Once again, the grand eighteenth-century courtyard at Somerset House provides this 900-metre-square ice rink with one of the most impressive skating backdrops in town. The skate school offers lessons for beginners and there are special Penguin Club sessions for children (Nov 17, 18, 24, 25, Dec 1, 2, 8, 9), as well as late-night skates and club nights with DJs on selected dates (including Nov 17: Sunday Best present Bestival with Rob Da Bank and Friends; Nov 21: Bugged Out Weekender Winter Warm-Up; Nov 23: Future Disco Skate; Nov 28-30: Vintage on Ice; Dec 7: Ministry of Sound Radio; Dec 19: Lovesick presents Skate's Disco on Ice; Jan 4: Ibiza Rocks). Tom's Skate Lounge, a rinkside bar and lounge open to both ticket and non ticket holders, serves drinks and snacks throughout the day. New this year is The Christmas Arcade, a pop-up luxury shopping mall situated along the West Wing, with winter accessories, jewellery, choccies, gifts and decorations for sale.
For our guide to ice skating in London see www.timeout.com/iceskating