Alexandra Palace Ice Skating Rink: Friday Disco Nights

Alexandra Palace Ice Skating Rink sits inside the palace on the hill above Wood Green, at Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY, and unlike the pop-up rinks it stays open all year. An off-peak adult ticket costs £11.75 and a peak ticket £12.75, skate hire is included in the booking, and sessions last 1.5 hours at weekends. The rink was voted the UK's number one ice rink in 2023, according to its own booking page, and it is also one of the few London rinks where you can skate on a Friday night to a disco playlist and on a Sunday afternoon to something slower.

Alexandra Palace opened in 1873 and has been a landmark on its north London hill ever since, best known as the place where the BBC began regular television broadcasts in 1936. The ice rink occupies a lofty, recently refurbished indoor arena in the building, and it runs through the whole year for general skating, figure skating classes, ice hockey training, children's sessions and private parties. The setting matters: you are skating beneath a high roof in a palace, with the long terrace outside offering one of the widest views over London.

The published timetable is Monday 11 am to 4.30 pm, Tuesday 1.15 pm to 5 pm, Wednesday 11 am to 5 pm, Thursday 11 am to 5 pm, Friday 1.15 pm to 5 pm, Saturday 11 am to 4.30 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4.30 pm. In term time, weekday sessions last two hours, apart from the final session, which lasts 1.5 hours. Weekend and holiday sessions are 1.5 hours. The Monday 3.30 pm session runs for one hour until 4.30 pm until the festive skate programme begins. The programme also lists disco nights on Friday and Saturday evenings, and a more relaxed Sunday.

Off-peak prices are £11.75 for a standard adult, £10.50 for a child under 12, £7.75 for under fives and £10.50 for over 65s. Peak prices are £12.75 for a standard adult, £11.50 for under 12s, £8.75 for under fives and £11.50 for over 65s. Spectators who want to watch from the side pay £2.50 off-peak or £3 at peak times, and every non-skater needs a ticket. Skate aids cost £7.50 each: the Seal for children aged five and under, the Penguin for ages three to seven up to 1.2 metres, and the Snowman for ages eight and over from 1.2 metres. Since 30 March 2026 aids cannot be booked online and are sold at the rink on a first come, first served basis.

The rink has built a reputation for its sessions with a soundtrack. The palace lists Friday and Saturday evenings as Disco Nights, when the arena swaps the daytime atmosphere for a party mood. Sunday hours come with what the palace describes as more chilled out tunes, a slower, calmer atmosphere that suits families with small children and adults who would rather glide than race. If you are choosing between the two, take the Friday disco if you want atmosphere, and the Sunday session if you want space to practise your crossovers without being overtaken.

Children aged five to 15 can join structured courses, including a fast-track course that runs 26 to 30 October 2026, with half-hour lessons from 10.45 am to 11.15 am on weekdays and free skating practice from 11.30 am, led by qualified coaches. Saturday-morning and weekday-evening courses are also on offer. Anyone who books a private lesson must also buy a public skating ticket on top of the lesson fee, which is worth knowing before you plan the budget.

Arrive about 15 minutes before your session starts, which is the rink's own advice, so you can collect boots and get laced up without cutting into your time on the ice. The rink is closed from 6 to 9 November 2026 because of the Fireworks and Drone Festival, so do not plan a skate that weekend. Birthday parties are not allowed in the East Court. Booking online ahead of your visit is advised, as sessions fill up during school holidays and in the run-up to Christmas.

The most direct way up is by Wood Green tube station on the Piccadilly line, followed by the W3 bus up the hill, or you can come by train to Alexandra Palace station and walk up through the park. The hill is steep, so allow extra time with young children. Allow about twenty minutes from the station platform to the rink door on foot, and a little less by bus. Once you arrive, the terrace in front of the palace is a good spot to catch your breath before you go in, and from the front the city spreads out below the hill.

Alexandra Park surrounds the palace, with woodland paths and open lawns that are pleasant in cold weather, so a walk after your session helps your legs recover. The terrace in front of the palace looks out over London, which makes it the natural place to stop for a photograph before you head downhill. If you skated on a weekday, the afternoon light is at its best around the end of your session, and there is time for a loop of the park before the day closes in. Children who have just finished a course usually want a second go, so it is worth checking the tickets for a later slot.

Alexandra Palace Ice Rink is at Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY. Tickets are £11.75 off-peak and £12.75 peak for a standard adult, with skate hire included in the booking. Sessions last 1.5 hours at weekends and on school holidays. The rink is closed 6 to 9 November 2026. Wear gloves, warm trousers and thick socks, and save the rink in the Karpo APP so your next skate is easy to plan.