Skate Times, Tickets & FAQs

Please click here to go to our Getting Here page.

There is no parking available. Public transport is strongly advised.

Tickets are non-refundable. Tickets can be exchanged up to 48 hours in advance of your booked time slot for a £3 fee per ticket, subject to availability. Additional charges may occur during peak periods. For ticket exchanges, please call 0343 208 1497, 48 hours before your session begins.

Please arrive at Somerset House 30 minutes before your skating session begins so that you have time to get your skates and still enjoy your full session on the ice.

Please do arrive earlier if you need to leave items in the cloakroom.

If you arrive late you will be allowed on the ice but you may not have your full session of skating and will only be able to stay for the remainder of your booked session.

Please note that all sessions are 45 minutes.

Tickets are only valid for the date and session time booked. Tickets are not transferable or refundable if you arrive during or after your session.

If you do not already have your tickets, collect them from the on-site box office.

You should then leave all loose items including bags in the cloakroom or with someone in your party who isn’t skating and proceed to the Skate Entrance with your ticket, you can then collect your skates and get on the ice.

Skate boot hire is included in your ticket price.

All bags regardless of size, and bulky or loose items such as large cameras, are not allowed on the rink or in the skate hire area. These need to be left in the cloakroom where the first item is free and there is a subsequent charge of £2 per item.

Please note that items are left in the cloakroom at the owner’s risk.

The smallest skating boot is a child’s size 6 (European size 23), this will fit children aged approximately 2 years old.

The largest skating boot is a size 15 (European size 50).

Skaters may use their own skates. Somerset House reserves the right not to allow a person to use their own skates if they are not suitable. We do not sharpen personal ice skates.

A child must be 12 years or under to qualify for the child ticket price.

Children aged 12 years and under must be accompanied by an adult on the ice. There should be one adult for every five children skating.

The smallest skate size available for children is size 6 / European size 23 (age approx 2 years old). Parents must judge whether their children can skate safely.

A 10% family discount will be automatically applied to orders for groups of up to four or eight (where there is either one adult and up to 3 children aged 12 and under, or two adults and up to six children aged 12 and under). Any subsequent tickets will be charged at full price.

Skate aids are stabilisers available for children aged age 8 or under. There are a limited number of skate aids that will be available on a first-come-first-served basis and cannot be pre-booked. If availability allows and there are skaters aged over 8 who would benefit from the Skate aids, we may be able to accommodate.

Skate Mates are dedicated ice marshals that can be pre-booked for £35 per session to provide additional assistance for groups of 4-15 people.

Skate Mates must be booked by telephone by calling 0343 208 1497 either at the same time, or after booking your Skate tickets and at least 48 hours in advance of your Skate session.

Please note: a limited number of Skate Mates are available per session.

NB: If a Skate Mate is booked, children 12 and under must still be accompanied on the ice by a supervising adult. Skate Mates can be pre-booked to provide additional assistance on the ice. These are not lessons and they cannot act as a guardian for children aged 12 and under.

Remember that the ice rink is open-air, so dress warmly and for the prevailing weather conditions.

Wear thick socks for extra comfort and don’t forget your gloves! Please avoid wearing any clothes or fancy dress that might obstruct your vision, cause a trip hazard (e.g. long scarves or coats) or cause an obstacle for other skaters. Organisers reserve the right not to allow customers wearing impractical clothing or fancy dress on the ice rink if they decide it may cause a risk to themselves or others.

You may also wish to bring a spare pair of socks to change into once your session on the ice has come to an end.

The ice rink is open-air and skating continues come rain or shine.

Remember to dress warmly and wear something waterproof if you are worried it might rain. You could also bring a change of clothes and spare socks if the weather forecast predicts rain.

Tickets are not transferable or refundable.

If Skate is cancelled you will be notified and will receive a full refund. Somerset House Trust is a charity so please consider donating the cost of your ticket.

Yes, for more information click here.

No food or drinks are allowed into the skate hire area or on the ice. Glass is not permitted on the viewing platforms or in the courtyard.

Personal food and drink items can be brought to Somerset House, but we kindly ask that this is not consumed within the bars or restaurants on site.

You can take photographs for personal use, but selfie sticks, large cameras, video cameras or audio recording devices are not allowed on the ice. The use of tripods is not permitted anywhere on-site for safety reasons.

Spectators are welcomed at the ice rink free of charge.

They can watch from the viewing platform or from the warmth of the Skate Lounge, which has a fantastic rink-side view.

Wheelchair users can skate on any session at Somerset House, as well as on our dedicated wheelchair user sessions. Click here for more information

We also have our relaxed sessions which may be suitable for our neurodiverse audiences. These sessions have a reduced capacity, lower music levels and our skate return space will be open if you need to take a break during the session. Click here for more information

To discuss any accessibility requirements further please email visitor@somersethouse.org.uk

There are a range of toilet facilities at Somerset House. Directly off the courtyard, down a set of stairs are a large number of gender neutral cubicle toilets. There are accessible toilets in the East Wing, South Wing and New Wing. Please ask any member of the friendly Visitor Experience team for directions.

For information relating to events taking place on New Year’s Eve, please sign up to the Somerset House e-newsletter and wait for further announcements.

For all phone enquiries please call 0343 208 1497 between 9am–8pm Mon-Fri, 10am–8pm Sat, 10am–6pm Sun and Bank Holidays, Closed on Christmas Day.

Yes, when you arrive you can access free Wi-Fi through your phone.

7–10 Nov: 12–6pm

11 Nov: 12–4pm
Please note that between 7–11 Nov the Box Office is for advance booking only. Skate opens to the public on Wed 12 Nov)

12 Nov – 11 Jan: 9.30am–9.30pm

On Skate School mornings, the box office opens at 8am

On Early Skates the box office opens at 8.15am

On Late Evening sessions/ Skate Lates the box office closes 5 minutes after the last session of the day begins

Seasonal Openings

Wed 24 Dec; Early closure at 5.15pm

Thu 25 Dec: Closed

Fri 26 Dec: Late opening at 11.30am

Tue 31 Dec: Early closure at 4.15pm

Wed 1 Jan: Late opening at 11.30am

With everything we do, we consider the environmental impact and Skate is no exception. Year on year we work hard to minimise our carbon footprint and take steps to ensure we are being as sustainable as we can be. You can read about the actions we're taking in more detail here.