Drive-in entertainment, a staple of 1950s America, is on its way to the UK – but not for the latest blockbuster or trashy horror film. English National Opera (ENO) has announced plans for what are thought to be the world’s first drive-in opera performances.

Planned for the first three weeks of September, the idea is to stage live performances in the grounds of Alexandra Palace, north London, with musicians and singers spaced out to conform with physical distancing guidelines. If successful, ENO hopes to roll out the “Drive & Live” concept to other parts of the UK.

Stuart Murphy, ENO’s chief executive, told the Guardian it was part of the company’s mission of “opera for everyone”. He said: “It is a bit of an experiment and if it works it might be a way of bringing the artform to people in a totally different and authentic way.”

Murphy said the company had been thinking about the concept before the coronavirus outbreak, but had accelerated the plans.

People are desperate for communal experiences, he said. “The odd thing for all of us is the lack of social contact at the moment. If I see one more Zoom thing of 50 musicians singing … I now find it cold.

“I miss seeing my brother and sister, seeing my mates close up, and I miss seeing something live. It is human nature to yearn for that. Hopefully we can offer that universal, collective experience in a safe environment.”

The idea is that the audience would be in 300 cars, with the bigger vehicles at the back. People on motorbikes and pedal cycles would also be allowed. Then windows go down and the audience watches the live performance unfold on a specially constructed set.

The audience reaction could be interesting, Murphy said. “Instead of clapping or shouting ‘bravo’, it might be that people flash their lights or honk their horn. As long as it’s authentic, we’re not going to force it.

“I think it could attract a whole new generation to opera, people who love their car, see it as an extension to themselves, as well as reassuring an audience they can turn up totally safe.”

Murphy said if the concept worked then he could see drive-in operas being staged at racecourses or historic properties. “We’ve also had a couple of really productive conversations with international opera houses who think we’re on to something. It is an attempt to square the circle and let people have a big collective moment while staying safe.”

The first 12 performances will be a shortened 90-minute version of Puccini’s La Bohème and a one-hour family-friendly version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The first show will be free for NHS and frontline workers.

The ENO production of The Magic Flute at the London Coliseum, 2019. Photograph: Donald Cooper/Photostage

The concept does, of course, depend on lockdown driving restrictions being lifted. “We’re following all the developments,” said Murphy. “A report came out yesterday from the EU which said private transport use would be one of the first things lifted … so we feel as confident as anyone. But things change every day.”

Murphy, who joined ENO in 2018 after a career in TV, including working as launch controller of BBC Three, said the company was still planning to open Hairspray at its London Coliseum home in September, and would soon announce details of its 2020-21 opera programme for the autumn and next spring.

He said all arts companies needed now to be “nimble and quick” and react to circumstances, but at the moment ENO was not planning for seats being empty. “To be honest we’re trying to test the temperature every day.”

Some countries have allowed drive-in cinemas to remain open during the lockdown. Germany, for example, has two year-round operations, in Essen and Cologne. According to the Hollywood Reporter, both have sold out for every screening since Germany’s lockdown was declared. Makeshift drive-ins are also popping up around the country.

In the US, the spiritual home of the drive-in, fewer than 25 of the nation’s 320 drive-ins are reportedly open for business, but that could change. The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, said last week he would consider allowing drive-ins to reopen. “Where is the public safety issue? It’s a drive-in theatre. You’re in the car with the same people,” he said.