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Have you ever really done Christmas in London if you haven’t experienced the festive loveliness of Somerset House’s skating pop-up? Probably not, we’d argue.
A fixture of Somerset House’s winter programme since the riverside institution first opened its doors in 2000, the 900 square metre rink in the centre of William Chambers’s magnificent eighteenth-century courtyard it arguably the most scenic ice rinks in the capital, and certainly one of its most popular ones. Keen to go for a glide (or an awkward shuffle) around the ice this festive season? Here’s everything you need to know about the beloved winter attraction’s 2025 season.
Somerset House ice skating dates and prices
Skate at Somerset House returns from Tuesday November 12 and runs daily (excluding Christmas Day) until Sunday January 11 2026. Tickets for hour-long skating sessions vary in price depending on when you’re visiting, starting from £11 for super off-peak times and going up to £26 for the most in-demand dates and times.
Somerset House skating on-sale date
Tickets for the 2025-2026 Skate season go on general sale on Friday September 26, but if you’re keen to secure tickets for one of the more sought-after dates, it’s worth signing up to the presale here for early access.
Once general sale goes live, you can get tickets on the Somerset House website here.
Somerset House Skate Lates line-up
Featuring DJ sets from a host of London’s most celebrated music and nightlife collectives, Somerset House’s Skate Lates are a popular fixture of the events programme around the winter pop-up, with the likes of Horse Meat Disco, Rinse FM, Balamii and Dalston Superstore having provided the soundtracks to previous iterations. The line-up for 2025’s Skate Lates is no less impressive, with trailblazing women-run radio station Foundation FM, NTS Radio host Ruf Dug and queer dance party Sue Veneers taking to the decks, with dates and prices for these special after-hours events will be announced shortly.
And Skate Lates aren’t the only special experiences worth checking out; the venue also runs a Skate School for the real Torvill and Dean wannabes, with coaching sessions run by the National Ice Skating Association, as well as a Kids’ Skate Club where youngsters can practise with the help of individual stabilisers and a team of ice marshalls, and Chilled Out sessions with reduced capacity.
As usual, there’s also plenty to do off the ice, too. Visitors can enjoy mulled wine, hot chocolate and other festive tipples in full view of the ice at the rinkside Skate Lounge, or sample Alpine-inspired treats at Jimmy Garcia’s pop-up restaurant The Chalet. Blondies Kitchen also joins the catering line-up this year, serving up its famous mince pie cookie cups alongside a bespoke menu of festive sweet treats. And Christmas shoppers can also pay a visit to the pop-up Shelter Boutique, which returns to the Courtyard for another winter and promises takeovers from sought-after brands including Oliver Bonas, All Saints and Nobody’s Child in the run-up to Christmas.
More things to do in London this winter
The capital is already preparing for Christmas, and we will keep updating our ultimate festive hub when more events get announced, from Christmas lights switch-on dates to festive film screenings. With less than 100 days to go until December 25, we’ll be decking the halls before you know it.
Here’s the exact date Covent Garden’s Christmas lights will be turned on for 2025
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