Essential Information

Type Family fun
Location
Queen's House
Date and Times Saturday 25 November 2023 | 11am - 4.45pm
Prices Free and paid activities - see page for details

Join us at the Queen's House for a festive family fun day to celebrate the opening of the Queen's House Ice Rink!

We'll be putting on an array of activities including festive face painting, Christmas decoration crafting workshops, and a live choir performance featuring classic carols. You may even bump into some festive characters throughout the day...

Plus, get your skates on and be among the first to skate on the freshly-opened outdoor ice rink, enjoying views of Maritime Greenwich and Canary Wharf as you glide across the ice.

Book ice rink tickets in advance

Event highlights

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Image of a child with a big snow crystal design painted on her upper face

Festive face painting

11am - 4.45pm | The carriageway between the Queen’s House colonnades | Face painting £5, face gemstones £3

Magic Eyes Facepainting will be on hand to decorate your children's faces with festive works of art.

Cash and card payments are welcome. Payments should be made directly with Magic Eyes Facepainting on the day. This activity is not bookable in advance and payment cannot be accepted at the Queen’s House admissions desk.

Image by Magic Eyes Facepainting

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Image of a choir of people holding lyric sheets and smiling

Festive a cappella choir performance 

12.30 - 1pm | Queen’s House, Great Hall | Free 

The Hithertones, a South-East London vocal ensemble, will be singing a selection of classic carols and festive favourites.

Free entry to the Queen's House

Image by Cath Longbottom

Ice crystal craft workshop 

30-minute sessions starting at 11.15am, 12.00am, 1pm, 1.45pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm & 4pm | Queen's House, Undercroft | Free, ticketed sessions on a first-come, first-served basis

Get crafty and create a giant decorative ice crystal to take home and hang on your Christmas tree. 

Collect your free timed ticket at the Queen’s House. This activity is not bookable in advance.

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Image of a woman dressed as an ice fairy, wearing very long blue horns on her head and a big feather collar

Mystical ice fairies

11.30 – 3.30pm | The Queen’s House Ice Rink Free 

Enjoy an enchanting display of spectacular movement and dance from our sparkling ice fairies. Watch out for appearances on the ice throughout the day!

Image by Bolli Darling

The Queen's House Ice Rink

Image showing people skating on the Queen's House Ice Rink during the day, with a blue sky with thin clouds in the background

The Queen’s House Ice Rink is a magical open-air ice rink in the heart of Greenwich's UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The rink is surrounded by iconic architecture, with views of Greenwich Park to the south and the glittering lights of Canary Wharf to the north, providing a backdrop of some of the best views in London.

Learn more Book tickets

Food and drink: Seasonal treats at the Ice Rink Café

Family dressed in winter coats, hats and gloves having hot drinks from paper cups in front of the Queen's House Ice Rink, they are smiling at each other

Warm up at the Ice Rink Café, with a variety of treats on offer including hot dogs, mac 'n' cheese and waffles. Festive hot drinks like mulled wine are also available, as well as coffees, ginger spice hot chocolate, a hot apple pie drink and a range of winter warmers.

You'll find the café in the skate exchange next to the ice rink.

The National Maritime Museum's cafés will also be open, serving a range of hot and cold foods.

Special ice skating sessions for little skaters

Image of ice rink at night time with house lit up in purple and blue lights behind three people, a mother with her two children, one is younger and using a penguin skate aid

Tiny Tots skate sessions

Bring along your tiny tots for a special session when the rink will operate at less than 50% capacity and extra marshals will be on the ice to lend a helping hand.

More information and book tickets

Relaxed Sessions

Come along to our Relaxed Sessions and visit the ice rink free from large crowds. These sessions are suitable for anyone who needs a calmer, more relaxed environment to get the most out of their visit, including neurodiverse visitors or those with sensory processing difficulties or disabilities.

More information and book tickets

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