Promising frosty fun throughout the festive season, there are Christmas ice rinks popping up all over Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds — with SoGlos rounding up the best ones to visit in 2024.
Get your skates on!
Gloucester Quays outdoor ice rink
The outdoor ice rink at Gloucester Quays provides a scenic setting for a skate at the heart of Gloucester Docks, with a selfie station and street food nearby — and its eclectic Christmas Markets taking place each weekend, too.
Open until Sunday 5 January 2025, Gloucester Quays ice rink costs from £12 for adults, from £10.50 for children aged 11 to 16, from £10 for children aged three to 10 and from £10 for wheelchair users, with carers going free. Skate aids for little ones cost £4 and a cloakroom is available for £2.
The Cheltenham Ice Rink
Cheltenham's under-cover ice rink at the gorgeous Imperial Gardens offers festive fun no matter what the weather decides to do this winter. Ideal for skaters of all abilities, there are skate aids so little ones can enjoy the ice; the rink is fully wheelchair accessible; and there are special sessions for students, families and school groups.
Cheltenham's ice rink is open every day except Christmas Day until Sunday 5 January 2025, with prices starting from £12.50 for adults and from £10.50 for children aged three to 15, with skate aids costing £5 each.
Gateway Ice Rink at Cotswold Water Park
Offering all-weather ice skating sessions accompanied by classic Christmas tunes, the Gateway Ice Rink at Cotswold Water Park — now known as Cotswold Lakes — is open until Sunday 5 January 2025. Sessions last for 45 minutes and cost £14.95 for adults, £11.95 for children under 12 and £14.95 for a wheelchair user and their carer, with skate aids available to hire, too.
As well as regular skating sessions, there are also Snow Princess sessions with Disney music and the chance to meet the Snow Queen; DJ on Ice sessions for skaters aged 12 and up; and sensory friendly sessions with softer lighting, quieter music and fewer skaters on the ice on selected dates.
Sustainable ice rink at Jolly Nice near Stroud
Returning for winter 2024, popular Cotswold farm shop, Jolly Nice, is hosting its sustainable pop-up ice rink until Sunday 5 January 2025. Using synthetic Glice instead of real ice, Jolly Nice's rink is a sustainable way to go skating this festive season — and new for this year, there's a stretch tent covering the rink so you can get your skates on come rain or shine.
The ice rink is nestled in Jolly Nice's Winter Wonderland, where visitors can buy their Christmas tree, tuck into festive food and even meet real-life reindeer, with skate sessions costing from £14.95 for adults and £12.95 for children aged five to 12.
Winter Glow at Three Counties Showground in Malvern
Winter Glow at Three Counties Showground, just across the Gloucestershire border in Malvern, is home to one of the region's largest indoor ice rinks, open until Tuesday 31 December 2024.
Tickets cost from £10 per adult and £9 per child, with free parking at the showground — and new for 2024, Winter Glow is hosting Princess and Superhero parties on the ice every weekend from Sunday 1 to Sunday 22 December 2024, so little ones can get all dressed up and skate with Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Captain America.
The Great Skate at Blenheim Palace
For the first time ever, the spectacular Blenheim Palace in the Cotswolds is hosting The Great Skate, with a covered ice rink in the Great Court until Wednesday 1 January 2025.
Offering scenic skating in a stunning location, tickets cost from £15 for adults and from £10 for children. There's so much more to do at Blenheim Palace, too, with a charming Christmas market, illuminated light trail and Peter Pan-themed Neverland adventure within the palace.
