Winter Wonderland Norwich's real ice rink opens Friday 20 November at Norfolk Showground and runs to 3 January. Free entry and parking; skate hire included.

The nearest Christmas ice rink to Broadland this year is at Winter Wonderland Norwich, on the Norfolk Showground, from Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Entry and parking are free, but you must book a free entry ticket online, and skating is a separate paid ticket with skate hire included.

There is no ice rink in Broadland itself. The showground is on Dereham Road, just over the district line in Costessey, off the A47 at the Longwater interchange.

The quick answer

  • Dates: Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. November is weekends only (20 to 22 and 27 to 29 November), then every day from 1 December. Closed Christmas Day.
  • Where: Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich, NR5 0TT. Sat nav: NR5 0TP.
  • The rink: real ice, just under 1,000 square metres, under a clear-span cover, so it runs in the rain.
  • Skates: hire is included, and skate aids are available for children and beginners.
  • Entry and parking: free, but entry tickets must be reserved online.
  • Skating price: sold through See Tickets; the organiser’s own pages do not print it.

Opening days and times

From the organiser’s dates and times page:

Dates Days Hours
20 to 30 November Fridays 4pm to 10pm
20 to 30 November Saturdays 11am to 10pm
20 to 30 November Sundays 11am to 9pm
1 to 20 December Monday to Thursday 4pm to 9pm
1 to 20 December Friday 4pm to 10pm
1 to 20 December Saturday 11am to 10pm
1 to 20 December Sunday 11am to 9pm
21 to 23 December Monday to Wednesday 11am to 9pm
24 December Christmas Eve 11am to 7pm
25 December Christmas Day Closed
26 December to 3 January Daily Noon to 9pm

In November the event opens only on the two weekends listed: 20, 21 and 22 November and 27, 28 and 29 November. Weekday evenings from 1 December are the quieter option for a school-night skate, opening at 4pm.

The rink

Winter Wonderland describes it as “just under 1000m² of real ice”, which it calls one of the largest covered outdoor real-ice rinks in the UK. It sits under a clear-span cover hung with lights, so sessions are not lost to the weather. Skate hire is included in the ticket, and the organiser offers skate aids for younger children and beginners (Magical Ice Skating).

Tickets and prices

Booking is through the organiser’s partner, See Tickets, at winterwonderlandnorwich.seetickets.com. There are two separate bookings:

  1. A free entry ticket. Entry is free for 2026, but the organiser says tickets “must be reserved online”.
  2. A skating ticket for a timed session, bought separately. The rides, grotto and illuminated trail are also charged separately.

The organiser’s own website does not print the public skating price, and the See Tickets page could not be read when we checked on 20 October, so we have not given one. The prices the organiser does publish are for groups:

  • Groups of 20 or more get 20% off the usual price, plus a £1.50 booking fee, by choosing the group option at checkout (Schools and groups).
  • School groups of at least 40 pupils start from £8.50 a head, with support staff skating free.
  • Christmas party packages from £35 a person (minimum ten) include an hour’s skating with skate hire, a reserved table, food and drink tokens (Christmas parties).

Getting there from Broadland

By car: the showground is just off the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass at the A1074 Longwater interchange. Parking is free. From Taverham, Drayton and Hellesdon it is a short drive round the west of the city; from Thorpe St Andrew, Brundall and Acle the A47 takes you all the way.

By bus: the organiser says Konectbus service 4 and First Eastern Counties Excel buses stop directly outside the showground, and that it is partnering with Konectbus this year (Find us). Norwich station is about seven miles away.

Check Broadland roadworks and travel before setting off on a busy December weekend, and see our Christmas trains and buses page for the holiday timetables.

Also at Winter Wonderland

  • Santa’s Enchanted Grotto, booked separately; compare it with the grottos on our Santa’s grotto page.
  • Journey to the North Pole: Illuminated, a lights trail that is new for 2026.
  • An Observation Wheel, the 60m Sky Swing and fairground rides, sold as unlimited wristbands or tap-and-go cards.
  • The Alpine Lodge bar and stage, and the Mistletoe Lane Christmas Market.

Other Christmas days out in the district: Fairhaven’s lights walk, Blickling at Christmas, the Bure Valley Railway Santa trains and our Christmas markets round-up.

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