Skating in the Square has opened on Brewery Square's switch-on day three years running; this year that is 28 November. Last winter's price, £11.50.

Is there an ice rink in Dorchester this Christmas? Almost certainly, but its 2026 dates are not out yet. Skating in the Square, the rink in Brewery Square, has run every winter since at least 2023, and its own website still shows last season: 29 November 2025 to 3 January 2026. The nearest rinks that have confirmed 2026 dates are both in Bournemouth: SKATE Bournemouth from Thursday 12 November and Cool Coast at the BIC from Saturday 28 November.

Every detail here was read on 20 October 2026 from the rinks’ own websites and Brewery Square’s. We will update the page when Dorchester publishes.

The quick answer

  • Dorchester, Skating in the Square: 2026 dates not published. In each of the last three years it opened on the same Saturday as Brewery Square’s Christmas lights switch-on. This year’s switch-on is Saturday 28 November.
  • Last winter’s price: £11.50 for adults and children alike, booking fee included, for a 40-minute session. The 2026 price is not out.
  • It is synthetic ice, outdoors, in Brewery Square, DT1 1QR, opposite Fairfield car park and next to Dorchester South station.
  • Real ice, confirmed for 2026: SKATE Bournemouth, Lower Gardens, 12 November to 3 January, adults £16.50; Cool Coast, BIC, 28 November to 21 February, adults from £14.

Skating in the Square, Brewery Square, Dorchester

Skating in the Square sets up a rink in Brewery Square every Christmas, among the restaurants and the Odeon, “surrounded by a sparkling landscape of twinkling lights and Christmas trees”.

Is it on this year?

The rink has not said. Its home page carries a “Tickets are Now on Sale” banner, but the dates beneath it are still last winter’s, 29 November 2025 to 3 January 2026, and its upcoming events page says only “Check back soon”. Its booking page was last changed on 5 December 2025.

The pattern is strong, though. Archived copies of the rink’s site and Brewery Square’s own posts show:

Season Rink opened Rink closed Brewery Square switch-on
2023/24 Sat 25 November 2023 1 January 2024 Sat 25 November 2023
2024/25 Sat 23 November 2024 4 January 2025 Sat 23 November 2024
2025/26 Sat 29 November 2025 3 January 2026 Sat 29 November 2025

Brewery Square has posted its 2026 switch-on for Saturday 28 November, with times “to follow”. Its 2025 switch-on post invited visitors to “step onto the skating rink beneath twinkling lights” that evening. Neither the rink nor Brewery Square has yet said the same for 2026.

Prices and sessions (last winter)

From the rink’s booking page, as it stood for 2025/26:

  • Adult £11.50, child £11.50, booking fee included.
  • Sessions last 40 minutes from the start time on your ticket. Arrive 15 minutes early for skate fitting.
  • Booking online is advised “due to high demand”; tickets on the day are sold subject to space.
  • Bookings cannot be cancelled or refunded if you do not attend. The terms say a change request must reach the rink at least 48 hours before your session.

Children, skates and access

  • Children 8 and under must have an adult (16 or over) with them on the ice. Children aged 9 to 12 must be supervised by an adult, on or off the rink.
  • There is no minimum age, but the smallest skate is a child’s size 9; the largest is an adult size 13. You can bring your own if they are sharp.
  • Polar bear skate aids are free, left on the ice for anyone to use, first come first served.
  • Gloves must be worn, whatever the weather.
  • Wheelchairs are welcome on the rink, the booking page says.

What synthetic ice means

The rink is not real ice. Its FAQ calls it “a very high quality synthetic ice with a secret glide enhancer”, with no chillers or generators, and says that it is “not cold and wet, just a little moist”. It runs “come rain or shine”, and there are no refunds for bad weather.

Getting there and parking

The rink’s address is Brewery Square, 21 Weymouth Avenue, Dorchester DT1 1QR. Dorchester South station is about 100 yards away, with trains from Weymouth in about ten minutes.

Fairfield car park, directly across Weymouth Avenue (sat nav DT1 1QW), has 562 spaces. Dorset Council charges from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week, and it is free after 6pm, which suits an evening session. Two local traps from our parking in Dorset page:

  • Wednesday is market day. The covered section of Fairfield closes for the market, so allow longer to park.
  • The covered area’s gates are locked from 7pm to 6am. Park under cover for a late skate and the car stays there until morning; use the open section.

Real ice in Bournemouth: both rinks have confirmed 2026 dates

SKATE Bournemouth, Lower Gardens, from 12 November

SKATE Bournemouth is the outdoor rink at the heart of Christmas in Bournemouth, open 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Its tickets page gives:

  • Adult £16.50, concession £15.50, child (under 12) £14, family £53.50.
  • A £2 booking fee per transaction online.
  • Toddler time £24.50 for one adult, one child and a skate aid, at the 10.30am and 11.45am weekday sessions.

Cool Coast, Bournemouth International Centre, from 28 November

Cool Coast is an indoor rink in the BIC’s Purbeck Hall, open Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 21 February 2027, so it carries on well past Christmas. Its pricing page gives:

  • Adult (12 and over) £14 off-peak, £15 peak; child (4 to 11) £12.50 or £13.50; family (up to four, two adults at most) £46 or £47.
  • Spectators go free.

If you are driving

For the run into Dorchester or Bournemouth, our roadworks and travel page carries this week’s closures, and the Christmas and New Year travel page has the holiday trains and buses. The rest of the season is on our Christmas lights, Christmas markets and Santa specials pages.

Sources