LORD Mayor Martin Haese is calling for a permanent rooftop cinema to be up and running by next summer.

“I lay the challenge down to the property community, Adelaide entrepreneurs and council planners in even spades,” Mr Haese said.

“We need to focus on why we must do this instead of the reasons why it can’t be done.”

It comes after the success of the 2KW rooftop bar on King William St, which opened last month.

Mr Haese said there was no reason more of the city’s rooftops couldn’t be turned into entertainment venues.

“The cinema doesn’t have to only play mainstream (movies). It could have niche offerings in all sorts of genres,” he said.

“I believe the time is right and there will be a market for it.”

Mr Haese said he had been impressed by his visits to Melbourne’s rooftop cinema and wanted similar venues in Adelaide.

“I’ve been there a number of times, on Swanston St, and it’s got a great vibe,” he said.

“But I’ve been scratching my head as to why we don’t already have this here.”

Mr Haese said he wanted to receive a viable proposal before next summer.

“I think it’s long overdue,” he said.

“This may be something that is seasonal but we do have great weather for it.

“I really want to see this happen before next summer.”

Rocket Rooftop Bar plans to commence screening movies on weekends this month, at Crippen Place, in the city.

And at last year’s Fringe, there was a pop-up rooftop cinema at the Adelaide Central Bus Station.

The push for a more permanent rooftop cinema follows a concerted effort by the State Government to activate CBD laneways through the introduction of small bar licenses.

Mr Haese said activating the city’s rooftops was the logical next step.

“We haven’t even started talking about rooftop gardens and I want people to come up with completely new ideas about how to use these spaces,” he said.

“Everything starts with a great idea.”

Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon said he supported the idea of a rooftop cinema in Adelaide.

“We need to increase Adelaide’s attractiveness as a urbane destination, and initiatives like rooftop cinemas will serve this purpose in a really exciting way,” he said.

“This is the sort of cosmopolitan culture successfully driven by interstate cities like Melbourne and Sydney.”

Mr Haese said he also wanted to hear from the community as to whether it would support a rooftop cinema.

“But I also want to say to people who want to see this happen is they should rally and express their support for it,” she said.