Public skating every day on Hillheads Road from £10 plus £3.50 skate hire, no booking. Newcastle's outdoor rink at Life opens 7 November, adults £15.75.
Whitley Bay has an ice rink all year, and you do not need to book. Whitley Bay Ice Rink on Hillheads Road (NE25 8HP) runs public skating every day, with adults paying £10 and children £9.50, plus £3.50 skate hire. Sessions last two hours and you pay at the box office when you arrive (Whitley Bay Ice Rink).
If you want the outdoor, lights-and-music Christmas version, the nearest is Life’s open-air rink in Times Square, Newcastle, which reopens on Saturday 7 November and runs to Sunday 3 January 2027. Adults pay £15.75, skates included, and the opening weekend is £10 a head (Life Science Centre). We found no seasonal rink in Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields or Wallsend this year.
Whitley Bay Ice Rink: session times
The rink’s published timetable for public skating (no booking required) is:
| Day | Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10am to 12pm | 2pm to 4pm | 7pm to 9pm |
| Tuesday | 10am to 12pm | 2pm to 4pm; 4.15pm to 6pm | 7pm to 9pm |
| Wednesday | 10am to 12pm | 2pm to 4pm; 4.15pm to 6pm | 7pm to 9pm |
| Thursday | 10am to 12pm | 2pm to 4pm | 7pm to 9pm |
| Friday | 10am to 12pm | 2pm to 4pm; 4.15pm to 5.45pm | 7pm to 9pm (disco) |
| Saturday | 10am to 12pm (no hockey skates) | 2pm to 4pm; 4.15pm to 5.45pm | 7pm to 9pm |
| Sunday | 10am to 12pm (no hockey skates) | 2pm to 3.45pm | 7pm to 9pm |
Source: Whitley Bay Ice Rink timetable. Doors open on the hour. The rink says its two-hour sessions are as listed and the others run to an hour and a half.
The rink has not published separate Christmas or New Year opening times. Its timetable page was last changed in March, so ring 0191 291 1000 before setting off on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. We will update this page if it publishes holiday hours.
Whitley Bay Ice Rink: prices
From the rink’s own price list (Whitley Bay Ice Rink):
- Adult: £10.00
- Child: £9.50
- Student: £9.50, but not valid in school holidays, at weekends or at discos
- Family (two adults and two children only): £34.00, plus £14 for four pairs of skates
- Skate hire: £3.50
- Spectator: £2.00 (adults only)
So a family of four hiring skates pays £48. One line in the rink’s FAQ still gives the family ticket as £32; the price list and the FAQ’s main answer both say £34, so budget for £34.
Two things catch people out. The rink has a £10 minimum spend on card, so bring cash if you are only paying for a spectator or a single skate hire. And the student rate does not apply in the Christmas holidays.
Other useful details from the rink:
- Ice frames for children aged six and under can be hired, with a height limit.
- Wheelchair users are welcome on the 10am to 12pm sessions, Monday to Friday, with booking required.
- Quietest times are Monday to Friday before 6pm. The rink says its sessions never sell out, but weekends in winter are the busiest.
- Skate sharpening costs £8, with a 24-hour turnaround.
- A weekly pass gives six sessions for the price of four. There is no monthly pass.
Halloween and ice hockey at the rink
The rink’s Polar Halloween Party is on the morning of Friday 30 October, and its Adult Spooky Skatecation for experienced adult figure skaters runs on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, 12pm to 4pm (Whitley Bay Ice Rink events). Both are covered with times and prices on our Whitley Bay Halloween half term page.
The rink is also home to the Whitley Warriors. Their next home games are against Edinburgh Capitals on Sunday 1 November at 5pm, Paisley Pirates in the Scottish Cup quarter-final on Sunday 8 November, and Kilmarnock Thunder on Sunday 22 November (Whitley Warriors fixtures). Online tickets for the 1 November game are on the rink’s events page.
Life’s outdoor rink in Newcastle
Life Science Centre’s open-air rink in Times Square, Newcastle (NE1 4EP) is made of real ice and runs from Saturday 7 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 (Life Science Centre).
Prices, with skates included:
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (18 and over) | £15.75 |
| Concession (over 60s or student) | £15.00 |
| Child (17 and under) | £14.50 |
| Family of four (up to two adults) | £49.50 |
| Carer (bring proof) | Free |
| Opening weekend, 7 and 8 November | £10 per person |
| Christmas Eve, 24 December | Separate prices, not yet published |
Source: Life Science Centre.
What to know before you book:
- Session times are not out yet. Life’s page says “time slots will be available soon”. We will add them when they appear.
- A session is about an hour, but only around 45 minutes on the ice, because the hour includes fitting your skates.
- Book ahead. Life recommends online booking. Standard tickets cannot be refunded or moved; a flexi-ticket lets you reschedule once, up to seven days before, excluding peak dates.
- Children: under-10s must have an adult on the ice with them; 10 to 12 year olds must be supervised, from the ice or the viewing platform. An adult can take no more than two children aged four and under onto the ice.
- Skating aids for children under 1.2 metres tall cost £6 to hire on the day.
- Weather: if Life has to close the rink because of the weather, it will rebook you but does not give refunds.
Life is also running a one-off Toon Tunes on Ice night on Friday 20 November, skating to songs by North East artists, aimed at adults and teens (Life Science Centre).
Which is better value?
| Whitley Bay Ice Rink | Life, Newcastle | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult with skates | £13.50 | £15.75 |
| Family of four with skates | £48 | £49.50 |
| Time on the ice | Up to 2 hours | About 45 minutes |
| Booking | Not needed | Recommended |
| Indoor or outdoor | Indoor | Outdoor |
| Open | All year | 7 Nov to 3 Jan |
Whitley Bay gives you far more time on the ice for slightly less money. Life gives you the outdoor Christmas setting, and the £10 opening weekend is the cheapest skate of the season anywhere nearby.
Getting to Whitley Bay Ice Rink
The rink has free on-site parking. Monkseaton and Whitley Bay Metro stations are each within about ten minutes’ walk, and the 306 and 308 buses stop outside (Whitley Bay Ice Rink).
Note that Metro trains do not run between St James and Monkseaton from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, which covers half term, so Whitley Bay station is shut. Monkseaton keeps its trains from the other side of the loop, which makes it the station to use for the rink that week; see our Metro closure story for the replacement buses. For other parking in town, see parking in Whitley Bay, and for road closures, our roadworks and travel page.
Questions
Is there an ice rink in Whitley Bay?
Yes. Whitley Bay Ice Rink on Hillheads Road, NE25 8HP, is open all year with public skating every day. It calls itself the only public ice rink in the North East (Whitley Bay Ice Rink).
Do you need to book at Whitley Bay Ice Rink?
No. You turn up for the session you want and pay at the box office. Doors open on the hour.
How much is ice skating in Whitley Bay?
£10 for adults and £9.50 for children, plus £3.50 skate hire. A family ticket for two adults and two children is £34, plus £14 for skates.
When does the Newcastle outdoor ice rink open?
Life’s rink in Times Square opens on Saturday 7 November 2026 and closes on Sunday 3 January 2027. Opening weekend tickets are £10 a head.
Is there an outdoor ice rink in North Tyneside this Christmas?
We found none announced for Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields or Wallsend. If one is announced we will add it here.
For more of the season, see our pages on the Christmas lights switch-on, the Spanish City Christmas market, the Santa’s grotto and the pantomime.
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