THOUDSANDS of mums, dads, teenagers and younger children are expected to flock into a new drive-in cinema in Trowbridge which is opening up this afternoon.

Cinema Retrow, Trowbridge's first drive-in movie theatre, will open the gates for its first performance of the Disney classic Coco at 1pm this afternoon, to be followed by screenings of Grease at 5pm and Knives Out at 8.30pm.

The cinema, next to Trowbridge railway station and on the new Innox Mills site, formerly the Bowyers factory, has been gearing up for a jam-packed weekend of movie classics.

A giant 60 square metre LED screen has been put in place for the 11 films to be shown today, Saturday and Sunday, with an estimated 3,000 people expected to attend over the three days.

Films include family favourites The Lion King, How to Train Your Dragon and Moana, plus retro classics Back to the Future, Grease and Dirty Dancing and recent hits such as Rocketman, Joker and Knives Out, starring Daniel Craig as a Texan detective.

Guests can pre-order food and drink from local producers, including freshly cooked hot dogs, mega movie burgers and vegan wraps from Trowbridge's award-winning street food business JC’s Kitchen, hand-made ice-cream from Lacock Dairy, craft beer from Kettlesmith in Bradford-on-Avon and giant Retrow sweet bags by Sweet Sensations, founded by 17 year-old Trowbridge student Georgia Smith.

Innox Mills Director Jonathan Dean said: “Drive-in cinemas are popping up around the country this summer and their popularity shows that people want to take part in big events, but are concerned about social distancing, so watching great films on the big screen from the comfort and safety of your own car is really appealing.”

Cinema Retrow will be a contactless event, with tickets bought online, cars checked in via number plate recognition, well spaced parking bays, food and drink pre-ordered online or via a smartphone app, delivered to your car by roller-skating waiters and waitresses.

Standard tickets are £20 – £35 and are priced per car, rather than per person. Premium tickets (front rows) are £27.50 – £42.50 and Platinum VIP tickets (watching films under the stars snuggled up in the back of the UK’s largest pick-up with bubbly & popcorn) are £70 for two people (only five tickets available).

For full details of the weekend and how to book tickets, go to https://www.cinema-retrow.co.uk/whats-on/