Winter is approaching and after a year of silence the Christmas ice skating in the UK is finally back! Under the warm atmosphere of lights, putting on skates and riding on the ice is the most romantic picture. Whether you’re a first-time skater or a seasoned skater, you’ll find your own ice rink to enjoy in the run-up to Christmas.
I have carefully listed for you in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and other major cities of the Christmas New Year winter limited skating rinks! Let’s go into the fantasy world of Christmas skating season together~!
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Christmas ice skating in London
If you want to experience ice skating, you should definitely go to a professional ice rink or skating rink. Apart from professional ice rinks, one of the special features of Christmas in the UK is that outdoor/indoor ice rinks are set up in the city centre or the surrounding attractions of London, Manchester, Birmingham and other major cities in the winter season. Usually these rinks are very close to the Christmas markets, so you can feel the Christmas atmosphere to the fullest extent.
1. Somerset House Ice Rink
- Opening hours: 13 November 2024 – 12 January 2025
- Ticket Price: Adults from £12
- Address: Strand, London, WC2R 1LA
The courtyard in front of Somerset House was built in the 18th century and covers a whopping 900 square metres. It’s always a lively place, with art exhibitions in the summer, an ice rink in the winter and, of course, a glittering Christmas tree during the Christmas season. Somerset House is also the main showroom for London Fashion Week and is the home of London’s fashion trends.
Ice skating at Somerset House is a great experience not only because of the stunning setting, but also because it hosts ice skating competitions, DJ sets, a tented bar and a flash mob restaurant where you can have a cup of hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat, show off your moves on the rink, and browse the Christmas shop when you’re tired of it all. It’s the perfect place for everything.
2. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Ice Rink
- Open: 21st November 2024 – 5th January 2025
- Address: Hyde Park, Serpentine Rd, London W2 2UH
As you may already know, this year’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is a ticketed event, and with £25 or more to spend you’ll get free entry, so skating + rollercoasters or skating + refreshments combos are just the ticket you’re looking for.
The ice rink at this year’s Hyde Park Winter Carnival, like previous years, is centred around a Victorian bandstand, where you can see all the romantic lights, and the hustle and bustle of the rink is the warm background music, so if you want to enjoy the beauty of the rink in peace, you can opt for the off-peak time, which is not only less crowded, but also has free admission from 10:00 – 14:00 on weekdays from Monday to Friday!
After the ice skating, you can also buy other rides on site and browse the Christmas market, Hyde Park is definitely the most wonderful place to spend a winter night.
3. Queen’s House Ice Rink
- Opening time: Closed in 2024, looking forward to returning next year.
- Address: Romney Rd, London SE10 9NF
What’s it like to skate in a World Heritage Site? Queen’s House in London gives such a wonderful opportunity. Skating in the open-air rink instantly adds a touch of elegance, and the spacious grounds allow you to play freely. The views are of Greenwich up close and the elegance of the Thames from afar. Of course there are hot snacks and drinks, so come and enjoy a cosy evening with a refreshing energy boost after your skate. Everyone can also visit the nearby Greenwich Observatory during the day.
4. Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
- Opening hours: 22 November 2024 – 5 January 2025
- Ticket Price: Adults from £19
- Address: Hampton Ct Way, Molesey, East Molesey
Hampton Court Palace in London is a former British royal residence located in Richmond on the River Thames, south-west London, Hampton Court Palace’s magnificent and unique style of gardening makes it a must-see humanistic and historical attraction. Hampton Court Palace began construction in 1515, completely in accordance with the Tudor style of construction, is the model of the Tudor Palace, known as the ‘British Palace of Versailles’.
Every year Hampton Court builds a huge ice rink in front of the palace gates during the winter months for the amusement of the neighbourhood and visitors. When the coloured lights of Hampton Court come on in the evening, skating in front of the beautiful palace gates is a unique treat.
The gardens of Hampton Court Palace will be open for free on 23rd and 24th November, so don’t miss your chance to experience ice skating in the gardens for free!
Rinks in other major cities
5. Skate Manchester
- Opening hours: 8 November 2024 – 1 January 2025
- Tickets: Adults from £15.65
- Address: The Cathedral Gardens, Manchester
A large outdoor ice rink in Cathedral Gardens in Manchester city centre! This year the rink opens just before Halloween, so the whole rink will be themed around the Scary Halloween Scare Skate theme. During the Christmas period the centre of the rink will also be decorated with a huge Christmas tree, making it easy for the little ones to skate around the tree and get up close and personal with the festive spirit!
6. Brighton Christmas Ice Rink
- Open: 26 October 2024 – 5 January 2025
- Tickets: Adults from £11 Tickets available at
- Address: 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1EE
Ice skating in front of the exotic Royal Pavilion, with its glamourous lights, gives you the feeling of being in the Taj Mahal. The Royal Pavilion ice rink is very large, and there are also very cosy restaurants and bars in the vicinity, where you can mingle and see the crowd on the ice rink, and the warmth of the feeling is born.
7. Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland
- Open: 14 November 2024 – 5 January 2025
- Ticket Price: Adults from £18
- Address: Cardiff City Hall / Castle Grounds
Cardiff Winter Wonderland, Cardiff’s winter carnival, will continue to open this year! Cardiff Castle will be transformed into an underground ice rink with 150 metres of ice tracks, while the City Hall lawns will feature a Ferris wheel, bars and a variety of rides.
Cardiff city centre is the place to be during the Christmas period – the happiest place to be in winter!
8. Edinburgh Christmas Ice Rink
- Opening hours: 22nd November 2024 – 4th January 2025
- Address: East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh EH2 2EJ
- Adult tickets from £14.50
This year’s Edinburgh Christmas market is one big, super-busy party with everything you can imagine about Christmas! Ferris wheels, rollercoasters, ice rinks, markets, Christmas decorations …… has it all.
The 3,700-square-metre George Square will be transformed into an ice rink, and the Christmas market will continue all the way to Princes Street’s Gardens, where you can shop and eat all the way to the end of your ice-skating session!
9. Glasgow Christmas Ice Rink
Opening hours: 24th November 2024 – 3rd January 2025
Location: St Enoch Square Glasgow G1 4BW
Tickets: Early Years from £10 Adults £12-£14
Glasgow ‘s Elfingrove Winter Wonderland Ice Rink is back! The Elfingrove Ice Rink boasts the UK’s largest ice rink and the UK’s first snow Ferris wheel! Join friends and family for a romantic winter snow date at Elfingrove! The Snow Ferris Wheel is not only a great way to enjoy Glasgow’s snowy landscape from the air, but you can also see snowflakes falling all around you and romantic Christmas music filling the air, making it even more dreamy than the Ferris Wheel in Hyde Park!
What are the different types of ice-skating?
Ice-skating (also known as skating) is a sport in which skates are used to walk or race across the ice, and is an elegant and dynamic form of ice art. There are many different main types of skating, which can be briefly categorised into the following according to different interests and skill levels:
Figure Skating and Ice Dancing: A perfect combination of art and sport, these are the most popular events at the Winter Olympics every year. Elegant spinning and jumping movements, suitable for senior skating enthusiasts, but also need a certain dance foundation.
Speed Skating (Speed Skating): the pursuit of speed on the ice, a skating sport, more representative of the sport has a short-track speed skating, but also the Winter Olympics of the popular programmes.
Ice Hockey: Originated in Canada, Ice Hockey is a competitive team sport.
Recreational Skating (Ice-Skating): Our daily experience at outdoor skating rinks and indoor skating centres is generally recreational skating, which does not require much skill and is suitable for ordinary skating enthusiasts.
Beginner Skating Tips
If you are a novice who is trying ice skating for the first time, we suggest that you can go through the following steps to help you quickly grasp the essentials of ice skating and have a better first experience of ice skating~
Adjust the standing posture on the ice: when you first put on the skates and stand on the ice to keep standing steadily, knees slightly bent, upper body relaxed, hands can be naturally placed to maintain balance.
Start skating posture: need to pay attention to the feet were V-shaped (also known as figure of eight), alternating left and right feet forward, pay attention to the centre of gravity to be between the two feet, avoid leaning forward or backward.
Learning to turn: You can practice turning in small increments first. Beginners can switch directions by pulling back with the powering foot. Turn to the left with the left foot on the outside edge and the right foot on the inside edge, and vice versa.
Control speed and stopping skills: Beginners should not skate too fast when they first start skating, they can give themselves a little space to slowly master the speed of the ice. If you want to stop, you can decelerate slowly with your feet in an inside eight position.
