Cambridge Ice Arena

Cambridge · Public skating times & prices

Opened in August 2019 after more than 20 years of fundraising, under the UK's longest glulam roof beams

Public skating at Cambridge Ice Arena: the next 7 days

Tuesday 13 October

  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)
  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)

Wednesday 14 October

  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)
  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)

Thursday 15 October

  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)
  • · SEND Ice Skating

Friday 16 October

  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)
  • · Public Skate (1-hour tickets)
  • · Disco Ice

Saturday 17 October

  • · Public Skate
  • · Public Skate

Sunday 18 October

  • · Public Skate
  • · Public Skate
Address
Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8AA
Website
better.org.uk
The entrance to Cambridge Ice Arena, a grey clad hall with a curved timber canopy over the door, a Better sign by the path and bike racks along the ramp. — Cambridge Ice Arena
The entrance to Cambridge Ice Arena, a grey clad hall with a curved timber canopy over the door, a Better sign by the path and bike racks along the ramp. Photo: Hugh Venables, via Wikimedia Commons (geograph.org.uk) · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0
A public session on the ice at Cambridge Ice Arena, skaters spread across the rink under the curved timber roof with blue steel columns along the boards. — Cambridge Ice Arena
A public session on the ice at Cambridge Ice Arena, skaters spread across the rink under the curved timber roof with blue steel columns along the boards. Photo: Google Maps listing · Source

Cambridge's ice rink, opened in 2019

Cambridge Ice Arena opened to the public on Newmarket Road, near Cambridge Airport, on 26 August 2019, after more than two decades of planning and fundraising by Cambridge Leisure and Ice Centre (CLIC) and the University of Cambridge. David Gattiker, who captained the university's ice hockey team in the 1930s, gave £1 million towards it in the early 1990s. The arena was due to open in 2017, but 194 unexploded Second World War grenades were found on the site.

It has one full-size rink, operated by Better in partnership with the University, under a timber roof whose glulam ceiling beams are the longest in the UK; heat recovery was part of the design. Besides public and figure skating it hosts ice hockey and Sunday curling, and the university's Men's Blues, Women's Blues and Huskies train and play here, including the annual Varsity match against Oxford.

The Cambridge Ice Skating Club runs synchro and speed skating and has hosted national figure skating competitions. The Cambridge Grizzlies coach juniors under 14, and the Cambridge Kodiaks, the city's first women's league team, formed in 2023 and reached WNIHL League 1 within two years. More than 600 skaters a week take Learn to Skate lessons.

Before you head out.

Admission, rentals and arrival details, researched from official rink information. Source checks stay current for 30 days.

Admission

Public skating costs £16.50 for adults and £13.50 for children aged 3 to 15; the Student / CamCard rate is also £13.50.

Source checked · · Official source

Skates & rentals

Hire skates run from child size 7 to adult size 15, and you can bring your own.

Source checked · · Official source

Booking & check-in

Pre-book your session online to avoid disappointment; the arena is cashless.

Source checked · · Official source

Parking & arrival

Parking is free, with 200 spaces including 4 for disabled drivers; the height limit is 2.2m.

Source checked · · Official source

Accessibility

SEND skating sessions for children and adults with additional needs run with reduced capacity, dimmer lighting and no music.

Source checked · · Official source

Rink rules

Public skating is open to all abilities from age 3.

Source checked · · Official source

A source check records what the rink published on that date. Session-specific booking details take precedence.