How to Start a Drive-In Movie Theater (and Host a Pop-Up Drive-In Night)

Drive-in theaters never really went away. Hundreds still run across the US, and new operators keep turning fields, fairgrounds and old lots into seasonal cinemas. Others start smaller, with a single pop-up movie night for a school, church or town. Either way, the hard parts are the same: the land and the screen, sound that reaches every car, the right to show the film, and getting a few hundred vehicles through one gate before the opening credits. This guide walks through each step in order, from picking a site to selling tickets by the carload. If you’re only planning one night, skip ahead to the pop-up section.

Is a drive-in the right business? (a quick reality check)

Before you look at land, be honest about the shape of the business:

• It’s seasonal. Most drive-ins run from spring through fall, and weekends carry most of the revenue. Plan your budget around a short season, not twelve months.
• Concessions matter as much as tickets. At many drive-ins, a large share of the money comes from the snack bar rather than admission. Treat the concession stand as part of the plan from day one, not an add-on.
• Show nights need people. Expect to staff the gate, parking lanes, the projection booth, the concession stand and cleanup on every show night. Seasonal staff and volunteers are common, but they need training before opening weekend.
• There’s more than one model. A permanent theater owns its land and screens and runs a full season. A seasonal operation may lease a site for a few months. A pop-up runs one night or a short series on borrowed ground. If a pop-up is what you have in mind, jump to hosting a one-night pop-up drive-in movie.

Running an indoor cinema too? Our movie theater ticketing overview covers the indoor side.

Find the right site

The site sets your capacity, your costs and your neighbors’ patience. Look at:

• Size and layout. You need room for rows of cars, lanes between them, the screen, the projection booth, concessions and restrooms. How much land depends on how many cars you want to hold, so work out your target capacity first.
• Existing drive-in sites. A former drive-in may already have graded ramps that tilt cars toward the screen, which saves a lot of earthwork compared with bare land.
• Darkness. Low ambient light from roads, parking lots and neighbors makes a brighter, sharper picture.
• Road access. You need room to queue cars on your own property, off the public road, so a busy night doesn’t back up traffic.
• Nearby cinemas. Distance from first-run indoor theaters can affect which films you can book and when.

Zoning, permits, accessibility requirements and the wind-load rules for large screens all vary by location. Check with your local planning and building departments early, before you commit to a site.

Screens, projection and sound (today’s setup)

A modern drive-in runs on digital equipment:

• A screen. A permanent structure for a full-time theater, or an inflatable screen for pop-ups and short seasons.
• A digital cinema projector bright enough for the screen size and throw distance.
• A media server or player to run the films and pre-show content.
• An FM transmitter, so audio plays through each car’s radio. In the US, low-power FM broadcasting must follow FCC rules, so check them before you buy or rent a transmitter.
• Optional pole or zone speakers for guests outside their cars.
• Power from the grid or a generator, plus lighting for lanes, the concession stand and restrooms.

You can buy equipment new, buy used from a theater that’s closing, or rent it by the night, which is often the best fit for pop-ups. Get current quotes from suppliers, since prices change.

Get the rights to show films

You need permission for every film you show:

• First-run films are booked through the film distributors, usually with the help of a film booker who negotiates the terms, such as the box-office split and how long you run the film.
• Older titles and one-off public showings need a public performance licence from a non-theatrical licensing agency or the rights holder.

Buying a DVD or a streaming subscription does not give you the right to show a film to the public, even for free.

Price and sell tickets by the car

How you sell tickets decides how fast your gate moves.

• Per-car or per-person pricing. A per-car (carload) general admission ticket keeps the gate fast, because there’s one ticket to scan per vehicle. Per-person pricing suits family and child pricing. Some drive-ins offer both.
• Pre-sale online, then sell at the gate. Pre-sales shorten the line and show you demand days ahead. Set your capacity to the number of parking spaces so you never oversell. See setting event capacity.
• Pick-your-spot parking. Lay out your lot as a reserved-seating chart, with each space as a seat, and put larger vehicles toward the back. See setting up reserved seating.
• Arrival windows for big nights spread traffic out, so cars don’t all arrive at once. See Flex Pass setup for timed options.

For the full feature set, see our drive-in theater ticketing software, and check SimpleTix pricing for fees.

Keep the gate moving on show night

The first impression of your drive-in is the line at the gate. Keep it short:

• Scan one QR code per car. Turn on Group Admit in the SimpleTix Organizer app, scan any ticket in the order, and tap Admit All to check in every ticket in that order for the same show. See Group Admit.
• Scan offline. Fields often have weak signal, so test offline scanning before opening night.
• Put the details on the ticket. Add arrival instructions, the FM frequency, lot rules and a reminder to dim headlights to the e-ticket message, and repeat them on signs at the entrance. See customizing e-ticket messages.
• Separate lanes by screen or ticket type at multi-screen sites, and watch the count of admitted cars so you can move staff once most cars are in.
• Manage traffic. Queue cars on your own property, never on the public road, and coordinate with local police for your biggest nights.

Sell drive-in tickets by the carload. Pre-sale by car or by person, pick-your-spot parking, and one scan per car at the gate. No credit card to sign up. Start free or see drive-in ticketing features.

Concessions and extra revenue

• Pre-sell concessions with the ticket. Bundles like a popcorn-and-drinks pack sell well online. With Square connected, you can offer catalog items as upsells at checkout. See Square catalog upsells.
• Sell at the stand too. Many guests decide once they’re parked and settled.
• Go beyond movies. Your screen, sound and lot can host concerts, graduations, worship services and community events on nights without a film.

Weather, cancellations and rain dates

• Publish a rain policy before tickets go on sale, so buyers know what happens if the weather turns.
• If you cancel, the SimpleTix event-cancellation flow can send an email and a short text message to all attendees. See cancelling your event.
• If you move the show, change the ticket times instead of refunding everyone. See changing times and swapping tickets.

Hosting a one-night pop-up drive-in movie

Schools, PTAs, churches, towns, parks departments and fundraisers run pop-up drive-in nights every year. You don’t need a permanent theater, just a plan. Here’s the checklist:

• A site: a large parking lot or a level field, with an entrance you can control.
• A screen and projector: an inflatable screen and a projector, usually rented together.
• Sound: a rented FM transmitter so cars can tune in.
• A public performance licence for the film. A DVD or streaming account doesn’t cover a public showing.
• Volunteers for parking, the gate and concessions.
• A rain date, announced with the event.
• Restrooms nearby or rented.

Give yourself time. Book the site, the screen and projector rental, and the film licence first, since those are the pieces that sell out or take longest to confirm. Once they’re set, open ticket sales, then recruit volunteers and plan concessions. In the final week, test the screen, sound and FM frequency on the actual site after dark, and walk the route cars will take from the road to their spaces.

For tickets, sell per car and cap the number of spaces. Offer pick-your-spot parking if your lot is marked out, and pre-sell online so you know how many cars are coming. For fundraisers, add a donation option at checkout. For more ticketing ideas, see our drive-in ticketing tips.

Drive-in startup checklist

1. Decide your model: permanent, seasonal or pop-up.
2. Set a target capacity in cars.
3. Find a site with room to queue off the road and low light at night.
4. Check zoning, permits, accessibility and screen wind-load rules locally.
5. Choose a screen, digital projector, media player and FM transmitter.
6. Check FCC rules for your FM transmitter.
7. Line up a film booker or a public performance licence.
8. Set up per-car or per-person tickets with capacity matched to your spaces.
9. Lay out pick-your-spot parking if you’ll offer it.
10. Plan concessions and pre-sale bundles.
11. Train gate staff on scanning, including offline mode and Group Admit.
12. Publish your rain policy and rain dates.

Printable version: Original 2020 printable guide (PDF)

Frequently asked questions

How much land do you need for a drive-in?

It depends on how many cars you want to hold. Start with a target capacity, then allow for rows of cars, lanes, the screen, concessions, restrooms and a queue off the public road. A former drive-in site with existing ramps can save a lot of work.

How does sound work at a drive-in?

Most drive-ins broadcast the film’s audio on a low-power FM frequency, and guests tune their car radios to it. Some also add pole or zone speakers. In the US, check FCC rules for FM transmitters.

Do I need a licence to show a movie outdoors?

Yes. First-run films are booked through distributors, often with a film booker. Older titles and one-off showings need a public performance licence. Owning a DVD or a streaming subscription isn’t enough.

Should I price drive-in tickets per car or per person?

Per car keeps the gate fastest, because there’s one ticket to scan per vehicle. Per person suits family pricing. Many drive-ins offer both.

How do I get cars through the gate faster?

Pre-sell tickets online, cap sales at your number of spaces, and scan one ticket per car with Group Admit. Put arrival instructions and the FM frequency on the e-ticket so guests arrive ready.

What happens if it rains?

Publish a rain policy before you sell. If you cancel, you can email and text all attendees from SimpleTix. If you move the show, change the ticket times instead of refunding.

Sell drive-in tickets by the carload

Pre-sale by car or by person, pick-your-spot parking, and one scan per car at the gate. No credit card to sign up.

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