Promising frosty fun throughout the festive season, there are Christmas ice rinks popping up all over Gloucestershire — with SoGlos rounding up the best ones to visit. 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 Santa's sleigh selfie station nearby and the eclectic Winter Markets taking place each weekend, too.
Open until Sunday 7 January 2024, Gloucester Quays' ice rink costs £11.50 for adults, £9.50 for children aged 11 to 15, £9 for children aged three to 10 and £9 for wheelchair users, with carers going free. Skate aids for little ones cost £3.50 each.
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 relaxed sessions for SEND visitors, too.
Cheltenham's ice rink is open every day except Christmas Day until Monday 1 January 2024, with prices starting from £11.50 for adults and from £9.50 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 is open until Wednesday 3 January 2024. Making ice skating accessible for everyone, there are sensory-friendly sessions with less people on the ice, no music and lower lighting; Tots on Ice sessions ideal for first-time skaters under eight-years-old; plus there's a photographer to capture the action on the ice, with photos available to buy as a keepsake to take home.
Sessions last for 45 minutes and cost £14.95 for adults and £11.95 for children under 12, with skate aids available for £5.
Sustainable ice rink at Jolly Nice
Brand-new for winter 2023, popular Cotswold farm shop, Jolly Nice, has its very first pop-up ice rink, open until Monday 1 January 2024. Skate sessions cost from £10.95 each — plus there are adults-only Friday Night Shake and Skate sessions, featuring its popular Cocktail Club and a live DJ, for £14.95, too.
Using synthetic Glice instead of real ice, Jolly Nice's rink is also a sustainable way to go skating this festive season.
Winter Glow at Three Counties Showground
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.
With tickets costing from £10 per adult and £8.40 per child, visitors can enjoy free parking at the showground — and there's a Christmas market taking place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Christmas Eve, too.
