Compare Liverpool's three Christmas ice rinks in 2026: BOXPARK, St George's and Pier Head. See child, adult and family prices, dates and booking rules.
Three Liverpool ice rinks are opening for the festive season. BOXPARK ICEBOX has the lowest advertised starting prices, Skate St George's adds an open-air rink beside Lime Street, and the Pier Head has a covered rink. Here's what a skate costs, including the family-ticket catches.
Prices, dates and booking rules checked: 27 October 2026. All prices are advertised starting prices or face values, not guarantees of a particular slot or final checkout cost.
Liverpool has three confirmed festive ice rinks for winter 2026–27. BOXPARK ICEBOX opens first, on 16 November, followed by Liverpool Christmas Wonderland at the Pier Head on 20 November and Skate St George's on 21 November.
If price comes first, BOXPARK's published starting rate is £8 for a child and £10 for an adult or teenager aged 13–17. At St George's, tickets start at £10 for children and £11.50 for adults, with an advertised family ticket from £38. Pier Head prices start at £12.50 for children and £15.50 for adults, with a higher peak rate. All three include skate hire and advertise 45 minutes on the ice. The best-value choice depends on who is going, the session and the checkout fees.
| Rink | Adult from | Child from | Family / combined ticket | Dates | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOXPARK ICEBOX, Baltic Triangle | £10 (also juniors aged 13–17) | £8 (ages 3–12) | Adult + child from £16 | 16 Nov 2026–10 Jan 2027 | Seasonal rink at BOXPARK |
| Skate St George's, St George's Plateau | £11.50 | £10 | Family ticket from £38 | 21 Nov 2026–3 Jan 2027 | Open-air rink |
| Liverpool Christmas Wonderland, Pier Head | £15.50 off-peak; £17 peak | £12.50 off-peak; £14 peak | 2 adults + 2 children: £52 off-peak / £58 peak | 20 Nov 2026–3 Jan 2027 | Covered rink |
Important: This is a comparison of published entry prices, not identical tickets. Skate St George's has variable peak pricing; its ticket page contains conflicting information about a £3 transaction fee. Pier Head explicitly adds a booking fee. BOXPARK's final checkout fees were not independently established. Check your total before paying.
At the lowest advertised eligible rates, two BOXPARK adult-and-child pairs would start at £32. Skate St George's advertises family tickets from £38, while the Pier Head's two-adult, two-child family ticket is £52 off-peak or £58 peak. These are not quotes for a specific date. Availability, age rules, ticket combinations and any transaction fees may change what you actually pay.
At Pier Head, that £52 off-peak family ticket saves £4 against buying two adult tickets (£31) and two child tickets (£25) separately, before booking fees. The same £4 difference applies at peak prices.
Where: BOXPARK Liverpool, Cains Brewery Village, Beaufort Street, L8 5XJ.
When: 16 November 2026 to 10 January 2027.
Tickets: BOXPARK's skating information and booking link.
BOXPARK's ICEBOX returns to the Baltic Triangle with a larger rink for 2026. The operator lists £8 child tickets (ages 3–12), adult and junior tickets from £10, £10 student tickets with valid ID, and a combined adult-and-child ticket from £16. Skate hire is included; skate aids are extra and numbers are limited.
Every session lasts 45 minutes. Children must attend with an adult, and BOXPARK says no more than two children per adult for safety reasons. The rink also lists sensory-friendly sessions at 10am on Sundays, with fewer skaters, quieter music and softer lighting.
The new Skate with Santa sessions are advertised for 19–24 December, at noon and 1pm, with limited spaces. Those special sessions should not be assumed to cost the standard £8/£10 rates. BOXPARK also advertises adult-only advanced sessions. Restaurants and bars are on site, but food and drink are not included in standard skating prices.
BOXPARK ICEBOX has the latest published end date of the three Liverpool rinks, 10 January 2027, making it an option after the main Christmas markets close.
Where: St George's Plateau, St George's Place, L1 1JJ.
When: 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; closed Christmas Day.
Tickets: Skate St George's official booking page.
Underbelly's new open-air rink sits on the plateau outside St George's Hall, directly opposite Lime Street station. VisitLiverpool's September announcement advertises skating from £11.50 for adults, £10 for children and £38 for a family ticket. Check the family-ticket age and group requirements when choosing a session.
The sessions last 45 minutes and include skate hire. The published standard hours are 10am to 10pm, with skating normally starting at 10.15am and a last start at 9.15pm. The site closes at 6pm on Christmas Eve and opens at noon on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The organiser's FAQ gives inconsistent Christmas Eve last-skate times, so use the booking calendar for that date.
The market area is free to enter, with stalls, a Big Wheel and other attractions charged separately. There is no need to buy a skating ticket just to visit the market. The rink is outdoors, and the organiser warns that weather can affect skating. Its published terms say alternative sessions may be offered if ticketed events close; do not assume an automatic cash refund.
There are useful concessions: the organiser advertises 20% off eligible student and Blue Light worker tickets for sessions before 14 December, subject to proof. It also advertises a school group rate for qualifying bookings. Anyone needing step-free entry should use the Lime Street side rather than the main stairs; the access page explains the arrangements.
Booking-fee warning: The official ticket listing displays “Prices from £10.00 +£3 Transaction Fee”, but the same page later says “No booking fees”. This needs clarification from the operator. Budget using the final amount displayed at checkout, not either statement in isolation.
For the stalls, food and opening times around the rink, see our Liverpool Christmas markets 2026 guide.
Where: Pier Head, Liverpool waterfront, L3 1DP.
When: 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; closed Christmas Day.
Tickets: Liverpool Christmas Wonderland's full skating prices.
The Pier Head rink is covered, rather than exposed to the weather. The organiser lists 45-minute skating sessions, skate hire included, with hourly session starts from 11am to 8pm. It asks skaters to arrive 30 minutes early.
The published pricing is unusually clear. Off-peak tickets are £15.50 for adults aged 13 and over, £12.50 for children aged 3–12, and £14 for eligible students. Peak prices are £17 per adult and £14 per child. The £14 student rate is specifically shown in the off-peak category; do not assume it applies at peak times.
Off-peak is available until 11 December, on Mondays to Wednesdays throughout the day and on Thursdays and Fridays for sessions starting between 11am and 4pm. Saturdays, Sundays, later Thursday/Friday sessions and every session from 14 December use the peak band. The organiser adds a booking fee at checkout.
The two family-ticket configurations matter: two adults and two children cost £52 off-peak or £58 peak, while one adult and three children cost £49 off-peak or £55 peak. Children under 13 need an adult aged 18 or over skating with them. The adult must have a ticket too, and one adult can supervise up to five children.
Skate aids are £6 extra and are issued subject to availability. The organiser lists discounted tickets for wheelchair users and a free carer ticket under its stated conditions. Spectating is free. Accessibility and arrival guidance is published on the event site.
The wider Christmas Wonderland site is free to enter. Rides, games and the Santa experience cost extra, so a skating ticket is not an all-inclusive pass. The venue advertises a large Star Flyer and food stalls, but set a separate budget for those attractions.
For the lowest starting price, BOXPARK wins on its published rates, especially for a child or an adult-and-child pair. Its Sunday sensory sessions also provide a stated lower-stimulation option, subject to booking.
For a city-centre rink next to a mainline railway station, Skate St George's is directly opposite Lime Street. Its £38 starting family price is competitive, although the variable session rates and contradictory transaction-fee wording make the checkout total particularly important.
For a covered rink, the Pier Head is the clear choice among these three. Its published adult, child and family price bands make it easier to budget in advance, although booking fees and paid extras need adding.
Whichever you choose, dress for an ice rink, bring socks and gloves, and arrive early enough for skate fitting. Don't assume a free market admission includes skating, or that the cheapest advertised price will be available on a Saturday afternoon in December.
Both Skate St George's and Pier Head Christmas Wonderland explicitly say they are closed on 25 December. BOXPARK lists its overall season as open daily, but its Christmas Day sessions and holiday exceptions have not been independently verified. Check its booking calendar rather than assuming it will be operating that day.
For access requirements, check with the rink before booking. Skate St George's publishes level entry from Lime Street, welcomes wheelchair users on the ice and offers eligible companion tickets. Pier Head says its site is step-free and publishes wheelchair-user and carer ticket arrangements. BOXPARK publishes Sunday sensory-friendly sessions; specific on-ice wheelchair provision should be confirmed directly.
Affiliate disclosure: the Skiddle and Ticketmaster links in this section are affiliate links, so L1Local may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The rink booking links elsewhere in this guide go straight to the organisers.
Skiddle: Preston's Christmas On Ice. If you are willing to travel beyond Liverpool, Skiddle lists skating at Preston Flag Market from 4 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. It lists £12 adult and £10 child before booking fees on the checked listing (displayed as £13.20 and £11 respectively with the listed fee). Preston is in Lancashire, not Merseyside, and this is not part of the three-rink Liverpool comparison.
Ticketmaster: Disney On Ice, March 2027. Disney On Ice: Road Trip Adventures is listed for the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool from 4 to 7 March 2027. This is an arena ice show to watch, not a public skating session, and it is after Christmas. Do not confuse it with a rink ticket.
The three Liverpool Christmas rinks sell tickets through their own booking pages, so the rink links in this guide go straight to the organisers.
For more to book in the run-up to Christmas, see what's on in Liverpool in November 2026 and our guide to Christmas lights in Liverpool and Merseyside.
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