The Ice Village is returning to Cathedral Gardens this winter – with an all-weather skating rink

A big all-weather ice rink will be part of the Ice Village Manchester experience this winter in Cathedral Gardens.

Skate Manchester will have room for up to 180 skaters. With the addition of a transparent roof, the ice rink will also give visitors the opportunity to skate under the stars and soak up the enchantment of the beautiful Cathedral Gardens, no matter the weather.

The Ice Cavern is an ice sculpture experience which incorporates more than 250 tonnes of ice. Details of this year’s sculptures are yet to be revealed, but a recent preview included ice sculpture of a baby dragon as well as a throne made from blocks of ice.

This is the second year that the Ice Village is coming to the city, following its successful debut last November, when it attracted millions of visitors to experience winter-themed attractions and entertainment including Christmas Markets, Santa’s Grotto, Arctic Bar and the Ice Cavern.

This November will also mark 20 years of the city’s Christmas Markets, with over 300 traders stationed across the city’s squares, including stalls in Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Square and St Ann’s Square.

“What is Christmas without a turn on the ice? So, it’s with a huge amount of festive pleasure that we welcome a brand new rink to the Ice Village in Manchester’s Cathedral Gardens – part of the family area of our world-famous Christmas Markets,” said Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson.

“This is an all-weather rink, open right through the Christmas season, so grab those skates and we’ll see you on the ice.”

Skate Manchester opens from 8th November 2019 to 5th January 2020 from 11am to 9pm, with later opening on 14th November and 31st December 2019. Off-peak tickets start from £11 for adults and £9 for children, with family tickets from £35.

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