Tel Aviv’s legendary drive-in theater returns

A few decades ago, just like in the US, Tel Aviv-area couples used to pile into their cars and spend the evening at the drive in. Whether they watched the movies or not depended on how friendly they were.
Launched in 1973, Tel Aviv's first drive-in theater remained open until 2000, and today, it's the site of the Shalom Group Arena, inaugurated in 2014.

This week, to mark Tu B'Av, the arena's parking lot will once again be the site of movie screenings for the romantically inclined.

This Wednesday and Thursday, in conjunction with the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality and the Tel Aviv Cinemateque, films, will present La belle époque and Zero Motivation, respectively, beginning at 9 p.m. (gates open at 8 p.m.).

The screenings are exclusively for DigiTel Resident Card holders. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time via the municipality website:

Each screening will welcome a total of 200 vehicles, strictly in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines and "purple badge" public health standards. Movie audio will be transmitted in high quality via an FM radio frequency.

"Tel Aviv is the 'non-stop city' but the coronavirus outbreak understandably halted a large share of cultural and leisure activity. Nevertheless, we constantly searched for creative ways to grant residents access to culture. The return of the drive-in is another creative way to pass the hot August days, in accordance with Health Ministry guidelines," said Tel Aviv-Yafo Mayor Ron Huldai.

Whether attendees will be watching the films or attending to other matters in the back seat remains to be seen.