Mareeba Drive-in is one of only 16 drive-in movie theatres left in Australia.
Originally called The Mareeba Rodeo Drive-in, this long-standing theatre was built by Far Northern Theatres in the 1960s. However, in 1970, Far Northern Theatres was sold to Birch Carrol & Coyle.
By the the mid-1980s, Birch Carrol & Coyle sold The Mareeba Rodeo Drive-in to Norm Janke. From there, Janke continued to run the drive-in until 1998 when it closed.
Fortunately, the Mareeba Drive-in was able to reopen its gates in 2002 with a 300 car capacity and now even offers Free Camping up the back.
This is the only drive-in movie theatre in Australia where you can camp onsite for the night (as far as I’m aware).
So, kick back with some burgers from the Diner and settle in for two back-to-back new releases with the surround sound pumping from your personal stereo. The best part is, if you’re camping you don’t even have to drive home at the end of the night!
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Mareeba Drive-in Movie Theatre & Free Camping
Entry into the Mareeba Drive-in grounds is generally from 5.30pm onwards with the first movie kicking off around 6.45pm. Times may vary depending on summer/ winter daylight hours.
Free Camping is available on movie nights only (Friday and Saturday) and campers must exit by 9am the next morning.
Campers, caravans, RVs and Big Rigs are asked to set up along the back, so as not to obstruct the view for other patrons, with tents also being allowed.
| Tune your car stereo and van stereo into station 96.0 FM for surround sound. |
Drive In Features
💲 Cost – just the price of the movies
🚗 Drive in car slots with speakers
⛺️ Free Camping (24 hr)
🚻 Toilets
🐶 Pet friendly (must be on lead)
Tents, Motorhomes, Buses & Caravans allowed
2 x latest movies
Popcorn, burgers, nachos etc. for sale.
Mareeba Drive-in Prices
| Mareeba Drive-in Prices | |
|---|---|
| Adults | $14.00 |
| Concession/ Student | $12.00 |
| Kids (ages 4 – 12) | $8.00 |
Mareeba Drive-in Times
| Mareeba Drive-in Times | |
|---|---|
| Summer | • Cafe opens – 5.30 pm • Movie starts – 7.30 pm |
| Winter | • Cafe opens – 5.00 pm • Movie starts – 6.30 pm |
Check out the Mareeba Drive-in website for current movie screenings.
Mareeba Drive-in Parking Rules
- Front row – for small vehicles
- Middle & back parking – higher vehicles (utes, wagons, vans etc.) & hatchbacks with the hatch open
- Campers & caravans – park along the back of the theatre on the grass
- Vehicles must be parked facing forwards or backwards, not sideways
- Do not park across any residence driveways
- Keep headlights switched off unless driving through the theatre at night
Getting to Mareeba Drive-in
Mareeba is located 1 hour west of Cairns, up the Kuranda Range and nestled in the Atherton Tablelands.
| Address | 5303 Kennedy Highway, Mareeba QLD 4880 |
Mareeba Drive-in FAQs
Bring whichever items will help you to stay warm and comfortable during the two movie screenings. Pillows, blankets, camp chairs, food and drinks are all recommended.
If it’s a busy night, you’ll need to keep your set-up to the space in the front of your car or head down to the grassed area in front of the screen. If it’s quiet, you can spread out further around your vehicle.
– Tune your car radio into 96.0 FM
– Or, choose a parking bay with a Drive-in Speaker, which you can hang inside your car window (not all bays will have a speaker)
Most good car batteries can easily run for 3 – 4 hours without going flat. However, the staff can help with a jump start if need be.
Yes, you can bring a dog to Mareeba Drive-in as long it is on a lead the whole time and doesn’t impact the experience of the other patrons. Please remember to clean up after your dog before leaving.
Yes, there are Eftpos facilities available at both the ticket gate and cafe. However, sometimes the internet in the area can be a bit sketchy, so it’s advised to carry cash just in case.
Mareeba Drive-in has a text message service so that you can order your food and still watch the movie while you’re waiting. It helps to get in early and order food before the movie starts, just to reduce your interruptions.
Yes, the drive-in theatre will still operate in the rain, the only exception is extreme weather.
Mareeba Drive-in Essentials
Camping Chair →
(Caravan RV Camping)
Insulated Tumblers →
(Adventure Awaits)
Reusable Straws →
(Adventure Awaits)
More To Do In Far North QLD
While you’re in the Far North Queensland region, here are some other really great things to see and do:
- Innot Hot Springs – Free natural springs with varying depths and temperatures
- Babinda Boulders – Gorgeous swimming holes & Free Camping
- Josephine Falls – Waterfall & swimming holes flowing from the tallest mountain in QLD
- Paronella Park – Castle ruins in the rainforest with a romantic back story
- 16 Things to do in Tully – A quaint sugar cane town south of Cairns with a giant climbable gumboot
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A drive-in theater plus overnight camping…this form of travel is a great way to enjoy the outdoors while still feeling you can be safe from a deadly virus, given the right physical distancing.
Whhhyyyyyy didn’t I know about this! A drive-in theatre is something I’ve always wanted to do and I’ve been through Mareeba too! Gah!
Haha doesn’t that suck! We’ve been through places and totally missed awesome things as well, purely because we never knew about it.
A drive-in experience and a camping night out rolled into one sounds like a delightful adventure! Loved how you put together all the details and information neatly into the infographics.
It’s the perfect combination 🙂
A Drive-In theatre and camping experience rolled into one. That sounds like an amazing experience in Mareeba Drive-In. Given the current circumstances it is expected that such Drive-In theatres are going to come up all over the world and would be the new normal.
It’s the ultimate experience! I don’t even know if it’s open right now, but with social distancing it’d be the perfect night out.
I grew up going to drive-ins, but never camped the night. I think camping there is a great idea and a perfect family outing. I love that you get to watch 2 movies at Mareeba drive-in and it’s pet-friendly as well.
I always wished we could go to the Drive-ins as a kid, but we never did. It was great to be able to camp out there with our kids. So handy to watch a few movies, have a drink without having to drive, then crawl into bed.