Hampton Court Palace

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Hattie Lloyd 31/10/23


Where To Go Ice Skating in London

Where To Go Ice Skating in London – Winter 2023 | Get Your Skates On

Nobody likes skating on thin ice, so here’s a list of solid suggestions for places to go ice skating in London over the festive season.

We’re talking indoor rinks. We’re talking open-air rinks. And we’re talking about the real reason you want to go ice skating in the first place: soaking up the crisp night air with your closest friends and loved ones boozy hot chocolate and fondue.

Behold, the best pop-up ice rinks in London…

SKATE at Somerset House | Strand

skate somerset house

Owen Harvey

It’s the ultimate ice rink, with beautiful surroundings, DJ nights and a 40ft Christmas tree. Skate Lates offer ice-capades that go on into the wee hours, while the Whispering Angel rinkside bar and Alpine fondue restaurant from pop-up king Jimmy Garcia take care of the après-skate.

Details: 15th November 2023 – 14th January 2024 | Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA | £10-25

Hampton Court Palace | Hampton Court

ice skating hampton court

If Henry VIII hadn’t been so mercilessly riddled with gout, no doubt he would’ve enjoyed a spin on the ice rink now perched outside his majestic abode, Hampton Court Palace. The mandatory mulled wine and mince pies can be found at the nearby cafe, alongside other delights of the palace grounds, including a cracking maze.

Details17th November 2023 – 7th January 2024, 10am-9pm | Hampton Court Palace, East Moseley, KT8 9AU | £19+

The Queen’s House | Greenwich

queens house greenwich ice rink

It won’t surprise you to hear that The Queen’s House is a rather grand, former royal mansion in Greenwich. This year it’ll be hosting an ice rink for the fifth time, set amidst UNESCO World Heritage buildings and perfectly placed for a post-skate stroll through Greenwich Park and the historic cobbled streets – just make sure you stop off at Dark Sugars for a ludicrously indulgent hot chocolate first.

Details: 23rd November 2023 – 7th January 2024 The Queen’s House, Romney Road, SE10 9NF £17+

Skate West End | Mayfair

skate west end new ice rink

Craig Sugden Photography

London’s got a new ice rink for winter 2023, and bizarrely it’s not out in the sticks somewhere. You’ll find Skate West End in Hanover Square – a pretty scenic, festoon-lit patch of green just behind Oxford and Regent Street. It’s been designed in a unique ring shape with a pop-up bar in the centre, accessible by a bridge over the ice (don’t worry, you’re not expected to drink and skate). Plus, a part of every ticket sale will be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Details: 3rd November 2023 – 1st January 2024 | Hanover Square, W1S | £12.50

Winter Wonderland | Hyde Park

winter wonderland ice skating

It’s the largest rink for outdoor ice skating in London, built around a Victorian bandstand centrepiece and illuminated by thousands of twinkly lights. Plus, it’s right next to all the other ludicrously festive attractions at Winter Wonderland, which this year include an ice slide; ice sculpting workshops and that time-honoured traditional favourite, the three-storey Haunted Mansion.

Details: 17th November 2023 1st January 2024, daily from 10am-9pm | Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, W2 2UH | £11.50-16.50

Glide at Battersea Power Station | Battersea

glide at battersea power station ice rink

Joshua Atkins

Battersea Power Station has been regenerated: and as well as housing 1950s-themed cocktail dens, ping pong bars and dozens of restaurants, it’s also home to one of the newest ice rinks in London. Sandwiched between that iconic 1930s architecture and the Thames, Glide boasts three interconnected rinks circling a giant, 30ft Christmas tree – plus there’ll be funfair rides, street food and mulled wine huts to check out afterwards.

Details: 10th November 2023 – 7th January 2024 Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, SW8 5BN £12.50

Queens Skate, Dine, Bowl | Bayswater

queens skate dine bowl rink

Arguably the venue’s biggest draw, the rink at Queen’s Skate, Dine, Bowl is one of the few places you can go ice skating in London all year round. It’s a huge space – almost the size of two football pitches – overlooked by a bright, festoon-lit ceiling, and a buzzy rink-side bar/diner running its whole length. Here you can get your skates on for an hour or two, or hit the ice for an intense bout of curling on Thursday & Friday nights.

Details: Open daily | 17 Queensway, Bayswater, W2 4QP | £8-13.75

JW3 | Finchley

JW3 - ice skating London

JW3’s piazza is transformed every year to become home to their 200 sq m ice rink, which is surrounded with warming seasonal food, mulled wine and hot choco. It’s also open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Details: 10th December 2023 – 7th January 2024 | 341-351 Finchley Road, NW3 6ET | £15

Alexandra Palace | Manor House

ice skating london alexandra palace

Another of the few London ice rinks open all year round (it’s where the Dancing On Ice stars train), Ally Pally steps it up a notch around the festive season with a huge Christmas tree, disco nights and actual falling snow. Plus, you can hole up in the fairy-lit East Court café afterwards for a mulled wine & a mince pie.

Details: Open all year, festive sessions 14th December – 3rd January | Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY | £15

Skylight Tobacco Dock | Wapping

rooftop ice rink london

Haydon Perrior

Skylight have let things slide… by adding a real rooftop ice rink to their covetable spot atop a Wapping carpark (with unobstructed views of some of the finest stretches of the London skyline). And they’re throwing in mulled wine, winter cocktails, festive street food, hireable igloos, indoor croquet, ping pong and DJs just to top it all off.

Details: From 10th November | Penning Street Car Park, Wapping Lane, E1W 2SF | £15 for 45 mins skating, only bookable on the day

Canary Wharf Ice Rink | Canary Wharf

canary wharf ice rink

Canary Wharf’s ice rink is back, and it’s covered – which is partly for your benefit, given the delightfully mercurial nature of the British weather, and partly for the benefit of everyone in the surrounding offices, by shielding them from FOMO. Beneath that shield you’ll find a huge Christmas tree, a dazzling disco ball, and 1,275 sqm of glittering ice to throw some shapes on. And as always, there’s a rinkside bar with mulled wine and boozy hot chocolates to retreat to afterwards.

Details: 21st October 2023 – 24th February 2024 Canada Square Park, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AB £17.95-20.95

 


Feeling festive? Check out our guide to Christmas in London 2023