Lucy Levitt
Jon Drape
Derry says has prepared the team for hosting events amid potential Covid anxiety this winter . To help with social distancing the company introduced larger rinks at Hampton Court and Greenwich last year . It plans to continue providing the larger rinks on the back of positive feedback from attendees , who appreciated having more space on the ice .
As for non-Covid related changes , Derry says Arena has the UK ’ s longest ice slide at the Cambridge event , as well as another slightly smaller one in Liverpool . It has also introduced ice caves at both venues , where visitors enter a themed ice room with music , where they can purchase drinks . For the first time this year Arena was due to open the rink in Manchester for Halloween , which Derry says is second only to Derry /
Winterella at Southbank ’ s Between The Bridges
Londonderry as the biggest Halloween event in the UK . Arena is working with Manchester City Council to build monsters on top of buildings around the city , including at Cathedral Gardens , where the rink is located .
Derry says bookings for Arena ’ s rinks are up 100 % from 2019 , and 500 % in some places such as Cambridge , which he suggests reflects the change in consumer confidence and the fact people are more inclined to book in advance now , rather than simply turn up on the day .
Joining the ice-skating market for the first time this year is motor racing circuit Silverstone . After hosting 200,000 visitors for its Lap Land event last year , the Northamptonshire venue will open again in December to enable visitors to not only drive a lap of the Grand Prix circuit and enjoy a festive light show on the way , but also ice skate in areas including the Formula One pit lane . The event , which has been rebranded Lap Of Lights , will run from 1 December to 3 January , with the aim of attracting 500,000 people , according to Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle .
Escaping to winter island Another ice rink in Manchester will be set up next door to the site of The Warehouse Project when Escape to Freight Island hosts the Winter Island markets again this year after being forced to shut after just five days of trading in 2020 due to the lockdown . The Mayfield venue ’ s production is handled by local independent operator Engine No . 4 , which works across numerous festivals such as Parklife , Lost Village and Bluedot .
“ When we started building the first phase during the first lockdown , that was when I should have been in the
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