Coventry winter wonderland

An iconic Coventry landmark is set to be transformed into a winter wonderland for the first time, creating one of the most spectacular festive ice-skating rinks in the UK.

The magical new ice rink will see people in Coventry come together safely and have some winter fun when ‘Coventry Glides’ is launched at the Coventry Cathedral Ruins from December to 3 January.

The ice-skating rink, which is the first event to be announced as part of Coventry City of Culture Trust’s winter programme for 2020, has been created in partnership with Coventry Business Improvement District (BID), Coventry Cathedral and with support from Coventry City Council

It will be open daily (excluding Christmas Day), with socially-distanced skating sessions held from morning to evening.

A number of Covid safety measures will be put in place to ensure guests can stay safe and still have fun, including timed slots for skaters, reduced skater capacity, mandatory facemasks for all skaters – except for those who are exempt – and cleaning in between skating session.

Tickets will be priced from £5 and will go on sale on Friday 13 November. Tickets will be available to purchase from coventry2021.co.uk.

Chenine Bhathena, of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We encourage the people of Coventry to have some fun this Winter. Coventry Glides is of the first of a few fantastic events we have planned between now and the end of the year.

“The Coventry Cathedral Ruins is an incredible setting which will provide a spectacular venue for the ice rink. We are so delighted to be delivering the first ever ice rink in the Cathedral Ruins and hope that this can become a regular feature of the city’s Christmas offer.

“Safety is our top priority and Coventry Glides has been planned in conjunction with some of the country’s best events specialists to make sure we follow all government advice and stick to the tier two restrictions, and our full our winter programme has been put together with advice from Public Health and Coventry City Council. It’s important that we find ways to come together in this new landscape.

“I hope that Coventry Glides will give people a very special festive experience. We look forward to announcing further events from our winter programme in the coming weeks.”

Councillor George Duggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, said: “It has been, and continues to be, a tough year for us all and it is wonderful to see something fun and exciting that has been arranged to be Covid-compliant in the city centre for the next few months.

“The Cathedral Ruins is one of the most iconic buildings in the city and I’m sure this unique offer will prove popular with people of all ages.”

Trish Willetts, Coventry BID Director, added: “We are thrilled to be working alongside our great friends at the Coventry City of Culture Trust to bring some joy in to our city this festive season with Coventry Glides. To be able to offer an ice rink is exciting enough, but having it situated within the beautiful Cathedral Ruins makes it extra special. After a tough year, this will be a fantastic and safe way for families to come into the city and experience a little bit of festive magic!”

Visit coventry2021.co.uk/Coventry-Glides to find out more.