Bluewater's ice rink is open to 3 January and Tunbridge Wells opens 26 November, with prices from £10 a child and the age rules. Updated November 2026.
Ice skating near Sevenoaks this Christmas means one of two seasonal rinks: Bluewater, open now until 3 January 2027, and Icescape Tunbridge Wells, which opens on Thursday 26 November. We checked the 2026 dates, session times, prices and age rules for both on 7 November, plus two rinks that open all year.
We found no ice rink in Sevenoaks itself, or anywhere in the district, for Christmas 2026. Both seasonal rinks sell cheaper tickets online a day or more ahead, and both include skate hire in the price.
The rinks at a glance
| Rink | Open | Adult / child online | Family of four online | Session |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icescape Tunbridge Wells | 26 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, closed Christmas Day | £15 / £10 off peak, up to £19 / £14 | £45 to £59.50 | 45 minutes, skate hire included |
| Bluewater Ice Rink | 5 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, closed Christmas Day | £15 / £13 off peak, £17 / £15 peak | £46 to £56 | 45 minutes, skate hire included |
| Planet Ice Gillingham | All year | Varies by session, shown when you book | Varies | Skate hire extra |
| Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre | All year, 7 days a week | Not published, shown when you book | Not published | 60 minutes |
Icescape Tunbridge Wells: the nearest rink
The Christmas rink in Calverley Grounds is the closest to Sevenoaks, and the only one you can reach by a single train. Hastings line trains from Sevenoaks stop at Tunbridge Wells (National Rail). The rink’s own site says the station is about a five-minute walk away.
Driving is harder. There is no visitor car park for the rink and no public parking in Calverley Grounds. The operator points drivers to the town centre car parks a short walk away (Icescape Tunbridge Wells).
Dates and times. The booking system has sessions from Thursday 26 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with none on Christmas Day. Opening night starts at 6pm. On term-time weekdays sessions start at 4pm, and the last one starts at 8pm. Saturdays and most holiday days run from 10am, with the last session at 7pm or 8pm. On Christmas Eve the last session starts at 6pm (Icescape Tunbridge Wells booking).
Prices. Tunbridge Wells uses three price bands. These are the online prices, booked at least a day ahead:
- Off peak (for example, Monday 7 December): adult £15, child £10, family £45
- Peak (for example, Saturday 28 November): adult £17, child £12, family £52.50
- Super peak (for example, Saturday 19 December and Christmas week): adult £19, child £14, family £59.50
At the box office, adult and child tickets cost £2 more. A family ticket costs £7 more. Children are 12 and under, and a family ticket covers two adults and two children, or one adult and three children (Icescape Tunbridge Wells booking).
Some sessions are 2-for-1, including the later one on opening night and every session on Tuesday 1 December. They cost £17 for two skaters online, or £19 at the box office. Saturday mornings start with a quiet session at half capacity and no music. On parent and toddler tickets, one toddler under 5 skates free with an adult, and extra toddlers cost £5 each (Icescape Tunbridge Wells).
Skate aids cost £5, for children under 1.4m tall. They are first come, first served at the box office. Watching from the side is free (Icescape Tunbridge Wells).
Bluewater Ice Rink: open now, with free parking
Bluewater’s rink is back outside The Village, and it opened on Thursday 5 November. It runs to Sunday 3 January 2027 and is open on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (Bluewater). The booking system shows no sessions on Christmas Day.
For drivers from Sevenoaks, this is the easier trip. Parking at Bluewater is free all day, every day, across 13,000 spaces.
Dates and times. Term-time weekday sessions run from 4pm, and the last one starts at 8pm. Saturdays and the Christmas holidays start at 10am, with the last session at 6pm, 7pm or 8pm depending on the day. On Christmas Eve the last session starts at 6pm (Bluewater booking).
Prices. Bluewater has two bands. Online prices, booked a day or more ahead with no booking fee:
- Off peak (for example, Tuesday 10 November): adult £15, child £13, family £46
- Peak (for example, Saturday 14 November and Christmas week): adult £17, child £15, family £56
On the day, adult and child tickets cost £1.50 more and a family ticket £6 more. New Year’s Day is 2-for-1 all day, at £15 for two skaters online (Bluewater booking).
The rink also runs parent and toddler sessions, quiet sessions, Skate and Sing sessions and disco nights. Penguin and seal skating aids are available for younger skaters (Bluewater).
Rules for children at both Christmas rinks
The two Christmas rinks set the same rules in their booking notes (Bluewater booking, Icescape Tunbridge Wells booking):
- Children 12 and under must be supervised.
- Children 8 and under must have an adult ticket holder skating with them on the ice.
- Skate aids are for children under 1.4m tall, limited in number and hired at the rink on the day.
- Arrive 20 minutes before your session, so skates are fitted in time.
So a parent with a six-year-old needs two tickets, not one. A family ticket usually works out cheaper than buying them separately.
Which Christmas rink suits you
- Coming by train: Tunbridge Wells, a five-minute walk from the station.
- Coming by car: Bluewater, with free parking.
- Cheapest child ticket: Tunbridge Wells off peak, £10 online.
- Cheapest for two adults: Bluewater on New Year’s Day, £15 for two.
- Skating in November: Bluewater, because Tunbridge Wells does not open until 26 November.
Where to skate all year
When the Christmas rinks come down in January, the nearest permanent rinks are in Gillingham and Streatham.
Planet Ice Gillingham runs public skating, Penguin Club sessions for under 5s and Sub Zero Disco nights. Prices vary by session and show in the booking calendar. Planet Ice says skate hire is not included, skating aids cost from £7 an hour, and a 4% booking fee is added online (Planet Ice).
Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre, run by Active Lambeth, runs public sessions every day. Each lasts 60 minutes, and the centre advises booking online. Children under 8 must have a skating adult with them. Penguin aids are for children under 1.2m, and snowman aids for bigger children (Active Lambeth). Its Christmas Ice Show is on Saturday 12 December (Active Lambeth).
Getting there over Christmas
Rail is thin over the holidays. Our Christmas train times page shows no trains between Sevenoaks and London on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. National Rail says most operators run nothing on 26 December (National Rail). Both Christmas rinks are open on Boxing Day, so plan to drive, and Bluewater’s parking is free.
For more Christmas outings, see our Christmas light trails near Sevenoaks and pantomimes near Sevenoaks.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an ice rink in Sevenoaks? No. We found no rink in Sevenoaks or the wider district for Christmas 2026. The nearest is Icescape Tunbridge Wells in Calverley Grounds, open from 26 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
When does the Tunbridge Wells ice rink open in 2026? Thursday 26 November 2026, with the first session at 6pm. It runs until Sunday 3 January 2027 and is closed on Christmas Day.
How much is ice skating at Bluewater? Booked online a day ahead, off-peak tickets are £15 for an adult, £13 for a child and £46 for a family of four. Peak prices are £17, £15 and £56. Skate hire is included.
Is skate hire included? Yes at both Christmas rinks: Bluewater and Icescape Tunbridge Wells include it in the ticket. At Planet Ice Gillingham, skate hire is extra.
Can a young child skate without an adult? Not at the Christmas rinks. Children 8 and under need an adult ticket holder on the ice with them, and children 12 and under must be supervised.
Is either rink open on Christmas Day? No. Neither Bluewater nor Tunbridge Wells has any sessions on 25 December. Both are open on Christmas Eve until early evening and on Boxing Day.
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