NEC Lakeside In partnership with London Northwestern Railway

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Your best free summer day out is right here

In partnership with London Northwestern Railway, we are excited to share our FREE outdoor cinema listings for the summer holidays

NEC Lakeside is a brand new free outdoor space at the heart of the NEC Campus, open every day from 9:30am until the end of August.

Think outdoor cinema, children's activity trail, play area, garden games and great street food — all completely free, no tickets, no booking, just turn up.

Part of the biggest summer the NEC has ever had, alongside Peppa Pig Space Adventure, Titanic, Gladiators Experience, Tutankhamun and more. One campus, one incredible summer.

Free. Open daily from 9:30am. Located next to Peppa Pig Space Adventure

Activity Trail
Download the Activity Trail
What's on this week
The Big Screen

From family favourites to animated classics, join us at NEC Lakeside for FREE screenings from Wednesday to Sunday, all summer long! CBeebies shows are on from 9:30am, with free films showing on selected dates from 2:30pm.


No booking or tickets required, just turn up and enjoy!

 

Here’s what’s showing in August:


Sat 1 The Secret Life of Pets
Sun 2 Tangled
Thu 6 Wreckit Ralph
Fri 7 The Lego Batman Movie
Sat 8 Minecraft Movie
Sun 9 Coco
Thu 13 Angry Birds
Fri 14 Inside Out
Sat 15 Frozen2
Sun 16 Lego Movie
Fri 21 Madagascar
Sat 22 Lion King
Sun 23 Zootopia
Fri 28 Ratatouille
Sat 29 Cars
Sun 30 Trolls

Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Is it really free?

Yes. The Big Screen, activity trail, play area and garden games are all completely free. No tickets, no booking required.

When is it open?

 Every day from 9:30am. CBeebies runs until 5pm, with film screenings at 2pm on selected dates. Open until the end of August.

Where is it?

At the heart of the NEC Campus, right next to Peppa Pig's Space Adventure. You can't miss it.

Do I need to book?

No. Everything is drop-in. Just turn up.

Is there parking?

Yes. Families visiting Peppa Pig's Space Adventure park from £7.50 per day. Full details at thenec.co.uk. Follow signs for NEC lakeside and parking is £7.50 for the day

Can I visit without going to another attraction?

Absolutely. NEC Lakeside is open to everyone. No attraction ticket needed.

What food is there?

Food trucks on site serving burgers, chicken, sweet treats, ice cream and coffee throughout the day.

How long should we stay?

As long as you like. Most families make a full afternoon of it — and with the Big Screen, trail, play area and food all in one place, it's easy to see why.