Last Updated on 19 December 2024 by Colette
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We’ve been visiting the Skate Manchester ice rink in Cathedral Gardens for quite a few years now and were gutted when Covid hit our family and we had to cancel our booking last Christmas! Ice skating at Skate Manchester is one tradition we’re all keen to reinstate this year and are really looking forward to taking to the ice again in December!
What is Skate Manchester?
Skate Manchester is a temporary ice rink in Manchester city centre – you’ll find it in Cathedral Gardens between the Arndale Centre and Manchester Victoria Station. There’s no need to fret about the weather as the Skate Manchester ice rink is covered allowing you to skate to your hearts content without worrying about getting soaked!
The Skate Manchester ice rink is gets bigger and better every year with a well organised one way system in and out of the event which flows much better than in previous years. This year, the Skate Manchester rink includes a new ice path which allows you to skate around the incredible 7 metre tall Christmas tree (do bear in mind that, if it has been raining or is mild, this ice path can be a bit wet so you don’t want to be falling over there!)
We especially love that the Cathedral Gardens ice rink is surrounded by part of the Manchester Christmas Markets which adds to the lovely festive feel and means there’s lots of options for hot drinks and snacks to reward yourself with after your ice skating efforts!
When is Skate Manchester open?
This year, the Skate Manchester pop up ice skating rink returns to Cathedral Gardens opening on Friday 21st October for Scare Skate through October half term, and remaining open till Monday 2nd January 2023 giving you plenty of time to get your skates on this festive season.
The Skate Manchester ice rink is open daily from 10am with the last skate session starting at 8pm.
How much does ice skating at Skate Manchester cost?
Prices start from £14.50 for adults and £12.50 for children. Family tickets are also available but do bear in mind that once your kids hit 13 they are classed as adults.
Skate hire is included in the ticket price. A limited number of skate aids are available (for children under 110cm) at an additional charge of £5 and must be booked in advance.
Do I need to pre-book if I want to go ice skating at Skate Manchester?
You can book your ice skating session at Skate Manchester at Cathedral Gardens online. Tickets available on site on the day but it’s advisable to book in advance to guarantee your space. (Don’t forget to pre-book your skate support to for little ones if you think they’ll need it!)
Sessions last up to 45 minutes and you are advised to arrive 15 – 30 minutes before your allotted skate time to allow time for getting ready (anyone who has tried to put ice skates on recently will know this is not a quick job!) It’s also worth being there a bit early so you can be at the front of the queue to get on the ice – because most people are a little nervous at the start of their session and need to hold onto the side, it can take a while to get everyone on – we saw some people waiting 15 minutes before they were actually on the ice on our most recent visit.
Is there a discount code available for Skate Manchester?
There’s currently a range of discount codes available for Skate Manchester:
Use code EARLYBIRD for a 25% early bird discount on your booking (this expires at the end of August)
The codes below relate to the 2022 skate season but I’ll update them as soon as I know anything!
This year Skate Manchester are offering a special keyworker discount of 30% off all adult, child and family skate tickets on Monday to Thursday from 17th November to 15th December 2022. Book now using code: KEYWORKER. This offer is valid from Monday to Thursday only and proof of eligibility for this offer must be shown at the rink.
For students, Skate Manchester are offering 20% off adult skate tickets on selected dates using code STUDENT2023.
On Wednesday mornings, there are special sessions for little ones to enjoy the ice at half capacity. As an added bonus, tickets for these sessions have 30% off too using code: TODDLER22. This offer ends on 13th December 2022.
You can take your own skates to wear at Skate Manchester but here is no discount for doing so.
Where is the best place to park for Skate Manchester?
The closest car parks to Skate Manchester are those at The Arndale Centre and the Manchester Arena, however you will pay through the nose for the convenience of parking there and in all honesty the Arndale Centre car park can be an absolute nightmare at Christmas. We tend to park in one of the small car parks on Cable Street off Oldham Road but I guess it depends which side of town you are coming from.
If you’re getting the tram into town, Exchange Square is the nearest tram stop to Cathedral Gardens.
Top tips for enjoying Skate Manchester with kids
Check out our top tips to make the most of your visit to Skate Manchester this Christmas!
- If you’re going to Skate Manchester with children, consider booking early in the day – later sessions tend to be busier. This year Skate Manchester have special quiet sessions for little ones on Wednesday mornings.
- Make sure you wear gloves – not just to keep little fingers warm but also to protect them in case of falls.
- For the same reason, we always wear hats when we’re ice skating at Skate Manchester too!
- Wear thick socks to cushion your feet – ice skates aren’t very comfortable! (I like to wear socks that come up past the top of my boots to stop them digging in – this year I invested in some ski socks from TOG24 and they were perfect)
- Pre-book your skate aids – these cost £5 each and can make a huge difference to your child’s confidence on the ice. (Do bear in mind there is a height limit of 110cm for skate aids)
- Take spare socks for afterwards – you will likely end up with wet feet from the matting when you are taking off your ice skates, having spare socks in your bag for after will mean you are more comfortable!
- Bags are not allowed on the ice at all so make use of the cloakroom. Bags can be checked in at a cost of £2 (payable by card only, no cash). Of course Skate Manchester take no responsibility for items stored in their cloakroom. There’s only a limited amount of space in the cloakroom so if you can avoid taking a bag at all then so much the better.
- Give yourself plenty of time to get your skates on as it’s a fiddly task with little ones. We usually arrive about half an hour before our allotted time to give ourselves time to get our skates on and be ready to make the most of our session.
- And, whilst we’re on the subject of getting your ice skates on – make sure everyone knows their shoe size ahead of time!
- Take the kids to the toilet before you get on the ice – there are no toilets at Skate Manchester and you don’t want to cut your visit short. (There are free toilets in the Arndale Centre which is just a few minutes walk away.)
- Wear layers. Although it might feel quite cold when you first get on the ice, you’ll soon warm up as you get moving. I usually end up undoing my coat at some point – the kid tend to end up with theirs tied around their waists as there isn’t really anywhere to put them once you’re on the ice unless you have a handy spectator on the sidelines!
- Spectators are allowed to take photographs but in theory you’re not allowed to take pictures when you’re actually on the ice – though in our experience, the marshals don’t mind as long as you are stood still at the side of the rink and not whizzing around the middle of the ice rink with your phone out.
If, like us, you only really get on the ice once a year – it might be worth considering booking a block of ice skating lessons at Planet Ice. We did this during February half term a few years ago now and it has made our annual Christmas ice skating trip so much more enjoyable!
You might want to read these posts about Christmas in Manchester next:
Where to see Santa in Manchester
Where to go ice skating in Manchester this festive season
What to do in Manchester on New Year’s Eve with the kids
Festive days out in Manchester this year
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