Backyard Cinema – the retro rooftop beach that’s the perfect place for a Barbie-fest

Barbie fever has fully gripped Manchester, with pink displays in every window, pink cocktails and bakes appearing on menus, and everyone digging out their best pink outfits. 

The film, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has already been a record-breaker and screenings across the city have been selling out. 

But why would anyone choose to go and sit in a regular old cinema when you could watch the Barbie masterpiece in a venue decorated almost entirely in pink?

Who would opt for a bog-standard chair when you could recline on a plush beanbag-style seat?

And who on earth says ‘yes’ to a normal floor when you could watch Barbie on a sandy beach!?

Backyard Cinema arrived back in Manchester a few weeks ago, this time styled as a Miami Beach-inspired wonderland, and the programme is packed full of Barbie screenings. 

The rooftop experience is the perfect setting for the film – nostalgic, playful, colourful, and the ideal place to practice the very important job of ‘beach’. 

The former platform area of the long-lost Mayfield train station has been transformed into an impressive movie-grade set, creating the exterior of an art deco Miami Beach hotel. 

On arrival, you’re greeted by enthusiastic hotel porters, blasting tunes from the ‘check-in desk’ and dressed in retro shades of pink and turquoise. 

Cocktails like daiquiris and mojitos are served in palm-tree shaped vessels, alongside branded bags of popcorn to take into your screening with you. 

As you head into the main auditorium of the Backyard Cinema experience, past a Barbie box photo opportunity, you’ll find the closest thing to a beach you can get in Manchester. 

Rows upon rows of comfy custom-made seating are laid out on a bed of real sand. In the corner stands an American-style lifeguard hut. There’s even a jet ski wedged in the corner.

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Even before the film starts rolling at Backyard Cinema, the experience is extraordinary – and then comes the world of Barbie. 

The enormous hype surrounding Greta Gerwig’s latest creation is proving itself justified, with positive reviews from critics and legions of cinema-goers flocking to immerse themselves in Barbieland. 

And if you’re going to lean into her world, there’s nowhere better than Backyard Cinema. 

You can book tickets for Barbie at Backyard Cinema Manchester here and find out more about the experience here. 

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Featured image: Supplied