As the nights get warmer and the summer nears, the city of Santa Clara is bringing back a familiar family favorite – the Sunset Cinema. In April, the city announced the lineup for this year’s event, which runs from May through October at parks throughout the city.
The 2026 Sunset Cinema series will include:
May 8 – How to Train Your Dragon
The famed animated movie series came to life on the big screen last year, and now it soars into Montague Park at 3595 MacGregor Lane. The movie will start around 7:45 p.m. when the sun sets.
How to Train Your Dragon includes the acting talents of Gerard Butler (who also voiced Stoick the Vast in the animated movies) as well as Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid.
It’s rated PG.
June 12 – Finding Nemo
Bringing back the old classic, Finding Nemo follows clownfish dad, Marlin, as he searches for his missing son, Nemo. Along the way, Marlin meets a forgetful regal blue tang named Dory. Featuring the voice talents of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Dafoe, Finding Nemo is rated G.
While the movie starts at 8 p.m. at Warburton Park at 2550 Royal Dr., arrive early to splash at the Warburton Pool from 7 – 8 p.m. Register in advance here.
July 10 – A Minecraft Movie
If you’ve never watched a Minecraft Movie in a large group, then it’s certainly an experience that you need to have. Featuring Jack Black and catch phrases like “Chicken jockey” and “lava chicken,” A Minecraft Movie will play at Lick Mill Park at 4750 Lick Mill Blvd., starting around 8:45 p.m.
Be sure to stop at the Cruising Café to buy snacks, and the Santa Clara City Library’s Bookmobile to register for the Summer Adventure Reading Program if you haven’t already.
A Minecraft Movie is rated PG.
Aug. 14 – Superman
To help kids say goodbye to the summer, the Man of Steel soars into Earl Carmichael Park at 3445 Benton St. The movie starts around 8:30 p.m. with snacks available for purchase from Cruising Café.
Superman is rated PG-13.
Oct. 23 – Coco
And wrapping up the 2026 Sunset Cinema series is Pixar’s animated hit Coco as part of the city’s Dia de los Muertos celebration. The city plans to announce more details of its Dia de los Muertos event as the date nears, but the movie will start around 6 p.m. at Mission City Memorial Park at 420 N Winchester Blvd.
Coco is rated PG.
For all Sunset Cinema events, families are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs and their own snacks to the movies.
