How to Set Up a Drive-In Cinema

The drive-in is back — here’s how to run one

Drive-ins are a brilliant format: weather-resilient, everyone in their own space, and a novelty that draws a crowd. Turning a car park or field into one is very doable with the right kit and a layout that respects the geometry.

1. Choose the screen

• Inflatable — portable and affordable, great for pop-up and touring drive-ins; needs dark
• LED — bright in daylight, no projector, less wind-affected; best for high-impact or daytime (LED displays)
• Fixed-frame — rigid and stable for permanent or high-frequency sites

A drive-in’s screen also has to be big — the back cars sit a long way off, so apply the screen-size maths and lean large (8 m+ / “mattress” inflatables or LED). See drive-in cinema solutions for the comparison.

2. Plan the car layout — it’s all geometry

The whole challenge is letting every windscreen see over the car in front:

• Raise the screen so its base clears the rooflines ahead — drive-in screens sit high for a reason.
• Spacing — leave roughly 2.5–3 m between rows and stagger cars so each looks between the two ahead, not directly over one.
• Sort by height — smaller cars to the front rows, SUVs and utes to the back.
• A gentle uphill slope toward the screen helps enormously if the site has one.
• Safe zones & access — keep vehicles well clear of the screen, projector and cabling, with a clear entry/exit flow and a marshalling plan.

3. Sort the audio over FM

The classic drive-in solution is an FM transmitter that broadcasts the soundtrack to each car’s radio — clear, private sound per vehicle with no noise pollution. We supply a low-power FM transmitter for exactly this. To set it up well:

• Pick a clear frequency — scan the FM band on site and choose an empty frequency with no local station near it, so there’s no bleed-through.
• Keep it low-power — a low-power transmitter covers the car park while staying within Australia’s class-licence limits, so the signal doesn’t spill beyond your site.
• Tell people the frequency — put “Tune to 88.1 FM” on entry signage and the pre-show slide.

4. Power and projection

Mains or a generator with headroom (total your loads and add ~25%). For projection you’ll need darkness and a long-enough throw distance, or a rear-projection setup. For daytime events, LED removes the brightness problem entirely.

5. Licensing

A drive-in is a public screening — you need the correct film licence, and broadcaster approval for live sport.

Run it again and again

Operators running regular drive-ins almost always buy rather than hire — see buy vs hire. Tell us your site and expected car count and we’ll scope the screen, audio and layout.