Tel Aviv To Open First ‘Sail-in’ Floating Theater In HaYarkon Park Lake

The city of Tel Aviv announced the launch of Israel’s first “sail-in” floating cinema at the boating lake at Hayarkon Park this week.

The theater will operate from August 22-28 in partnership with the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. The event is open-air and will abide by Health Ministry regulations, the municipality said.

A total of 70 boats will be available to moviegoers of all ages who buy tickets to watch a film, with boats floating in the lake under the stars. the boats will maintain a social distance rule of two meters at all times. A large screen will be placed in front of the boats with a chosen movie.

There will be tickets for eight screenings. Four tickets suitable for families and four suitable for adults will be available exclusively to DigiTel Resident Card holders. Details regarding ticket sales and movie times will be published later this week.

The move comes one week after the reopening of Tel Aviv’s drive-in theater as another cultural initiative launched by the municipality to support the city’s culture and entertainment industries.

The coronavirus outbreak has been “particularly challenging for the cultural sector worldwide,” with outdoor initiatives almost the “sole solution” for cultural events, the municipality said in a statement.

Initiatives to date include intimate outdoor performances in restaurants and cafes; online and open-air cultural events; outdoor guided tours across the city; fitness classes on the roof of the municipality building; and musical performances on the roof of the Eretz Israel Museum.

“The coronavirus crisis poses new challenges for the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, including bringing cultural life to a halt in the city. In recent months, we have been constantly examining ways of providing assistance. The initiative to screen movies at HaYarkon Park’s boating lake is another creative way to spend the hot August days,” said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai.