A special festive ‘ice rink in the sky’ is coming to Manchester’s huge outdoor winter market

Get your ice skates at the ready; a boutique Ice Rink in the Sky is coming to Manchester’s Escape to Freight Island this Christmas. 

In a first for the open-air food hall, the festive ice rink will be built and positioned underneath the striking industrial roof of Depot Mayfield on the new worlds-first ‘concretene’ mezzanine.

Skaters will have remarkable views overlooking the stage inside Escape to Freight Island, which will have been transformed into Winter Island, the UK’s largest fully-heated outdoor winter market, from November 5th – December 31st.

As well as the ice rink, Winter Island will be bringing a number of magical festive additions to the outdoor food hall, including a Christmas Tree Forest, a bratwurst grill, traditional hog roast, a mulled wine and hot cider hut, local chocolatiers and artisanal cheese stalls.

Escape to Freight Island

Escape to Freight Island

And that doesn’t even scratch the surface – the team over at Freight Island also have a huge programme of festive events booked over the next couple of months.

Kicking off with a huge fireworks display on November 5th, the Winter Island will be offering a mix of ticketed and non-ticketed events, such as a bonfire night gathering, Christmas workshops, karaoke, family raves, cabaret, live music, comedy and festive movie nights.

The iconic Untold Orchestra will also be holding a residency every Wednesday throughout November and December, where they will be paying homage to beloved musicians and bands each week – as well as those famed festive numbers too.

Further entertainment to look forward to throughout the festive season at Winter Island includes performances from the likes of Fun DMC, Teachrex, Playhouse Project, Famzily Gorgeous, Guilty Pleasures and Born to be Wild Child.

Escape to Freight Island

Escape to Freight Island

The Winter Island will run from November 5th to December 31st, while the ice rink will be open to the public from November 12th.

Bookings are open now and, while walk-ups will be available, booking ahead in advance is strongly recommended to secure your preferred dates and times.

To book your own slot, visit the Escape to Freight Island website, and for further news and updates, make sure to follow their official Instagram page.