How to Set Up an Outdoor Theater in Your Garden

Due to the current health crisis, movie theaters across the country are closed for the time being. Without the option of going to a theater to see a film, how can cinephiles and casual moviegoers satisfy their thirst for the cinema?

The next best thing to enjoying movies inside a movie theater is by setting up an outdoor theater in your own backyard ⁠— perfect for this summer season’s warm and balmy nights.

More than being a great entertainment setup, outdoor theaters can also bring people together. From being a relaxing family activity to a romantic date for couples, you can never go wrong with outdoor theaters.

In this guide, we’ll list down all you need to know on how to set up an outdoor theater in your garden.

Ready Your Space

First things first, you have to find an ample amount of space to set up your outdoor cinema ⁠— whether it’s at the far edge of your garden or at your outdoor patio you need to be able to set up the screen and be able to sit far enough back to properly enjoy it.

Make sure that you also have a flat piece of ground that’s dry and can provide protection from strong winds.

Before setting up, make sure that you prepare your garden. Remove any large debris and rake the leaves in your designated outdoor theater area.

If you plan on having it on your patio or balcony, you can easily get rid of any dirt that will make the flooring uneven using a pressure washer.

Fix Your Theater Set Up

Now, let’s take a look at the right equipment that you need in order to have a great outdoor cinema experience. There are different types of home theater equipment for every kind of garden and budget out there.

To start, look for projector models that provide at least 3,000 lumens (or standard units of light). This way, you’ll have the best possible image on your screen on movie night.

These days, it’s all about HD movies⁠ — and your choice of projector can really affect your outdoor cinema’s picture quality.

Then you have to consider your screen. If you have a flat white wall to project onto, that would work well, but hanging up a plain white sheet isn’t a bad idea, too. However, you can create a better overall outdoor cinema experience by looking into inexpensive options.

A free-standing screen can work great in these scenarios ⁠— providing you with a flat screen no matter where you position your outdoor cinema in your garden. Additionally, you can easily roll this up and store it in your garage when not in use.

After that, simply set up your laptop and connect it to your projector via an HDMI cable. For the audio, you’d want to have a high-quality speaker set up to fully immerse yourself in the experience.

It’s a good idea to invest in good outdoor speakers, as you can use these in a variety of other events that you may hold in your garden.

Comfy Decor is Preferred

Once youre done fixing up your garden area and the technical requirements, it’s now time to decorate your outdoor space. Firstly, find furniture that’ll make your guests feel comfortable. You can choose to have bean bags, floor pillows, and folding chairs as seating options. Feel free to lay down a huge rug to keep your pillows and cushions free from grass stains and dirt.

Also, consider adding some lighting fixtures to further set the mood. You can choose to put fairy lights all over your garden or even have a toasty fire pit.

But, make sure to dim these once the movie starts so it won’t affect the picture quality of your projector.

Don’t Forget the Snacks

No movie theater experience is complete without the classic movie snacks. So, be sure to supply everyone with a good amount of popcorn, candy bars, and soda in your outdoor theater.

But if you want to avoid the extra calories, you can serve healthier alternatives like kale chips, nut bars, and fresh fruit juices.

Whatever you choose, you can make sure that your outdoor cinema experience is one that’s not to be forgotten by following the tips we’ve listed above.

For more ideas on what to do in your backyard we have plenty of articles for you to check out.