Willen On Ice opens at Willen Lake on Saturday 21 November and runs to 3 January. Tickets from £15.90 with skates; Car Park B is £1.50 for the first hour.
Willen On Ice, the outdoor ice rink at Willen Lake, opens for 2026 on Saturday 21 November and runs until Sunday 3 January. It is a real ice rink of 800 square metres, built on the lawn opposite the Observation Wheel, with funfair rides, festive street food and an après bar around it. Tickets start at £15.90 for under 16s and £18.90 for adults, skate hire included.
Everything on this page comes from Willen Lake’s own event and parking pages, read on 18 October 2026. (Willen Lake, Willen On Ice)
The quick answer
- Dates: Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.
- Where: the lawn opposite the Willen Observation Wheel, Willen Lake, MK15 0DS. Park in Car Park B.
- Prices: under 16s from £15.90 off peak and £17.90 peak; adults from £18.90 off peak and £20.90 peak. Skate hire and the booking fee are included.
- Discounts: 15% off November sessions as an early bird offer, and 10% off for three or more tickets that include at least one adult and one child.
- Weekdays: skating only, without the funfair, until mid-December.
Dates and sessions
Willen Lake gives the run as Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with sessions at “various times”. The session times for each day appear only in the booking system, and Willen Lake warns that “peak sessions always sell quickly”.
The rink is not the whole event at every session. The organiser says weekday sessions will be ice skating only until mid-December, so the fairground, food and bar are a weekend affair until the school holidays get close. Milton Keynes schools break up on Friday 18 December; our term dates page has the details.
Willen Lake has not said whether the rink opens on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Check the booking calendar before planning a visit over Christmas.
Two themed sessions run alongside the general skating:
- Wilbur’s Little Skaters, new this year, for the youngest skaters, with Willen Lake’s mascot Wilbur on the ice, relaxed music and photos.
- Ice Beats, a teen session under disco lights with party anthems.
Schools and companies can book private sessions through the same page.
Prices
| Ticket | Off peak | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | from £15.90 | from £17.90 |
| Adult | from £18.90 | from £20.90 |
All prices include skate hire and the booking fee. If you bring your own skates you can take the hire off at checkout. Willen Lake does not say which sessions count as peak; the booking system shows the price for each one.
Two discounts are published. The early bird offer takes 15% off sessions in November “for a limited time”, and the Family Saver takes 10% off a booking of three or more tickets, as long as it includes at least one adult and one child ticket.
For two adults and two children on an off-peak session, the published starting prices add up to £69.60, or £62.64 with the Family Saver. Parking is extra.
You can pay on the day if a session has space, by card only, but online booking is cheaper and guarantees entry.
Who can skate
- Under 3s and anyone who cannot walk without support are not allowed on the ice.
- Children aged 8 and under must be on the ice with a responsible adult who has a ticket.
- Under 16s skating on their own must be supervised from the viewing area by a responsible adult.
- The smallest hire skate is a child’s size 9.
Skating aids are listed when you book, and Willen Lake recommends booking them in advance.
Parking and getting there
Willen Lake says the closest car park to the rink is Car Park B, off the Newlands roundabout on Brickhill Street. Parking is not free, including for Blue Badge holders, and every car park uses number plate cameras, so you pay on arrival by the RingGo app (location code 21694) or at the machines, by card or cash.
| Stay | Charge |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 hour | £1.50 |
| Up to 2 hours | £2.50 |
| Up to 3 hours | £3.50 |
| Up to 4 hours | £4.50 |
| Up to 24 hours | £14 |
There is a 10-minute allowance for dropping off and picking up. If you stay longer than you paid for, you can top up before leaving. (Willen Lake, car parking)
Willen Lake’s address is V10 Brickhill Street, MK15 0DS. If you are coming from the city centre, our parking in Milton Keynes page covers the CMK tariffs, and roadworks and travel lists closures across the grid.
More winter days out in Milton Keynes
Willen On Ice opens the same weekend that Stony Stratford switches on its Christmas lights, Saturday 21 November; our Christmas lights page has every switch-on. The Land of Lights lantern trail at Gulliver’s runs on selected nights all winter, and the Santa’s grotto page compares the grottos. Everything else coming up is on what’s on in Milton Keynes.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Milton Keynes ice rink open in 2026?
Saturday 21 November 2026. Willen On Ice runs until Sunday 3 January 2027.
How much is Willen On Ice?
From £15.90 for under 16s and £18.90 for adults off peak, and from £17.90 and £20.90 at peak times. Skate hire and the booking fee are included.
Where is the ice rink at Willen Lake?
On the lawn opposite the Willen Observation Wheel. The nearest car park is Car Park B, off the Newlands roundabout on Brickhill Street.
Can I just turn up?
Yes, if the session has space, paying by card. Willen Lake recommends booking online, which is cheaper and guarantees entry.
How old do you have to be to skate?
Children under 3 cannot go on the ice. Children aged 8 and under need a ticket-holding adult on the ice with them.
Is parking free at Willen Lake?
No. Car Park B costs £1.50 for up to an hour and £2.50 for up to two hours, paid on arrival.
Checked 18 October 2026. We will update this page when Willen Lake publishes session times or Christmas opening.
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