FAQs

Bookings can be amended by calling 0333 666 3366 – There is a £1 fee to amend any booking and must be done at least 24 hours before your scheduled session.

Reading Winter On Ice is a partially covered event site. The ice rink, spectator area, and skate exchange area are completely undercover and operate all weathers. The funfair and concession area of the Winter Wonderland is not undercover. Please remember that this event is an outdoor event and to dress appropriately. The rink operates in most weather conditions, and no refunds shall be given due to inclement weather.

Reading Winter Wonderland is an outdoor event. Please ensure that you dress appropriately for the weather. For guests Ice Skating, it is highly recommended that all skaters wear suitable along with thick socks (ski socks), not trainer socks, along with gloves and scarves. The ice rink is housed in a marquee, and the ambient air temperature is colder than that outside.

Yes, you can bring and use your ice skates. Although there is no discount for guests bringing their skates. As all our skates are provided free of charge.

No money is taken on the rides. All riders need to purchase tokens wristbands from the token booth located in the funfair. Each ride requires a different number of tokens per rider.

All ticket sales are final, and it is with regret we cannot refund missed sessions. We advise all skaters to arrive at least 15 minutes before their planned session time.

We have a Cloakroom facility at the Winter Wonderland, this can be found in the Skate Exchange marquee. Here you may store your belongings for the duration of your skate session. There is a £2.00 charge per item for all items left in the Cloakroom. Management cannot accept responsibility for the loss or damage from any cause whatsoever to property or articles left in the cloakroom.

Yes, however, we have a limited supply of Penguins available to rent and height restrictions apply. Penguins can be rented to users who are under 1.2M tall. The Penguins, are designed by the manufacturer for persons under 1.2M tall. Penguins are available to be booked in advance, this is recommended, as availability cannot be guaranteed on the day. We do not have an endless supply of Penguins, so they are rented on a first-come, first-serve basis only. The Penguins are designed as a fun item only and are not offered as an aid to skating. They are hired out at managements discretion at £5.00 per Penguin, per session. There are no refunds on any Penguin rentals.

Reading Winter On Ices' rink is 15M wide x 30M long, creating a 450 square meter ice pad.

The Ice Rink is open daily from 15th November 2019 through to 05th January 2020. Please check skate times on the ticket page. Reading Winter On Ice opens at 11 am – 10 pm daily.

The minimum age for skating is 3 years old. Please note that all children must be accompanied on the ice by a responsible adult always. Children under 3 years old are not permitted to skate.

Lost, stolen or damaged tickets are not the responsibility of the event organiser. If tickets have been lost, please contact 0333 6663366. Anyone that arrives at the ice rink without a ticket will be refused entry into the skate hire marquee.

Each session lasts for 1 hour. This 1 Hour period, also includes the time it takes to put your skates on and off. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your session time.

No, climatic conditions cause wet ice. Calm cold days means the surface will remain dry. Wind across the surface of the ice causes friction, which warms the ice surface, resulting in a wet surface. Management has provided a roof over the ice to prevent closure by rain. If the ice surface is wet, this does not make it unsafe to skate on, although you may get wet if you fall over. Please remember that ice, by its very nature, is a slippery surface and that slips and falls do happen.

If you have a print at home e-ticket, booking reference or posted ticket, please go directly to the skate exchange marquee area. You may be required to wait in line here. Please ensure that you have your ticket, email, or text message available to be inspected and scanned. If you have a discounted ticket, please ensure that you have your ID available for inspection i.e NUS Card for Students or military ID for armed forces.

Online here, on this website. Via Ticket Source on 0333 666 3366 or visit them at www.ticketsource.co.uk, and at our Box Office at the rink it's self. Some sessions do sell out quickly so book early to avoid disappointment.

Yes, we welcome wheelchair users to take to the ice. All wheelchairs must be accompanied by a companion. The companion can wear either skates or ice grips, we recommend ice grips for additional safety. Wheelchair users admission is the normal ticket rate whilst the companion goes free. We also run dedicated sessions for wheelchair users, visually the impaired and, autistic. Please see our accessible sessions link on this website for more information. At peak times, we may be unable to accommodate quantities of wheelchair users simultaneously.

There is no cash points/ATM on the event site, however, there are many in the close vicinity to Reading Winter On Ice.

No, we do not refund any ticket, all tickets are non-refundable, and all sales are final.

At Reading Winter On Ice, we are unable to provide skating lessons, however, we can point you in the right direction for skating lessons.

No, we do not provide these. For more information on our skates see “What Skate Sizes Are Available”.

School groups are more than welcome in groups of no more than 80. Teachers skate for free with schools, to a ratio of 1:15. Any extra teachers outside this ratio will be charged a standard adult rate. To book your school booking, please call 07768857857

The manufacturer of the Penguins had designed these devices for users under 1.2M tall. When the Penguins are used by guests exceeding this height the Penguins become unstable, the Penguins’ center of gravity changes, and therefore become dangerous. Any guest found using a Penguin, who exceeds the height limit, will be asked to leave the ice and relinquish, without refund, the Penguin.

To use a Penguin, you must be under 1.2M tall. Penguins are to be pushed from behind by the user, using the handles. Children must not stand on the front of the Penguin, with an adult pushing them, or sit on the Penguin. There are safety instructions for the Penguins available at the Rink, these must be obeyed. Any person or persons found using a Penguin in an unsafe manner will be asked to leave the ice and relinquish the Penguin, without a refund.

Reading Winter On Ice is located in the Forbury Gardens in the Center of Reading Berkshire. RG1 3EJ. For more info please see the Location page.

There are plenty of both on-street parking, and car parks near the Winter Wonderland. On-Street parking is pay and display, whilst each car park carries different tariffs. All car parking is within just a few minutes’ walks from the Winter Wonderland.

A ticket must be purchased for each skater. Spectators can spectate for free. All skaters must have a valid ticket to gain access to the ice. Ticket prices vary.

We offer concessionary tickets for students only.

The ice rink is offered as a municipal temporary rink, and as such is not intended for professional use. The Ice surface is checked between each session for quality, and if necessary resurfaced. The ice can either be dry or wet. Both are perfectly suitable for skating. Wet ice is a result of climatic conditions, and wind and the resurfacing process. Please remember that ice, by its very nature is a slippery surface and that accidents and injuries do occur from being upon the ice. If the ice is wet, you may get wet if you fall over. During busy sessions, the ice surface can become rutted and grooved due to the action of skating. Please ensure that you are skating in a suitable manner, keeping a lookout for the ice conditions and other skaters always.

Ice Skating is a sport, and like all sports, carries a degree of risk for the participants. Ice is a slippery surface, and slips and falls do occur. At our rinks, we ensure that there is a professional medical team on hand to deal with all incidents/accidents that occur on the ice. In the first instance our Ice Marshals shall assess the situation, and, if required, summon medical assistance to the ice. A separate medical room/marquee is located on-site, here you will be assessed and treated by the medical provider. The sport of skating is something that you freely engage in, and undertake entirely at your own risk. The skater acknowledges that ice is a very slippery surface and, depending upon individual skill and experience level, Ice Skating may involve falls upon the ice, collisions with other skaters, objects, or structures, and therefore be considered a hazardous activity, which the skater has elected to voluntarily participate, with full knowledge, acceptance, and assumption of any and all risks of serious personal injury, death or property damage. Management will not be responsible, however, incurred, for all injury, accidents, and loss, incurred by the skater.

When you first notice that you have lost personal property, please ensure that this is reported to the rink manager. We do recover and keep, for a limited time, all lost and found property. If we locate your property we shall inform you of it and, of course, return it to you. Management is not responsible for the loss or theft of personal property. Management will not be held responsible for any loss or damage, however, incurred, of personal items. Items that have collected in lost and found after 21 days, and not returned to or recovered by the owner, shall be disposed of.

CCTV is in use at all our rinks. Images are recorded 24 hours a day for safety, security, and insurance purposes. The ice rink itself is covered by CCTV cameras, all accidents that occur on the ice are captured on high definition CCTV cameras for protecting the organisers against fraudulent claims.

Many jackets and hoodies have hoods. Hoods when worn up, restrict the skater's peripheral vision. All skaters must be fully aware of their surroundings, and as such hoods must not be worn up. This is for the improved safety of all skaters.

The main enemy of the Winter Wonderland is wind. High wind speeds affect the safety of all patrons. Wind loads against structures such as marquees and fairground rides determine when the event would close. Organisers monitor all extreme weather events that affect the safe operation of the event. The wind speed ratings of the structures determine the safe operating wind speeds for the event. In high winds, the event organiser may decide, for safety reasons to close and cancel sessions. At this time skaters who were unable to skate shall be offered an alternative session to skate.

No, the use of cameras and mobile phones by skaters is not permitted on the ice whatsoever. This is for your safety and the safety of all skaters. Management has provided an external photography service to take photos on the ice for you, and sell prints and other novelty items.

No, the use of mobile phones by skaters is not permitted on the ice whatsoever. This is for your safety, and the safety of all skaters, and of course for the safety of your expensive electronic devices.

Smoking and or vaping/e-cigarettes are not permitted within any building, i.e a marquee. Smoking is not permitted in the rink marquee, skate exchange marquee and the bar or other covered areas. Smoking whilst skating on the ice is strictly prohibited.

The rink is offered as a municipal rink and caters for all ages and abilities. This rink is not for professional use, and as such skating at speed, skating backward, tricks and acrobatic maneuvers are not permitted. Weaving, horseplay, and skating in chains of more than 2 skaters are also, not permitted. This is for your safety and the safety of all skaters.

No. Ice by its very nature is a very slippery surface and as such presents many risks. Skaters are not permitted to carry other skaters, typically children, whilst on the ice surface. This, of course, is for your safety and all other skaters.

No. No bags, handbags, purses, rucksacks, for example, are not permitted to be carried by a skater whilst on the ice. Please leave all loose articles in the cloakroom, or with a non-skater.

Ice Skating is a sport, which the skater has elected to voluntarily participate, with full knowledge, acceptance, and assumption of any risks of serious personal injury, death or property damage. The ice surface, by its very nature, is very slippery and hazardous. All skaters participate in the sport of ice skating entirely at their own risk. The skater acknowledges that the ice is slippery and, depending upon individual skill and experience level, ice skating may involve falls upon the ice, collisions with other skaters, objects or structures, and may, therefore, be considered a hazardous activity. All slips, trips, and falls, and resulting injuries whilst skating, or being upon the ice will be the fault of the individual skater. All skaters have made a conscious decision to ice skate, and participate in the sport at their own free will. ALL SKATERS, ASSUME ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SKATING OR BEING UPON THE ICE SURFACE, AND CONSENT TO ALL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ICE SKATING AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SKATE ENTIRELY AT THEIR OWN RISK, FOREVER RELINQUISHING THE EVENT ORGANISER / OPERATOR OR ALL LIABILITY.

No. There is no risk assessment provided by the rink operator for the sport of ice skating. All skaters are assumed to understand the risks associated with the sport that they participate involuntarily. Schools and other organised group visits should conduct their risk assessment for their visit Reading Winter On Ice.

All 3 to 7 year olds MUST be accompanied on the ice by an adult parent/guardian ages 18 years or older. We recommend a maximum of 4 children to 1 adult. We also recommend that children under the age of 12 are accompanied by an adult, however, the adult does not need to skate.

If you feel your skates are uncomfortable, please see a member of our skate exchange staff, who will happily change your skates free of charge. We recommend thick ski type socks for additional comfort. Thin socks whilst skating often result in blisters forming. Please ensure that you wear thick socks when skating. Thick socks are available to purchase within the skate exchange marquee.

No. Ice skates are provided to skaters free of charge. You exchange your shoes for a pair of skates for the duration of your session. Please ensure that your skate boot fits correctly and that you are wearing thick ski socks before taking to the ice. Your shoes will be returned to you when you return your skates.

A skate blade is cut to a certain hollow profile and does not present as a sharp-edged blade like a knife. All our skates are regularly checked and inspected, and professionally sharpened. They are sharpened/profiled to a hollow that is best for a municipal rink. The profile offers more grip or bites on the ice. The blades are not sharpened for speed skating or gliding. Essentially, a skate blade is sharpened by creating a perfectly wounded valley, cantered on the bottom of the blade. This forms a pair of sharp edges at the outer extremities of the blades giving skaters control on the ice. This valley is the hollow, or more precisely the “radius of the hollow”