Ice rink to move to the Old Steine in 2027, but there's none this winter

Brighton & Hove’s ice rink will come back in 2027 at the Old Steine, the council has announced. There won’t be one this Christmas.

The council and the operator, Laine Ltd, have picked the Old Steine as the preferred site from 2027 onwards. The Old Steine has been reworked as part of the Valley Gardens project, and the council wants it used for skating and seasonal events in the winter months.

The gap year comes down to electricity. “Ice rinks are power-hungry, so we have proudly chosen not to run off diesel generators for many years now,” said Shella Parkin of Laine Ltd. “Mains power enables us to run off a renewable tariff but unfortunately, we haven’t found a venue with sufficient electrical capacity for 2026 and have made the difficult decision to stand the rink down for one year.”

She said Laine has “agreement in principle for a new long-term home from 2027 onwards”. The rink has been part of the city’s Christmas since 2010, and she said skaters bring “millions in annual visitor spend” to the city’s shops, restaurants and bars.

Labour councillor David McGregor, the cabinet member for economy, culture, heritage and tourism, said: “We know people will miss the rink this winter, but we’ve explored all options and there’s no suitable location that can provide the space, infrastructure and renewable power supply needed to operate the attraction safely and sustainably this year.”

The rest of the city’s Christmas programme goes ahead. The council’s list includes events at the Royal Pavilion and the museums, the Artists Open Houses winter programme and concerts at Brighton Dome and the Brighton Centre. McGregor said some festive events will use the new public space at Valley Gardens.