Bracknell's rink at the John Nike complex closed in 2020. Nearest Christmas ice: Windsor on Ice, 13 Nov to 3 Jan, adults £17. Slough Ice Arena skates all year.
Bracknell no longer has an ice rink. The rink at the John Nike Leisure Complex, home of the Bracknell Bees, shut during the pandemic in 2020 and never reopened. The club’s own history says the complex “closed, ultimately for good”, and the Bees moved to Slough Ice Arena for the 2021 Spring Cup. (Bees Ice Hockey Club, history)
For Christmas skating, the nearest seasonal rink is Windsor on Ice, which opens in Alexandra Gardens on Friday 13 November and runs to Sunday 3 January, with adult tickets at £17. For skating at any time of year, Slough Ice Arena on Montem Lane is the closest permanent rink.
Everything below comes from the two operators’ own websites and booking systems, read on 20 October 2026.
The quick answer
Windsor on Ice: Friday 13 November to Sunday 3 January, closed Christmas Day. Public skating 12pm to 9pm on weekdays and 10am to 9pm at weekends, then 10am to 9pm every day of the school Christmas holidays. Adults £17, children (17 and under) £15, family of four £56, plus a £1.50 booking fee. Sessions last 45 minutes and skate hire is included. Slough Ice Arena runs public sessions all year; book online. There is no rink, pop-up or permanent, in Bracknell this Christmas.
Windsor on Ice: 13 November to 3 January
Windsor on Ice is a covered rink with real ice, set up each winter in Alexandra Gardens beside the Thames, with a fairground, a bar and festive food alongside. Its calendar for the 2026 season runs from Friday 13 November to Sunday 3 January. (Windsor on Ice, what’s on)
- Opening night: Friday 13 November, public skating 5pm to 9pm.
- Term-time hours: 12pm to 9pm on weekdays, 10am to 9pm at weekends. Tuesdays open to the public at 1pm, after the morning sessions for small children.
- Thursday 19 November: public skating 12pm to 3pm only. The rink closes from 3pm for a gala night.
- Christmas holidays: 10am to 9pm every day from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January, except Christmas Day, when it is closed. It is open on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
- Santa visits from 12pm to 5pm on 12, 13, 19, 20 and 24 December.
- The fairground opens at 4pm on weekdays and 11am at weekends and in the school holidays. Unlimited-ride wristbands and single ride tokens are sold separately from skating.
One thing to watch: the banner at the top of windsoronice.com still says “26th November to 2nd January”, but the text below it and the full day-by-day calendar both say the rink opens on 13 November and closes on 3 January. We have used the calendar dates. (Windsor on Ice, home page)
Windsor on Ice prices
These are the prices in the rink’s own ticket shop. Each order carries a £1.50 booking fee. (Windsor on Ice, ticket portal)
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £17 |
| Child (17 and under) | £15 |
| Family (two adults and two children, or one adult and three children) | £56 |
| Four adults | £64 |
| Four children | £56 |
| Six adults | £96 |
| Six children | £84 |
- Tiny Tuesdays, 10am to 1pm on Tuesdays: for children aged eight and under, with no minimum age. Every paying child (£15) brings in one adult free, and penguin and snowman skate aids are free.
- All Access Wednesdays, 10am to 12pm on Wednesdays: £15 for a registered disabled skater, with carers free. Disabled skaters can also use any public session.
- Groups of seven or more get lower rates, from £16 an adult and £14 a child.
What to know before you go
- Sessions are 45 minutes, and the rink asks you to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to collect skates.
- Skate hire is included, from child size 7 to adult size 15. You can bring your own figure or hockey skates.
- Minimum age is four, except on Tiny Tuesdays. Children under 12 must be with a parent or carer.
- Skate aids (penguins, snowmen, polar bears and a two-seat toboggan) cost from £6.50 a session and are worth booking in advance.
- No refunds, but the rink will move your booking to another date. The rink is covered and only closes for very high winds; expect some surface water and wear waterproof clothing.
- No cloakroom. Small items can be left with your shoes at skate hire.
- Watching is free from the viewing areas.
Getting there and parking
The rink is at Alexandra Gardens, Barry Avenue, Windsor SL4 3HY. There is a large pay and display car park next to the gardens, entered from Alma Road, and pay and display street parking on Barry Avenue. Windsor and Eton Riverside and Windsor and Eton Central stations are both a short walk away; Bracknell has no direct train to Windsor, so most families will drive. (Windsor on Ice, directions)
If you are travelling by train over Christmas, check our Bracknell Christmas trains page for engineering works first.
Slough Ice Arena: skating all year
Slough Ice Arena, run by Everyone Active, is the nearest permanent rink and the home of the Bees today. It runs public skating sessions, family discos, patch ice for figure skaters and a Learn to Skate programme. (Everyone Active, Slough Ice Arena skate sessions)
- Address: Montem Lane, Slough SL1 2QG. Telephone 01753 969 710.
- Booking: the centre advises booking all skate sessions in advance online. Session prices and times are in its online booking system rather than on the centre’s web pages.
- Skates and helmets are hired at the time of booking, from child size 8 to adult size 14.
- Children under eight must be with an adult.
- Wheelchair users can go on the ice in public sessions; carers skate free. There are more than 30 skating aids for adults and children.
(Everyone Active, Slough Ice Arena FAQs) (Everyone Active, Slough Ice Arena)
Panto on ice at Slough: Beauty and the Beast
This Christmas the arena is staging Beauty and the Beast, a pantomime on ice, and tickets are on sale in its booking system. The performance dates sit in the booking calendar and are not printed on the page, so pick a date there. (Slough Ice Arena, Beauty and the Beast tickets)
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16 and over) | £17.50 |
| Child (under 16) | £14 |
| Family of four (two adults, two children) | £58 |
| Family of five (two adults, three children) | £70 |
| Premium (front row, prosecco or mocktail) | £27.50 |
| Restricted viewing | £10 |
| Wheelchair user and companion | £14 |
| Under-threes on a lap | Free |
For the traditional pantomime closer to home, Aladdin at South Hill Park’s Wilde Theatre runs from 27 November; see our Bracknell pantomime page.
Is anything coming back to Bracknell?
No rink has been announced. The Lexicon has not published any Christmas 2026 attractions yet, and its only recent winter-style event was a two-week indoor SnowPark with real snow in August, not ice skating. If The Lexicon or the council announces a rink, this page will be updated. (The Lexicon, news)
More for Christmas in Bracknell
- Christmas light trails near Bracknell: Windsor Great Park Illuminated and RHS Glow.
- What’s on in Bracknell this month.
- Parking in Bracknell and Bracknell roadworks and travel before you set off.
Times and prices can change. This page will be checked again before the rinks’ Christmas peak. Spotted something different at the rink? Email hello@bracknellonline.co.uk.
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