Tivoli drive-in switches off for last time as era comes to end
THE end of an era was quietly ushered in at the weekend as the Tivoli Drive In Theatre switched off its projectors for the final time.
The iconic drive-in, which opened in 1976 with crowd-pulling blockbusters like Rocky, closed amid dwindling patronage and looming upgrade costs of up to $1 million.
The closure leaves Yatala Drive In at Beenleigh as the last remaining drive-in cinema in South East Queensland.
Inclement weather meant there was no farewell celebration.
What was meant to be Tivoli’s swansong double feature – Kangaroo and Runt – was cancelled after severe weather warnings were issued.
Rivers of Life Christian Church Senior Pastor Fred Muys, who stepped in as the saviour for the theatre in 2007 at a time when many drive-in theatres had already closed, said the closure was heartbreaking.
He said the goal of offering affordable entertainment for struggling families had been a success story but demand had dwindled with changes in the movie sector.
Pastor Muys told Local Ipswich News this week that with home cinema and streaming services transforming how audiences watch movies, the charity had made the difficult decision to close the drive-in to focus on its community outreach ventures the food co-op, koala habitat restoration, First Nations heritage initiatives and training and employment services.
A developer has purchased the drive-in portion of the land, with plans to develop housing on the site.
The charity Goodness Enterprises will retain more than half the property to continue its outreach work.
Pastor Muys said the sale would allow the charity to relocate its food operations to a more central site to better support Ipswich’s homeless and vulnerable residents.
“It breaks my heart to see the drive-in go but the economic reality of a drive-in cinema doesn’t add up, with likely having to spend potentially up to $1 million upgrading the drive-in facility,” he said.
“To do that in the face of declining numbers when the community needs that money spent elsewhere … what is important?”
For years, the Tivoli had kept ticket prices low to give struggling families affordable entertainment while also providing paid training opportunities in the kitchen for unemployed and disadvantaged young people.
The drive-in itself employed up to 15 staff on Saturday nights.
But the costs of keeping the theatre running continued to rise.
After converting from 35mm reels to a digital projector in 2013, the equipment now needs replacement at a cost of about $270,000.
The charity has also been advised the car park requires significant safety upgrades, estimated at $500,000.
Pastor Muys said the industry had shifted quickly.
“Across the world the cinema industry has gone into decline over the last eight years with the increasing advent of home cinema and streaming,” he said. “Movies are increasingly being produced by companies like Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple and kept exclusive to that market rather than to the big, silver screen.”
Pastor Muys said the result had been fewer major releases going to cinemas and a fall in attendance at Tivoli, which once drew 250-300 cars every Saturday night.
Today, it averages 80-120 cars, with some nights attracting fewer than 50.
“That’s just not an economic business for us to maintain,” Pastor Muys said.
The closure also means the end of the theatre’s popular annual events, including Christmas Carols, held every year since 2011.
Pastor Muys said the organisation was proud of its Tivoli journey.
“We transformed the Tivoli site into a community centre which brought 75,000 visitors a year,” he said.
“We raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities and over the years helped more than 2100 jobseekers and young unemployed people find skills, find hope and transition into employment.”
