No Brighton ice rink this winter: the Pavilion rink is stood down for a year and moves to the Old Steine in 2027. Nearest skating: Worthing, open to 21 February.

There is no ice rink at the Royal Pavilion this winter. A council report for Cabinet on 15 October says restoration works in the Royal Pavilion Garden will run “throughout the winter period” on the ice rink site. The works start on 9 November and are due to finish in November 2027 (Cabinet report, paragraph 4.3).

The council confirmed on 15 October that there will be no Brighton ice rink at all this Christmas. The operator, Laine Ltd, said it had not found a venue “with sufficient electrical capacity for 2026” and has “made the difficult decision to stand the rink down for one year”. The Old Steine is the preferred home from 2027 onwards, with “agreement in principle” between the council and the operator (council, 15 October 2026). Our story has the detail: the rink’s move to the Old Steine. The nearest ice skating this winter is Worthing Ice Rink, a covered rink in Steyne Gardens that opened on Saturday 7 November and runs to 21 February 2027 (Worthing Ice Rink). Dates and prices for it and five others: ice rinks near Brighton.

Updated 17 October: no 2026/27 season anywhere in the city; Old Steine preferred from 2027. Cabinet approved the garden restoration on 15 October.

Last checked 11 November 2026: no new announcement since the rink’s own news post of 15 October says it “will not take place in 2026” and is “set to return in 2027” (Royal Pavilion Ice Rink).

Is there an ice rink in Brighton in 2026?

No. The rink has been on the Royal Pavilion estate every winter since 2010, and the Pavilion was its only home. Three things stopped a 2026/27 season:

  • The site is taken. The council report says the project team “attempted to find a way for the ice rink to return to the Pavilion site over winter 2026/2027”, but could not delay the start “without significant cost and funding implications”.
  • No second site. Laine Ltd says it looked for another venue and found none it could power from the mains on a renewable tariff.
  • The gardeners object. Brighton and Hove News reported that the Pavilion’s gardening volunteers were asked to lobby the council against pressing for the rink’s return, saying it had damaged the lawns.

The council and the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust said in a joint statement in September that they were looking at whether the rink could come back without harming the restoration. The Cabinet report published since then answered that for this winter, and Cabinet approved the £8m restoration on 15 October; our news story has the full plan. The same day the council announced the Old Steine as the rink’s preferred home from 2027.

Where to go ice skating near Brighton this winter

With no rink in the city, these are the closest places to skate, from each rink’s own website as checked for our ice rinks near Brighton page:

  • Worthing Ice Rink, Steyne Gardens: covered, open now until 21 February 2027. Sessions run from 1.45pm to 9pm on term-time weekdays and from 10am to 9pm at weekends and in school holidays. Skaters must be four or over.
  • Winterland, Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne: an open-air real ice rink with a funfair and Christmas market, from 1 December.
  • Burgess Hill Christmas Festival: a free synthetic rink on 28 and 29 November, skates provided, no booking.

Further afield, Icescape in Calverley Grounds, Tunbridge Wells, opens on 26 November, and Guildford Spectrum has the nearest indoor rink open all year; the full list has their prices and Christmas closures.

Royal Pavilion Ice Rink dates: when it usually opens

The last two seasons, from the operator’s own news posts:

Season Opened Closed Announced
2024/25 Saturday 26 October 2024 Sunday 5 January 2025 10 October 2024
2025/26 Saturday 25 October 2025 Sunday 4 January 2026 18 September 2025

Both seasons opened on the last Saturday of October, which this year would be 31 October. By this point last year tickets had been on sale for more than three weeks. There will be no 2026 season.

The white ice rink marquee and rinkside bar, strung with fairy lights, in front of the pink-lit domes of the Royal Pavilion at dusk.
The rink marquee and bar beside the Royal Pavilion. Photo: Ice Rink by Royal Pavilion by Paul Gillett (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

What last season cost and how it ran

If the rink does return, these 2025/26 terms are the best guide to what to expect. They come from the rink’s announcement of 18 September 2025 and its opening times page.

  • Tickets: from £15 for anyone aged 12 and over, and £12 for juniors under 12.
  • Sessions: 45 minutes on the ice, starting on the hour from 10am to 9pm, so the last one finished at 9.45pm.
  • Booking: online in advance was strongly advised. Arrive 20 minutes before your session; late arrivals could skate, but not for the full 45 minutes.
  • Refunds: none. October and November tickets could be moved to another session of the same price with seven days’ notice. December and January tickets were valid only for the session booked.
  • Remembrance Sunday: the first two sessions were dropped and skating started at noon.
  • Weather: it is an outdoor rink and skating went ahead in the rain.

Watching was free. Spectators could stand in the outdoor area to the north of the rink or sit in the rinkside bar and kitchen.

Skating with children

The operator’s family page set out the rules, and they were strict on age:

  • Children under 8 had to have an adult aged 18 or over with them on the ice.
  • Children under 12 had to come to the venue with an adult aged 18 or over.
  • Skate sizes ran from a child’s size 25, about age 3 or 4, up to UK 15. Double-bladed “bob skates” were available for younger children.
  • Penguin skate aids were for children 1.2m tall or under and cost £6.
  • The quietest time for pre-school children was the 11am session on weekdays, which the operator recommended for beginners.

There was a separate beginners’ rink next to the main one. The operator says long coats, skirts and scarves should not be worn on the ice, for safety.

Where it was and parking

The rink’s address was Royal Pavilion Ice Rink, Brighton BN1 1FN, entered on foot from the north end of Pavilion Gardens, about 10 minutes’ walk from Brighton station. There is no parking on the Royal Pavilion estate; the operator pointed drivers to the NCP in Church Street, and our Brighton parking page has the other central car parks and their charges. The restoration works were due to start on 9 November, so expect parts of the gardens to be behind hoardings this winter. Check our roadworks and travel page before driving in.

Christmas at the Pavilion goes ahead

The rink is separate from the Pavilion’s own winter season, which has been announced: A Fairy Tale of Frost and Fire runs inside the palace from 21 November. Our Royal Pavilion Christmas page has the dates and prices, and the Christmas lights and markets page covers the rest of the city.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is there an ice rink in Brighton in 2026?

No. On 15 October 2026 the council and the operator, Laine Ltd, confirmed the rink is standing down for one year. The Pavilion garden is being restored from 9 November and no other venue had enough mains power to run it on a renewable tariff. The Old Steine is the preferred site from 2027.

When does the Royal Pavilion Ice Rink open in 2026?

It will not open in winter 2026/27; the operator has stood the rink down for a year and plans to return on the Old Steine in 2027. The last two seasons opened on 26 October 2024 and 25 October 2025, both the last Saturday of October.

Where can I go ice skating near Brighton this winter?

Worthing Ice Rink in Steyne Gardens, a covered rink open from 7 November 2026 to 21 February 2027, is the nearest. Winterland at Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne opens on 1 December, and the Burgess Hill Christmas Festival has a free synthetic rink on 28 and 29 November.

How much is the Brighton ice rink?

In the 2025/26 season, tickets were from £15 for ages 12 and over and £12 for under-12s, for a 45-minute session. No 2026 tickets are on sale.

Can I just watch?

Last season, yes. Watching from the outdoor area to the north of the rink or from the rinkside bar was free.