No ice rink at Brighton's Royal Pavilion in 2026

There will not be an ice rink at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton at the end of 2026, the city council has confirmed.

In a council meeting which took place on Thursday, Ellen McLeay asked if the rink would return to the Royal Pavilion Gardens this winter, as restoration work on the site would make the previous location difficult.

David McGregor has confirmed the rink will not be back this winter but will return in 2027 with a new location at the Old Steine.

He said: "We've been in regular contact with the organisers of the ice rink and we've been incredibly excited about the new home on Old Steine."

Earlier this year, an email to volunteer gardeners said the damage from hosting the ice rink had "scarred the landscape" and "greatly contributed" to the gardens being put on the Heritage At Risk register.

And it said if it returned this year, it would disrupt the imminent garden renovations, pushing up costs and therefore putting the whole restoration project at risk.

Historic England put the Royal Pavilion on its at risk register in 2017, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

McGregor said: "They've had many successful years in Pavilion Gardens, and we look forward to many more right at the heart of the city.

"I looked at every option to have this iconic part of the Brighton & Hove Christmas offering in place for 2026, but it wasn't possible."

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