very best — using locations across Purbeck to create something people will genuinely travel for.”
Purbeck Film Festival first started in 1996 and is one of the UK’s longest-running rural film festivals. It’s run by a charity almost entirely by volunteers.
The main autumn festival is from Friday 16th October to Sunday 1st November 2026, with screenings and events hosted across Purbeck.
Further information
- Tickets on sale via the Purbeck Film Festival website
