Skate at Somerset House runs 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Adults £13 to £28.50, children from £11, plus a £1.50 fee. Closed Christmas Day.

Skate at Somerset House opens on Wednesday 11 November 2026 and runs to Sunday 10 January 2027. Adult tickets cost £13 to £28.50 and children’s £11 to £15, with a £1.50 fee on every ticket, according to Somerset House’s own Skate page. Tickets went on public sale at 10am on Friday 25 September, and the rink is closed on Christmas Day.

The quick answer

  • Dates: 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Closed 25 December.
  • Prices: adults £13 to £28.50, children £11 to £15, plus £1.50 a ticket. Prices change through the run, and early booking gets the lowest.
  • Sessions: 45 minutes, on the hour, from 11am to 9pm daily, with extra 9am, 10am and 10pm sessions on selected dates.
  • On the day: a small number of tickets per session are sold at the on-site box office until noon.
  • Watching: spectators can stand rinkside free of charge.

Prices and discounts

From the Skate Times, Tickets and FAQs page:

Ticket Price
Adult From £13, up to £28.50
Child (12 and under) From £11, up to £15
Transaction fee £1.50 per ticket
Family tickets 10% off with at least one adult and one child family ticket, for up to 3 children per adult
Concessions 20% off, for limited daytime sessions
Skate Mate (ice marshal for 4 to 15 people) £35 on top of tickets, book by phone 48 hours ahead

Concessions are for people on Universal Credit or Pension Credit, Blue Light Card holders, full-time students and disabled visitors claiming PIP. They are only sold for the 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm sessions on 11 to 13 November, 16 to 20 November, 23 to 27 November and 4 to 8 January, plus all Relaxed Sessions. You need to show proof of eligibility.

Children aged 12 and under must skate with an adult, one adult for every five children. Tickets are non-refundable; you can exchange them up to 48 hours ahead for £4.50 a ticket. Somerset House is cashless.

Session times and Christmas hours

Sessions start on the hour: 11am, 12pm, then hourly to 9pm. The 9am, 10am and 10pm sessions only run on selected dates. There are 90-minute extended sessions at 12pm on Wednesday 11 November, Tuesday 17 November and Monday 23 November.

Date Sessions
Thursday 24 December 9am to last session at 5pm
Friday 25 December Closed
Saturday 26 December 12pm to last session at 10pm
27 to 30 December 9am to last session at 10pm
Thursday 31 December 9am to last session at 5pm
Friday 1 January 12pm to last session at 10pm

The on-site box office is in the Seamen’s Hall, on the ground floor of the South Wing. Before the rink opens it sells advance tickets only: 12pm to 6pm from 6 to 9 November and 12pm to 4pm on 10 November. From 11 November it is open 9.30am to 9.30pm.

Lates, the K-pop night and lessons

  • Skate Lates with Aperol Spritz, DJ nights on selected evenings, from Thursday 12 November.
  • K-pop Party on Monday 23 November, with the Korean Cultural Centre UK.
  • Skate School and Kids Skate Club from 14 November. The Kids Skate Club is for ages 6 to 10.
  • Relaxed sessions and wheelchair users welcome at any session.

Details and booking are on the Skate page.

Food, drink and shopping

  • The Chalet by Jimmy Garcia, 12 November to 31 December. In November it is closed Monday to Wednesday and opens Thursday and Friday evenings, plus weekend lunches and dinners, with full closures on 18, 19, 25 and 26 November.
  • Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, daily through the run.
  • Shelter Boutique, a pre-loved clothing pop-up raising money for Shelter, 11 November to 23 December, 12pm to 8pm daily.

Getting there

Somerset House is on the Strand, WC2R. Temple station (District and Circle lines) is the nearest, with Covent Garden, Charing Cross and Embankment within walking distance. Covent Garden switches on its own Christmas lights the day after the rink opens, on 12 November: see our Covent Garden lights page. If you are driving into the West End, check our parking zones and hours page and roadworks and travel page first.

Other rinks in Westminster

Sources