The Cultured

For the first time, The British Museum is screening a major exhibition, Life and death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, in cinemas nationwide, while opera fans can enjoy live screenings direct from the Royal Opera House.

Pompeii Live is a unique broadcast which brings the remarkable collection, alongside commentary from renowned experts and live performances of music and poetry, to people across the country throughout August. The ROH's performances of Tosca's Puccini and La Rondine will be shown on BP Big Screens in a host of venues throughout England, including London's Trafalgar Square, The Piazza in Plymouth and Waltham Forest in Walthamstow.

The Set-jetter

This summer, Withnail & I fans can enjoy the ultimate 360 experience with a screening at the real-life Crow Crag, AKA Sleddale Hall in Cumbria. Part of a series of films being shown in their real-life locations by Picnic Cinema, it takes 'set-jetting' to a whole other level. 

The line-up extends to the 28 Days Later and Sightseers both shot in Cumbria which you can view in various locations in the Lake District.

The Iconic 

Presented in the magnificent 18th century courtyard complete with surround sound, Somerset House is heralded as one of the best loved open-air cinemas. This year, the season includes  the world premieres of: About Time, Richard Curtis's time travelling romance; The Way Way Back, a coming of age comedy starring Steve Carrell; and on closing night, Prince Avalanche, an odd-couple comedy with Paul Rudd.

The Grand

Stately Homes are slowly but surely getting in on the cinema act, with open-air screenings becoming a regular summer fixture.

Lincolnshire's Burghley House will be airing Disney classics, a blast of Bond and the Oscar winning 'The King's Speech' as part of its diversification programme in August. Four days of cinematic splendour will see the picturesque south gardens convert to a spectacular outdoor cinema hall. From your seat, you'll admire more than action, adventure and amore as the gardens over-look the grand Elizabethan palace, Capability Brown Lake and sweeping parkland beyond.

In similar fashion to Picnic Cinema, Hedsor House, used recently in Quartet, will be holding its own movie extravaganza with a nod to set-jetting in late June. Starting with the glorious Les Miserables and finishing with Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, watch as Hedosr House transforms to Beecham House, right before your eyes.

The Steamy

With bikini diets on the go, flash your beach body all over the rooftops of London with Hot Tub Cinema. Enjoy a panoramic view of the city skyline, champagne waiter service and of course your favourite film on the giant screen with the hottest alfresco cinema experience in London. Book a tub with friends or individual tickets to meet some new ones as you splash along to classics like Dirty Dancing, Top Gun and Grease.

In addition, the glamping company Pitch-Up includes in its portfolio, Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park, ideal for beach babes and Hollywood hunks. Featuring an outdoor pool, the site holds regular open air film screenings where the back drop of one of the Isle of Wight's most stunning beaches sets the mood flawlessly for that light-hearted rom-com you're in the mood for.

The Edible

Designed to elevate the movie magic, the concept behind Edible Cinema provides explosive entertainment alchemy. Mixing the taste, aromas and textures of a film's most famous scenes, guests receive a selection of numbered boxes at the start of the experience, which they are instructed to open throughout the showing. As the plots thicken and romance is discovered, your special parcels will ensure that all taste buds are tantalised, all spines are tingled and all senses are heightened for an evocative experience. Fans of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind can watch the love between Clementine as Joel unravel in the most theatrical fashion yet, on the 29th and 30th June in Shoreditch's Aubin Cinema.

The Medieval

A medieval castle built by William the Conqueror could be no less than majestic. It's little wonder therefore that the charms of Warwick Castle have drawn in stars and starlets such as Dame Grace Kelly, Clark Gable and Lawrence Olivier. To celebrate its glitterati past, this summer, the castle will be hosting a mini film festival of three Hollywood blockbusters. Grab your gingham blanket and picnic basket, and set yourself down in the central courtyard as centurions roar with Gladiator, thespians dramatise with Les Miserables and gal-pals giggle along to Mamma Mia.  

Ends

For further press information please contact:

Rishika Sharma / Laura Dewar / Rebecca Holloway
VisitEngland Press Office
Tel: 020 7578 1463 / 020 7578 1437 / 020 7578 1429
Email: Rishika.Sharma@visitengland.org / Laura.Dewar@visitengland.org / Rebecca.holloway@visitengland.org  
Media Centre: www.visitengland.org/media  

Notes to Editors:

About England

• Historic yet contemporary, traditional yet cutting-edge, metropolitan yet wild: England is truly a unique destination and a real powerhouse in global tourism.

• With ancient Hadrian's Wall straddling the wild north and the world's biggest indoor tropical rainforest nestled in the far south, England really is the ultimate mix of old and new as well as being home to some of the most iconic sites in the world, including Stonehenge, the honey-hued Georgian terraces of Bath and the towering peaks and glistening meres of the Lake District.

• Did you know that in 2010 there were 96.4 million domestic overnight trips in England, 25.5 million inbound visits and 872 million tourism day trips?

More information can be found on www.visitengland.com