We checked 9 ice rinks near Basingstoke, from Planet Ice's £10 Christmas Day skate to Reading Winter Wonderland, for dates and prices. Updated November 2026.
This guide lists 9 ice rinks within about an hour of Basingstoke in 2026, in one place with dates, prices and age rules. Planet Ice on the Leisure Park is the only one in town and opens on Christmas Day, Reading Winter Wonderland opens on 7 November and Skate the Estate at Yattendon includes skate hire. Entries were checked against each rink’s own site or booking system on 5 November 2026, unless stated.
We found no outdoor or pop-up Christmas rink announced for Basingstoke itself this year. Christmas rinks can price by day and time, so the checkout figure may differ. Distances and drive times are approximate, from Basingstoke town centre, and allow for no traffic.
In Basingstoke
1. Planet Ice Basingstoke
An indoor rink on the Basingstoke Leisure Park, off Churchill Way West, and home to the Basingstoke Bison ice hockey club. Planet Ice’s FAQ says you can arrive at any time during a session and stay as long as you like, so an earlier start gives you longer on the ice.
It also says there is no minimum age, and recommends gloves. Our 20 October read found under-8s needed an adult on the ice with them and under-12s had to wear gloves; the rink’s admissions policy would not open for us on 5 November, so check before you go.
Christmas and New Year session times
These are the public sessions on Planet Ice’s calendar on 5 November. Each row gives the times you can start and the time the ice closes. Sessions on 12, 13 and 19 to 24 December are billed as Skate & Spot Santa, at the usual price. The Christmas Day ticket is a single £10 price, with no family or student tickets. On New Year’s Eve the last public session finishes at 5.15pm, so there is no late skate.
| Date | Sessions start | Ice closes |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 19 Dec | 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm | 4pm |
| Sun 20 Dec | 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm | 2.45pm |
| Mon 21 Dec | 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm | 4.30pm |
| Tue 22 Dec | 10am to 2.30pm starts; evening 8.15pm | 4.30pm; evening 10.30pm |
| Wed 23 Dec | 10am to 2.30pm starts; evening 8pm | 4.30pm; evening 10pm |
| Thu 24 Dec | 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm; then 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.30pm | 3pm; then 8pm |
| Fri 25 Dec | 10am | 12pm |
| Sat 26 Dec | 10am, 11am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm | 3pm |
| Sun 27 Dec | 10am, 11am, 12.30pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm | 4pm |
| Mon 28 Dec | 10am to 2.30pm starts; evening 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8pm | 4.30pm; evening 9.30pm |
| Tue 29 Dec | 10am to 2.30pm starts; evening 8.15pm | 4.30pm; evening 10.30pm |
| Wed 30 Dec | 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm; then 2pm, 3pm | 3pm; then 5.15pm |
| Thu 31 Dec | 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm; then 2pm, 3pm | 3pm; then 5.15pm |
| Fri 1 Jan | 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm; then 2pm to 5pm starts | 3pm; then 6.30pm |
| Sat 2 Jan | 11am, 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm | 4pm |
| Sun 3 Jan | 11am, 12pm, 1pm | 3pm |
| Mon 4 Jan | 11.15am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm | 3.30pm |
A normal week before Christmas
In the week of 9 November the calendar shows public skating from 11.15am on Monday and Tuesday, 11.15am to 1.15pm on Wednesday and 12.15pm to 3.30pm on Friday, with a Tuesday evening session from 8.15pm to 9.15pm at the weekend price. Saturday and Sunday run 11am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. Friday 13 November, 8pm to 9.45pm, is a Fancy Dress and PJ Party skate. Penguin Club, for children aged 5 and under with penguin skating aids, runs on Monday 9 November from 11.15am to 12.15pm at £5.80 a child, with one adult free. Inclusive Skate is the only session where skate hire is included. Skating aids can be hired from £7 an hour, Planet Ice’s FAQ says.
Bison home games change the times. On Sunday 22 November, with a 4.15pm face-off, public skating stops at 2.45pm.
The other home games before Christmas are on Saturdays 14 and 28 November and 5 and 12 December at 6.30pm (Bison fixtures).
Planet Ice closed this rink for a refurbishment in 2025. Its own news post says the Bison returned on 25 October 2025, with public skating from 26 October (Planet Ice news).
The photo on this page shows the arena before that work.
Open all year; Christmas Day 10am to 12pm; full holiday times below
Price adult or child £11.75 on term-time weekdays, £15.40 at weekends and over Christmas; family of three to five £10.70 or £14.70 a person; student (16+) £10; under 4s £3.20; Christmas Day £10; skate hire extra; 4% online booking fee
Booking online recommended; a full session turns away anyone without a booking; rescheduling only with the £2.50 Reschedule Package
Address Planet Ice Arena, Leisure Park, Basingstoke, RG22 6PG
Parking free at the Leisure Park (Love Basingstoke)
Website planet-ice.co.uk/ice-skating
Good for indoor, open Christmas Day, Penguin Club for under-5s, Inclusive Skate, carers free with an access card
Christmas rinks
2. Reading Winter Wonderland
A real-ice rink under a 900 square metre clear dome on Hills Meadow, Caversham, about 19 miles and 32 minutes from Basingstoke. It sits inside a free-to-enter Christmas fair with rides and a grotto, and the organiser says the ice has grown to 560 square metres this year.
It opens on Saturday 7 November. The fair hours and parking are from another of our titles’ read this week, and the booking calendar it read on 20 October showed sessions on Christmas Day from 12pm to 5pm.
We could not read the skating-only price at checkout, so those figures come from a blog. Trains from Basingstoke to Reading are direct, but engineering work closes lines around Basingstoke on 7 and 8 November: see our travel page first.
Open 7 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; fair Mon to Fri 3pm to 10pm, Sat and Sun 11am to 10pm, daily 11am to 10pm from 15 December
Price £24 four-hour ride wristband plus £5 to add skating; skating only from £14.48 adult, £12.73 child, family from £48.28, plus booking fee (What the Redhead Said blog, not confirmed by the rink)
Booking online, or at the on-site box office if places remain
Call 07768 857857
Address Hills Meadow, George Street, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8DH
Parking pay and display on site
Website readingwinterwonderland.co.uk/ice-rink
Good for covered rink, fairground, Santa's grotto, open Christmas Day
3. Skate the Estate, Yattendon
A real-ice rink under a stretch tent at the Yattendon Festive Shop in West Berkshire, about 20 miles and 36 minutes from Basingstoke, from Friday 20 November to Sunday 3 January. The shop sells estate-grown Christmas trees, gifts and wreaths, with food and drink from the estate’s Vicars Game butchers and Renegade Brewery.
Skate hire is included and gloves must be worn. Earlybird prices end on 19 November.
The rink’s FAQ page has shown older dates, so its age rules may change: it says under-10s must have an adult with them, and children aged 10 to 12 must be supervised by an adult, who can watch from the side.
Open 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; to 11 December Mon to Thu 2pm to 7pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun 10am to 7pm; from 12 December Sun to Thu 10am to 7pm, Fri and Sat 10am to 8pm; 24 December 11am to 6pm; 26 December 10am to 6pm; closed Christmas Day
Price adult (16+) £18 earlybird, £20 advance, £21 on the day; child (15 and under) £16, £18, £19; family of four £58, £66, £70; family of five £72, £82, £87; ticket fees apply
Booking online
Address Forestry Yard, Yattendon Estate, RG18 0XB
Parking free on site
Website skatetheestate.co.uk
Good for skate hire included, dogs on the estate, Christmas trees, skate aids
4. Windsor on Ice
A covered real-ice rink with a fairground in Alexandra Gardens by the Thames, about 32 miles and 42 minutes from Basingstoke, from Friday 13 November to Sunday 3 January. Tiny Tuesdays and All Access Wednesdays are on the rink’s calendar, and Santa visits on 12, 13, 19, 20 and 24 December from 12pm to 5pm.
The minimum age on the ice is 4, and under-12s must have an adult with them. The rink asks skaters to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early.
Session times here are from another of our titles’ read of its calendar this week, and some rows there carry slips, so check your day when you book.
Open 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; closed Christmas Day; public skating from 10am at weekends and 12pm on most term-time weekdays, to 9pm
Price adult £17; child (17 and under) £15; family of four £56; plus £1.50 booking fee
Booking online; email boxoffice@windsoronice.com for large groups
Address Alexandra Gardens, Barry Avenue, Windsor, SL4 3HY
Website windsoronice.co.uk
Good for fairground, Santa visits, Tiny Tuesdays, access sessions
5. ONICE Westquay, Southampton
A Christmas rink inside Southampton’s medieval town walls, next to the Westquay shopping centre, about 34 miles and 46 minutes from Basingstoke. It has been open since 23 October and runs to Sunday 3 January.
Sessions last 45 minutes and start on the hour, followed by a 15-minute break to resurface the ice, and ONICE asks you to arrive 20 minutes early. Bringing your own skates does not change the price.
Skate aids are for under-10s under 110cm, in limited numbers, so pre-book.
Open to 3 January 2027; Mon to Fri 3pm to 9pm, Sat and Sun 10am to 9pm, school holidays 10am to 9pm; 24 December 10am to 6pm; closed Christmas Day; 26 December 12pm to 7pm; 31 December 10am to 7pm; 1 January 12pm to 7pm
Price adult (13+) £15; child (12 and under) £13; student £13 with ID at the box office; family of four £50
Booking online recommended
Call 023 8168 0033
Address ONICE Westquay, Southampton, SO15 1FQ
Parking at Westquay shopping centre
Website onice.co.uk/locations/westquay
Good for near Southampton Central station, shops and restaurants, skate aids
6. Portsmouth On Ice
A real-ice rink under a canopy in Guildhall Square, about 51 miles and 59 minutes from Basingstoke, from Saturday 21 November to Sunday 3 January, close to Portsmouth and Southsea station. Sessions last an hour, and the 9am to 10am slot each day is a quieter skate limited to about 40 people.
Family sessions run from 11am to 12pm on weekdays, and there are dedicated SEND sessions. The minimum age is 3.
Children aged 3 to 7 must have a skating adult with them, and the rink recommends an adult, who need not skate, for ages 7 to 11. Watching is free.
Open 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, from 9am; last session 8pm to 9pm Sun to Wed, 9.15pm to 10.15pm Thu to Sat; closed Christmas Day
Price adult £15.50 off peak, £17 peak; child (5 to 15) £13.50, £15; adult with a pre-schooler £16, £17.50; concession £14, £15.50; family of four £48, £52; skate aid £6, £6.50
Booking online, at the box office or on 0845 299 7991
Address Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AB
Website portsmouthiceskating.uk/day-tickets-book-now
Good for quiet morning skates, SEND sessions, wheelchairs on the ice, free to watch
Other rinks open all year
7. Ozone Ice Rink, Bracknell
A family-run training rink on Western Road in Bracknell, about 25 miles and 34 minutes from Basingstoke. Public sessions last 60 minutes and every skater needs a completed waiver.
In the Christmas school holidays, colour-changing lights run in every session from 12.45pm, which the rink warns may not suit people with a photosensitive condition. Ozone’s site blocks our usual checks, so these details are from another of our titles’ read of its site and booking calendar on 4 November.
Open all year; in the holidays 21, 22, 24, 28 and 31 December from 10.15am; 26 December 11.30am to 4.30pm; 1 January 11.30am to 2pm; no sessions on Christmas Day
Price single entry £14; three sessions £39; skate hire £2.50; A-frame skate aids free (read 4 November)
Booking online only; no refunds, but dates can be changed up to 48 hours before
Call 01344 453005
Address Unit 4, Western Trade Centre, Western Road, Bracknell, RG12 1RW
Website ozonerink.co.uk/public-sessions-disco-sessions
Good for on-site parking, free skate aids, learn to skate
8. Guildford Spectrum
An Olympic-sized indoor rink at the Spectrum leisure centre, about 27 miles and 40 minutes from Basingstoke. Sessions last 90 minutes, and Snow Globe Skates, when a snow machine drops snow over the rink, run on most holiday afternoons. There is no public skating from 9 to 13 December because of The Wizard of Oz on Ice: the last session is on Tuesday 8 December and the rink fully reopens on Monday 14 December.
The timetable is from another of our titles’ read on 5 November, and its booking system and timetable differ on some November sessions, so check when you book. We could not read the ticket price.
Open all year; no public skating 9 to 13 December; closed Christmas Day; holidays from 10.30am, with Snow Globe sessions most afternoons
Price not printed on the Spectrum's pages and unreadable in its booking system; ring to check; skate hire extra, included for under 5s
Booking online in advance
Call 01483 443322
Address Guildford Spectrum, Parkway, Guildford, GU1 1UP
Website guildfordspectrum.co.uk/ice-skating/times-and-prices
Good for indoor, Snow Globe Skates, ice discos, skate aids, wheelchairs on the ice
9. Planet Ice Gosport
Planet Ice’s other Hampshire rink, about 48 miles and 57 minutes from Basingstoke, and a little cheaper than the Basingstoke one on the dates we read. It has the same £10 Christmas Day session, from 10am to 12pm, and sessions billed as Skate & Spot Santa on Saturday 19 December and Christmas Eve.
Boxing Day has a Sub Zero Disco from 4.30pm to 6.30pm. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day skating runs until 7pm, later than at Basingstoke.
The same Planet Ice rules apply on skate hire and the 4% booking fee.
Open all year; 24 December from 9.45am, to 8pm; Christmas Day 10am to 12pm; 26 December 11am to 6.30pm; 31 December from 9.45am and 1 January from 10am, both to 7pm
Price adult or child £10.50 on Wednesday 11 November, £14.10 on Saturday 14 November and over Christmas; Christmas Day £10, under 4s £3.20; skate hire extra; 4% online booking fee
Booking online through Planet Ice
Address Fareham Road, Gosport, PO13 0ZX
Website planet-ice.co.uk/ice-skating
Good for indoor, open Christmas Day, Boxing Day disco
How we chose
These are rinks within about an hour of Basingstoke with published 2026 dates. Winchester has no rink this Christmas: the cathedral’s market pages list none, and older listings for one are out of date. This is not every rink in reach: we left out Hampton Court Palace and Slough Ice Arena, on the London side of Guildford and Windsor. Our searches and Love Basingstoke’s site map found no 2026 pop-up rink in the borough. Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@basingstokeonline.co.uk. Taken a good photograph of any of these places? Email it to newsdesk@basingstokeonline.co.uk and we will add it with your name as the credit.
More for Christmas in Basingstoke
- Things to do in Basingstoke
- What’s on in Basingstoke this month
- Santa’s grottos
- Christmas markets
- Christmas lights switch-on, Festive Friday
- Pantomime
- Milestones Museum at Christmas
- Christmas at The Vyne
- Carols and Christmas concerts
- Christmas dinner in Basingstoke
- Christmas train times
- Parking in Basingstoke
- Roadworks and travel
- Local business directory
Frequently asked questions
Is there an ice rink in Basingstoke?
Yes. Planet Ice is at the Basingstoke Leisure Park, RG22 6PG, and is open all year. It is the only ice in town: we found no pop-up Christmas rink announced for Basingstoke in 2026.
Which ice rinks near Basingstoke are open on Christmas Day?
Planet Ice Basingstoke has one session from 10am to 12pm at £10 a skater, under 4s £3.20. Planet Ice Gosport lists the same session and price. Reading Winter Wonderland’s booking calendar, read on 20 October, listed sessions from 12pm to 5pm. Skate the Estate, Windsor on Ice, ONICE Westquay, Portsmouth On Ice, Guildford Spectrum and Ozone are shut or have no sessions.
How much is Planet Ice Basingstoke?
Adults and children pay £11.75 on term-time weekdays and £15.40 at weekends and over Christmas. Students pay £10 online and under 4s £3.20. Skate hire is extra, and a 4% booking fee is added online.
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