No ice rink in Farnham this Christmas; the nearest is Guildford Spectrum, open daily. Wizard of Oz on Ice runs 11 to 13 December from £10; no skating 9-13 Dec.

Farnham does not have an ice rink, and no pop-up rink has been announced for the town this Christmas. The nearest place to skate is Guildford Spectrum, about ten miles east along the A31, which has an Olympic-size indoor rink open all year with public sessions every day of the week. Its big Christmas event is The Wizard of Oz on Ice, from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December, and public skating stops for five days around it.

Everything below is from Guildford Spectrum’s own website, checked on 20 October 2026.

The quick answer

  • In Farnham: no rink, permanent or pop-up. Rushmoor’s November and December event listings for Aldershot and Farnborough show none either.
  • Nearest rink: Guildford Spectrum, Parkway, Guildford, GU1 1UP, open all year. Public Skate for All sessions run every day, 90 minutes each, booked in advance online (Guildford Spectrum: Skate for All).
  • Christmas show: The Wizard of Oz on Ice, 11 to 13 December, six performances. Adults £22 in standard seats, £10 at the Friday matinee.
  • Rink closed to the public 9 to 13 December for the show. The last public session before it is on Tuesday 8 December, and the rink fully reopens on Monday 14 December.

Skating at Guildford Spectrum

The Spectrum describes its rink as “an Olympic sized indoor ice rink, which is used by thousands of people each week”. Public sessions, which it calls Skate for All, run Monday to Sunday, with morning, afternoon, teatime and evening slots that you book online (Guildford Spectrum: Skate for All).

  • Each session is 90 minutes.
  • Skate hire is available when you book, from child size 5 to adult size 14. For under 5s, skate hire is included in the ticket. You can bring your own skates, but not speed skates.
  • Skating aids: Penguins for children under 1.2m and Snowmen for taller children, reservable for the whole session or hired on the day if any are left. They are not available at the evening Ice Xtreme sessions.
  • Helmets: the Spectrum recommends them for children. It has some for adults on a first come basis, and you can bring a cycle helmet with a chin strap (Guildford Spectrum: ice skating FAQs).
  • Wheelchair users can go on the ice at Skate for All sessions with a carer, and the carer skates free.
  • Smaller rink at some times: a barrier reduces the size of the rink from 12pm to 2pm on Mondays to Wednesdays, and from 10.30am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 2pm on Saturdays.
  • Hockey skates are not allowed at Tuesday evening Skate for All sessions.

The Spectrum’s timetable page shows the next seven days of sessions and has a “View Prices” button, but the price table behind it was empty when we checked, so the price shows when you book online or ring 01483 443322 (Guildford Spectrum: ice rink timetable).

Ice discos

The evening discos, Ice Xtreme, have a DJ and disco lights, and hockey and figure skates are both allowed (Guildford Spectrum: ice discos):

Night Theme Times
Thursday Retro skate, hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s 8.30pm to 10pm
Friday Ice 2Xtreme, an earlier disco suited to under 16s 6.30pm to 8pm
Friday Big weekend tunes 8.30pm to 10pm
Saturday Party night 8.45pm to 10.15pm
Sunday Request night 8.45pm to 10.15pm

Friday, Saturday and Sunday disco tickets can be bought in advance online. The Spectrum warns that every disco has flashing lights and loud music.

Half term: Halloween Snow Globe Skate

This half term the Spectrum is running Snow Globe Skate with a Halloween theme: public sessions with a snow machine creating short bursts of falling snow, “it will not be falling constantly”. Each is 90 minutes (Guildford Spectrum: Snow Globe Skate).

Date Session start
Wednesday 21, Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October 2pm
Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October 1.15pm and 3.45pm
Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 1.15pm and 3.45pm

There is no Snow Globe session on Wednesday 28 October. Surrey’s council-run schools have two weeks off this half term; our October half term page has more to do in and around Farnham.

The Wizard of Oz on Ice, 11 to 13 December

The Spectrum’s Christmas show is performed by skaters from Spectrum Ice School, which it calls “the UK’s biggest ice school”, with choreography by its coaches Ruth Woodstock and Melissa Galvin-Tyers (Guildford Spectrum: The Wizard of Oz on Ice).

Day Performances
Friday 11 December 12pm and 7pm
Saturday 12 December 11am and 3pm
Sunday 13 December 11am and 3pm
Ticket Adult Junior Concession Family of four
Friday matinee offer, from £10 £9 £9 £39
Standard seats £22 £19 £19 £76
On Ice Grandstand seats £23 £20 £20 £80
On Ice Grandstand Premium seats £24 £21 £21 £84

A family ticket is for four people with no more than two adults. Groups of 15 or more get £1 off every ticket at the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening performances, and schools can ask for a discount. Everyone needs a ticket except babies in arms under 18 months, who can sit on a parent’s lap.

Public skating stops for the show. The last public session is on Tuesday 8 December, the last training session on Wednesday 9 December, and the rink “will fully open again on Monday 14 December”. If you want a skate in the run-up to Christmas, avoid that week.

What has not been announced

  • Christmas and New Year opening hours for the rink, and whether there are festive Snow Globe sessions in December as well as the Halloween ones. We will add them when the Spectrum publishes them.
  • Public skating prices, which the Spectrum’s site did not display when we checked.

Getting there from Farnham

Guildford Spectrum is on Parkway, on the north side of Guildford, GU1 1UP. From Farnham the direct road is the A31 over the Hog’s Back; check our roadworks and travel page before you set off for any overnight or weekend closures on the way.

More Christmas in and around Farnham

Sources