EVENT DESCRIPTION
West George St between Castle Street and Charlotte Square
Get your skates on and glide all the way up and down Edinburgh’s famous
George St on the magnificent alpine ice rink.
- Children 12 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult (18+), no babes in arms. Children must be over 1.1m in height; we will have designated sessions for the wee ones
- Please arrive 20 minutes before your time slot to get your skates on before your session starts!
- For safety reasons, you are not allowed to take photographs whilst on the ice. However, spectators can take photos from the viewing platforms around the rink
- For safety reasons, bags are not permitted on the ice and must be checked into our cloakroom for a fee of £2. This must be paid by card only
- The minimum skate size boot on the rink is a children's size 8, and the maximum is an adult size 15
- Skate hire is included in your ticket price, but you're also welcome to bring your own skates, subject to suitability checks (Please note: speed skates are not allowed.)
- Skating aid penguins are available for younger children at an additional cost of £5. These can be pre-booked online or bought at the rink. Only children under 1.2m tall can use the Penguins.Subject to availability
- Wheelchair users are welcome on the rink in any session. For further information, please contact access@assemblyfestival.com
-
The 20% EH postcode discount is applicable to Ice Skating
at George Street.
- Tickets are limited to a maximum of four tickets per event
- The offer is only valid when tickets are purchased through our official website and only redeemable on certain events
- You must select "Standard Priced Ticket."
- Your billing address must have an EH postcode attached for the offer to work
- This ticket offer is subject to availability. If the ticket price does not automatically change, the offer has been exhausted, or your billing address does not have an EH Postcode attached
SESSION INFORMATION
Relaxed Sessions
We want everyone to be able to enjoy the magic of Christmas and the experience of ice skating, we have designated relaxed sessions that you can come along to. The relaxed sessions will be a lower capacity and therefore quieter, we will have ambient lighting and sound with no flashing or moving lights. We will have additional Ice Marshals to assist anyone who needs a little extra help to feel confident with skating. Skaters can come on and off the ice as they wish. These sessions are available to anyone who is neurodivergent, those with sensory processing difficulties, or any of disability. Relaxed sessions can be found below:
27 November: 12:00 - 13:00
28 November: 12:00 - 13:00
04 December: 10:00 - 11:00
05 December: 10:00 - 11:00
11 December: 10:00 - 11:00
12 December: 10:00 - 11:00
18 December: 10:00 - 11:00
19 December: 10:00 - 11:00
02 January: 10:00 - 11:00
If you have any questions, please contact access@unique-assembly.co.uk
Toddler Sessions
We invite families with particularly wee tots to join us at our Toddler sessions. Aimed for those 5 and under to skate with their families in a reduced capacity session and to skate along with all the BEST kids Christmas tunes. Bobskates are available for the tiniest of feet. Junior skates start from kids size 8 (EU 25). We have skate aids available for hire for anyone under 1.2m. Please note that all skaters must be over the age of 2 years old. You can find the toddler session dates below:
25 November: 12:00 - 13:00
26 November: 12:00 - 13:00
02 December: 10:00 - 11:00
03 December: 10:00 - 11:00
09 December: 10:00 - 11:00
10 December: 10:00 - 11:00
16 December: 10:00 - 11:00
17 December: 10:00 - 11:00
30 December: 10:00 - 11:00
31 December: 10:00 - 11:00
If you have any questions, please contact customerservice@edinburgh-christmas.com
Adults Only LATE SKATES
New for 2024! Treat yourselves, partners and friends, and join us for an adults only skate session! You heard - no wee ones! Escape for a magical skate along to a live DJ to get you in the festive party spirit with a mix of Christmas tunes and classic party bangers. Come join us after a late night shopping spree on Thursdays from 8pm. Check out the available sessions below:
28 November: 20:00 - 21:00
28 November: 21:00 - 22:00
05 December: 20:00 - 21:00
05 December: 21:00 - 22:00
12 December: 20:00 - 21:00
12 December: 21:00 - 22:00
19 December: 20:00 - 21:00
19 December: 21:00 - 22:00
30 December: 20:00 - 21:00
30 December: 21:00 - 22:00
Sessions are limited, don’t miss out!
Get your skates on and glide all the way up and down Edinburgh’s famous George St on the magnificent alpine ice rink.
FAQS | |
| GENERAL | |
| When is the Ice Rink open? | 22nd Nov 2024 - 4th Jan 2024, opening times vary - please see session times. |
| Who can visit the Ice Rink? | Edinburgh's Christmas Ice Rink is open to everyone! All skaters to public sessions must be taller than 1.1m. Any toddlers or kids under this height can attend our toddler focused sessions. Please see session times for your suitable slot. We will also hold Toddler and Relaxed sessions – more information further below. |
| What should I wear? | Wrap up warm! It is Scotland in Winter. The Ice Rink is covered so skating can take place in any weather. Best to wear thick socks to increase comfort in the skates |
| Are there toilets? | Yes - toilets will be located on the George St site for all ice rink visitors to use. There will be an accessible toilet and baby change facilities available. Make sure to visit the toilets before your session, you cannot go to the toilet whilst in skates. |
| Can I bring my dog? | Dogs are welcome to the wider site but cannot go into the boot room or on to the ice rink. If someone is coming along to spectate, your dog can happily join them in the viewing area. |
| Where can I store my bag? | We have a cloakroom available for storing valuables or bags. This service is at £2 per bag cost. Payment is cashless and you'll receive a wristband - you must keep hold of this. First come First served basis. No bags of any kind are allowed on the ice rink. |
| Can I take photos? | Spectators can take photos of skaters from the viewing areas. Phones are advised to be away during skating. Edinburgh's Christmas are not responsible for damage to phones whilst on the ice. |
| What happens in bad weather? | Edinburgh's Christmas Ice Rink is an outdoor event but the ice rink is fully covered by an open sided marquee structure. So whatever the weather and rain we will be able to skate. The Ice Rink will only be closed in extreme circumstances and in accordance to our wind and weather management plan. Should this everoccur, customers will be notified as soon as possible as to the cancellation of their session and offered to book on to another session. See Ticketing T&Cs section below. |
| TICKETING | |
| Session and Ticket Options? | Session schedule can be found here: All skates tickets include skate hire. Skate aids (penguins) can be additional booked alongisde your ticket purchase or bought at the ice rink (subject to availability). Your session lasts 40 minutes. You must arrive 15-20 minutes before your session to make time to get your skates on and ready to go on the ice. There is an onsite box office at the George St site where tickets can be purchased. |
| Can I come and watch the skating? | Yes - there is no entry fee for the wider site, people are more than welcome to come and watch the skaters. |
| Can my child skate and I watch? | All children under 12 years old MUST be accompanied by a parent on the ice. If your child is over 12 then they can go on the ice and you can watch from the viewing area. |
| Do you have concession tickets? | Yes - we offer concession tickets for U16s and over 65s |
| Can I make a group booking? | You can book up to 20 ticket online in the same booking. We advise all people within the same booking to arrive together for ease of checking tickets and numbers. |
| Can I change the time or date of my visit? | Tickets are non-exchangeable and non-refundable. |
| Do I need to print/bring my ticket? | You need to bring your QR code along with you, this is sent via email and can be pulled up and checked off via your phone. |
| I can't find my ticket in my email? | If you cannot find your ticket, Our FoH team can search for the customer name in which the booking was made at the entrance to the ice rink as well, although you have to make sure you are arriving to the correct session, date and time. |
| Do you have specific sessions for young children under 1.1m height? | Yes - we will be running "Toddler" Sessions. These can be found on the main schedule. These sessions are for wee tots and their parents to come and enjoy the ice rink. The session will be run at a smaller capacity and we have bob skates available which can go over the shoes of your little ones. For Toddler Sessions, all children must be accompanied by at adult. We will also have staff on hand to assist and help your little ones skate. You and your family will skate along to a special Christmas playlist with all the children's favourites! |
| Do you have relaxed sessions available? | Yes - we will be running relaxed " Chill" Sessions throughout the festive season for those who want to enjoy them. The Chill sessions are designed for anyone (child or adult) who experiences sensory overload, sensory processing difficulties or autism, or needs a little more space, time and support. They are adapted to allow everyone to enjoy the Edinburgh's Christmas skating experience in a more relaxed environment. These sessions will be open to arrive earlier to allow plenty time to get your skates on, music and lighting will be set to a more ambient level with no flashing or moving lights, the ice rink will run at a reduced capacity and we will have additional staff on hand to assist and teach people to skate with confidence. Ticket prices can be found in the ticket section but are at a set price and will not be raised over peak dates. |
| What happens if a session is cancelled? | If your session is cancelled due to extreme circunmstances, our Box Office team will aim to contact you regarding your ticket and offer options that may include an exchange or refund depending on the situation. Updates on weather forecasts will be sent out via our social media channels including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. |
| I can't make my time slot? | Unfortunately, this will fall under the non-refundable and non-exchangeable T&Cs. |
| ICE SKATING INFORMATION | |
| Are skate aids available? | Yes we have skate aids in the form of penguins available to hire for anyone who needs a wee hand to skate confidently. These are not suitable for adults for safety reasons. These can be booked online ahead of your session for £5 as an additional purchase to your ticket. There will be a limited number available at the rink for each session. These are subject to availability and on a first come first serve basis. |
| Skate sizes? | Skate sizes range from a Children's size 8 (european 25) to an adult size 15 (european size 50). |
| Can I bring my own skates? | Of course! If you have your own skates you are more than welcome to bring them along. Skates must be deemed suitable for skakting on our rink and the Ice Rink team reserve the right to refuse use of skates if not deemed suitable. Edinburgh's Christmas are not liable for any issues that arise from using personal skates. You may need to pay for a locker to store your shoes if there is not a suitable space available for them. |
| Ice T&Cs | Please keep in mind that ice skating, although a wonderful christmas experience, is a sport and you undertake this at your own risk. lease be aware of your own skating capacity and skate to your ability. If you are not comfortable on the ice, this is at your own decision to purchase a ticket and you will not be refunded if you come off the ice early or do not enjoy the skating experience on the ice. The ice rink and site maangement teams reserve the right to refuse anyone deemed intoxicated or under the influence of drugs and alcohol. This is primarily for your safety but also for the safety of those around you. We have bars available but these are for use after skating, please be aware of this. If you are refused entry to the ice rink you will not be refunded or your ticket exchanged. |
| Do you have first aid? | Yes, we will have professional event first aid on site at all session times. |
| Is the ice real? | 100% real, no synthetic ice is used within our rink. |
| FOOD & DRINK | |
| Is there food and drink available? | Yes we will have one of our festive food traders and bars at the George St site for you to enjoy after your skate. These will be located at the Castle St end of the site and the bar will be located within the viewing platform. The bar will offer a selection of cold and hot drinks including festive treats and non alcoholic warmers. Any alcohol sales will be for consumption on site only and in accordance to licensing laws. All out bars operated a Challenge 25 policy so please be sure to bring ID. |
| Can I bring my own food and drink? | Visitors cannot being food or drink from anywhere external to the wider site. |
| Can I pay with cash? | All our festival sites will operate CARD ONLY payment systems. |
| Can I visit the Ice Rink site without a ticket to skate? | Yes - all other areas of our site are free to enter but are subject to site wide capacity. |
| Are there any other attractions at the Ice Rink site? | Yes - we will have a couple of festive fun fair rides for families and children to enjoy. Tickets for these can be purchased at the ride. |
| ACCESSIBILITY | |
| I am a wheelchair user. Can I skate? | Manual and motorised wheelchairs are welcome to skate on the ice. Please contact a member of our team ahead of booking your tickets on access@assemblyfestival.com |
| Is there ramp acess and accessible toilet facilities | Yes - access to our ice rink and site is via ramp access which will be at the appropriate gradient for wheelchair access and have sufficient railings for anyone who requires support. There will be an accessible toilet available at the ice rink for those who require it. This will also have baby change facilities. Relaxed sessions are available for those who would find this more e joyable Edinburghs Christmas also has a small selection of sensory bakpacks available forcollection and hire. We will alwys aim to accommodate any additional access requirements as best possible. If you ever wish to contact someone regarding your personal access requirements then please conact access@assemblyfestival.com |
| Is there disabled parking? | Unfortunately, there are no specific parking spaces for our Edinburgh's Christmas sites including the Ice Rink. The nearest blue badge parking can be found here: Edinburgh Council Website(https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/parking-spaces) |
| Is there seating around the event? | There is seating available across some areas of the site. Should someone need a rest from skating they can pop to the Skates Off section if needed. Our ice rink team are always there to help and assist if required. |
| I have a carer/PA - can they attend with me? | Yes - carers/PAs can come free. These tickets must be arranged via our access booking, please contact customerservice@unique-assembly.co.uk |
| TRAVEL & PARKING | |
| Where is the Ice Rink? | Our ice rink is located at our George St site, this is on George St between Charlott Sq and Castle St. You can get here via most public bus routes into the centre of town and is a short walk from the Princes St tram stops and Waverley Station. |
| T&Cs | |
| As per general ticketing T&Cs | |
| Rink rules to be included in Ice Rink ticketing T&Cs | Separate document |