Ice skating near Petersfield 2026: Portsmouth rink from 21 Nov

Petersfield has no ice rink this Christmas, and Petersfield Town Council has announced none. The nearest real ice is in Portsmouth, where Portsmouth On Ice returns to Guildhall Square from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 (Portsmouth On Ice). Planet Ice Gosport skates all year and is the one rink near us open on Christmas Day. Every date and price below was read from the operators’ own websites and booking systems on 20 October 2026; the Portsmouth and Southampton prices and hours were checked again on 3 November 2026 and are unchanged.

The quick answer

• Is there a rink in Petersfield? No. The closest are Portsmouth (Guildhall Square), Gosport and Southampton.
• Portsmouth On Ice: 21 November to 3 January, from 9am daily, closed Christmas Day. Child from £13.50, adult from £15.50, family from £48, skates included (Portsmouth On Ice tickets).
• Christmas Day: only Planet Ice Gosport, 10am to 12pm, £10 a skater (Planet Ice).
• Already open: ONICE Westquay in Southampton opened on Friday 23 October, adult £15 (ONICE).
• Easiest without a car: Portsmouth. Guildhall Square is beside Portsmouth and Southsea station, on the direct line from Petersfield.

Portsmouth On Ice, Guildhall Square

The rink sits under a canopy, so it skates whatever the weather, and non-skaters can watch for free from the covered side area. Sessions last a full hour and skate hire is included in every ticket. The operator says it has held prices at last year’s level (Plan your visit).

Which dates count as peak is shown only when you book. Source: Portsmouth On Ice tickets.

Opening times. From 9am every day except Christmas Day. The last session is 8pm to 9pm on Mondays to Wednesdays and Sundays, and 9.15pm to 10.15pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (What’s on when).

Quieter sessions. Every 9am to 10am slot is a quiet skate capped at about 40 people. Family sessions run 11am to 12pm every weekday. The dedicated SEND sessions are on opening day (11am to 12pm; the rink’s list calls it “Sun 21st Nov”, but 21 November is a Saturday), Wednesday 25 November and Tuesday 1 December (both 4.45pm to 5.45pm), and Saturday 5, Sunday 13 and Saturday 19 December (9am to 10am).

DJ nights. Live DJs rinkside on Saturday 28 November, Saturday 5 December and Saturday 2 January, at the 8pm and 9.15pm sessions.

Rules worth knowing. The minimum age is 3. Children aged 3 to 7 must have a skating adult with them on the ice, up to five children per adult. Wheelchair users are welcome at every session, with a carer skating free. Skates run from child size 9 to adult 12. Tickets cannot be refunded; to move a session, email at least 48 hours ahead. There are no toilets on site (Plan your visit). Booking tip from the rink itself: e-tickets print the date American style, so 2 December shows as 12/02/2026.

Getting there from Petersfield. By train, Portsmouth and Southsea station is beside the square; check the Petersfield train times page and our roadworks and travel page for weekend engineering work before you set off.

Planet Ice Gosport: Christmas Day and the holidays

Planet Ice Gosport (Forest Way, off Fareham Road, PO13 0ZX) is a permanent indoor rink. Its online booking calendar already carries the whole Christmas programme (Planet Ice):

• Christmas Day, Friday 25 December: 10am to 12pm, £10 a skater, under-4s £3.20, carers free. It is the only public skate on Christmas Day at any rink in this guide.
• Skate & Spot Santa: daytime sessions on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December and every day from Friday 18 to Christmas Eve.
• Christmas Eve: day sessions to 4.30pm, then a Sub Zero Disco from 5pm to 8pm.
• Boxing Day: public skating 11am to 4pm and a Sub Zero Disco 4.30pm to 6.30pm.
• New Year’s Eve: daytime from 9.45am, last session 5pm to 7pm.
• New Year’s Day: from 10am, with a 5pm to 7pm session.
• Every day of the school holidays from 21 December has daytime public skating, with late sessions (8.45pm to 10.15pm) on 21 and 28 December.

Prices on the December sessions we checked: adult and child (4 to 15) £14.10, student £10 (online only, ID needed), under-4s £3.20, family tickets for three, four or five people £13.10 a person, carers free. Skate hire is not included at Planet Ice; skating aids cost from £7 an hour. Under-8s must have an adult with them on the ice, and children under 12 must wear gloves.

Planet Ice’s calendar lists session windows (such as 11am to 4pm) with several start times, so pick the start time when you book.

ONICE Westquay, Southampton

The first of the region’s seasonal rinks to open, beside Westquay shopping centre (SO15 1FQ), from Friday 23 October to Sunday 3 January. Sessions are 45 minutes and start on the hour; arrive about 20 minutes early (ONICE).

• Prices: adult (13+) £15, child (12 and under) £13, student £13, family of four £50, groups over 15 £13 each, and a £250 season pass sold at the box office only. Skate aids for under-10s £5.
• Hours: weekdays 3pm to 9pm and weekends 10am to 9pm until the festive season, then 10am to 9pm daily from 22 November to 4 January.
• Christmas: Christmas Eve 10am to 6pm, closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day 12pm to 7pm, New Year’s Eve 10am to 7pm, New Year’s Day 12pm to 7pm.
• Parking: at Westquay shopping centre.

Which one to pick

What we checked for Petersfield itself

A search of Petersfield Town Council’s website on 20 October found no rink, real or synthetic, for this winter, and no past one. If one is announced for the Square or the Festival Hall, this page will be updated. For everything else on in town this Christmas, see What’s On in Petersfield this month, Father Christmas near Petersfield and Steam Illuminations on the Watercress Line. If you are driving into town for the Christmas events, our parking in Petersfield guide lists every car park and its charges.