Café Chairel Under the Stars: Open-Air Cinema Returns to Parque La Ceiba
On Sunday 19 July 2026, Parque La Ceiba in central Playa del Carmen hosts the final open-air screening in ElCineClub's summer series: Café Chairel, the 2025 Mexican film by Fernando Barreda. Tickets are MXN 60 online or MXN 70 at the gate, doors open at 19:40, and the film rolls at 20:00. Capacity is limited, which is the kind of detail that matters when a community park screening sells out faster than the beach-club party circuit.
This is not a live music event, despite the name. Café Chairel is a 110-minute feature film, and the night is run by ElCineClub, the roaming open-air cinema outfit that programs parks and public spaces across Playa del Carmen. If you have been to one of their screenings before, you know the format; if you have not, the short version is: bring a blanket, take your trash home, and do not expect a concession stand.
What Café Chairel the film is actually about
The film follows Alfonso, whose innocence lands him in the quixotic venture of opening a specialty coffee shop without knowing anything about the business, and without being able to drink a cup without drowning it in milk. His first customer, Katia, is a brusque young woman he hires as an assistant, who appears to be running from something. Their personalities clash immediately, putting the fate of the business in jeopardy in a story that is, per the director's note, funny and nostalgic about how two strangers can help each other heal with nothing more than silent company.
It is a small, character-driven Mexican indie, the kind of film that benefits from a park setting and a quiet crowd. The 12+ age rating means it is not a kids' night, but it is a relaxed one. The screening runs about 110 minutes, so plan to be out of the park by 22:00.
How ElCineClub runs its park screenings
ElCineClub is not a pop-up; it is the established open-air cinema operator in Playa del Carmen, and its screenings at Parque La Ceiba have built a following among residents and longer-stay visitors. The format is consistent: a single feature, a park setting, limited capacity, and a strict leave-no-trace policy. Their #CineSinBasura campaign is permanent, which means there are no bins on site; whatever you bring in, you carry out. Outside food, disposable containers, and alcohol are not allowed inside Parque La Ceiba, and the space is smoke-free.
The refund policy is reasonable: refunds up to one day before the event. The night-of detail worth knowing is that doors open at 19:40 and the film starts at 20:00, so arriving at 19:55 means you will be settling in during the opening shots. The event is subject to date change, and any change, refund, or ticket adjustment must be requested before the screening.
Why this is the quieter Sunday-night pick in Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen's Sunday-night options usually split between the beach-club party circuit and hotel rooftop salsa nights. An open-air cinema in a community park is a different animal entirely, and that is the point. Parque La Ceiba sits on Calle 3 Sur at the corner of 60, walkable from the center, and the screening is the kind of cultural programming that residents actually attend rather than something staged for visitors.
If you are visiting and want a Sunday night that does not involve a bassline, this is it. Buy the MXN 60 ticket online ahead of time, walk over with a sweater (park evenings in July can carry a breeze), and take your wrappers with you. The film is in Spanish with no announced subtitles, so factor that in if your Spanish is tourist-grade.
Practical Details
- What: Café Chairel, open-air cinema screening presented by ElCineClub
- Film: Café Chairel (Fernando Barreda, Mexico, 2025, 110 min)
- Date: Sunday 19 July 2026
- Time: Doors 19:40, screening 20:00–22:00
- Venue: Parque La Ceiba, s/n Calle 3 Sur (corner with 60), 77710 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
- Transit: Central Playa del Carmen; walkable from Parque Fundadores and the Quinta Avenida pedestrian stretch
- Price: MXN 60 online (Eventbrite), MXN 70 at the door (cash or card); capacity limited
- Age: 12+ (not a children's screening)
- Language: Spanish, no announced subtitles
- Rules: #CineSinBasura, no on-site bins, no outside food, no disposable containers, no alcohol, smoke-free space
- Refunds: Up to 1 day before the event; subject to date change (request adjustments before screening)
- Website: Eventbrite, ElCineClub, Café Chairel
