Ice rink to return to Sheffield city centre as new Christmas lights event announced
Sheffield will hold an expanded festive programme this winter, including the return of an artificial ice rink to Tudor Square for the first time in more than a decade. A new Christmas lights event at Devonshire Green will close the city’s opening weekend, adding a new location to the celebrations.
The markets open on 12 November with more than 50 cabins across Fargate, Pinstone Street and The Moor; over 80% of traders are expected to be local businesses. Opening-weekend events on 14 and 15 November will include entertainment, activities and live performances, while illuminations will extend across several city-centre streets and squares. The programme runs into January, with further details, including ticket arrangements for the free Devonshire Green event, still to come.
- Tudor Square’s artificial ice rink is returning after more than a decade.
- Devonshire Green will host a new Christmas lights event.
- Markets open on 12 November with more than 50 cabins.
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Sheffield’s city centre includes several public spaces and shopping streets that host seasonal events. Tudor Square sits beside the city’s theatres, while Devonshire Green is another central gathering place; Fargate, Pinstone Street and The Moor are nearby retail areas.
Christmas markets bring temporary stalls and activities into the city, and Sheffield has held festive events in these locations before. An artificial rink uses a non-ice surface designed for skating, so its return does not depend on freezing weather.
The programme involves Sheffield City Council, event organisers and traders, many of them local businesses. It matters because the events will use public spaces and streets over several weeks, bringing visitors into the centre and affecting how those areas are used.