The Ice Skating Season in Moscow starts in late autumn, when the big artificial-ice rinks open, and runs through the winter until late February or March. It is one of the capital’s best-loved winter pastimes, with rinks in front of the Kremlin, in Gorky Park, at VDNKh and in Sokolniki, and many more in parks and courtyards across the districts.
The rinks differ a lot in size, price and mood, from a small rink beside GUM on Red Square to some of the largest artificial-ice rinks in Europe. Natural-ice rinks depend on the weather, and artificial ones are more reliable. Dates and prices change each year, so check each rink’s official website.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Сезон катков в Москве |
|---|---|
| Type | Seasonal event |
| When | Every winter, from late November or early December until late February or March; natural-ice rinks depend on the weather. |
| Typical duration | About three to four months, from the opening of the big artificial-ice rinks in late autumn to the end of winter. |
| Admission | Entry prices differ by rink: the big paid rinks sell session tickets and rent skates, while many park rinks are free and charge only for rental. No prices are given here. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the quietest, and evenings and weekends are the busiest, particularly in the New Year holidays. The season runs from late November to about March, with the best natural ice in the coldest weeks. Crowd patterns were not verified. |
| Last updated | October 7, 2026 |
Dates, programs and prices change from year to year. Always check the official website for the current edition.
Why Visit Ice Skating Season in Moscow?
Skating is the easiest way to join in winter life in Moscow: you can glide with the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral behind you, circle among the fountains and Stalin-era pavilions at VDNKh or skate along the tree-lined alleys of Sokolniki. Rinks rent skates, have warm rooms and are open late, so an evening session fits any itinerary.
It also suits many levels, with separate zones for children and beginners at larger rinks, and free park rinks where the cost is only the rental. The season overlaps with the New Year festival, so the central rinks are crowded in late December and quieter on weekday mornings. Weather and crowds vary.
What to Expect at Ice Skating Season in Moscow
The season opens in a staggered way: the largest artificial-ice rinks in Gorky Park and at VDNKh usually open first, in mid to late November, and the rink beside GUM on Red Square follows at the end of November or the start of December. The city then opens rinks in many parks, with artificial and natural ice, and some rinks hold free figure skating or hockey lessons and ice shows on opening day.
Visitors skate in sessions, usually with breaks between them for the ice to be resurfaced, and rent skates on site, often against a deposit or an ID. Warm rooms, cafes and lockers are typical at the large rinks. Natural-ice rinks open only when the weather is cold enough, and the season ends with the thaw in late winter. Rules and programs vary by rink and year.
Highlights of Ice Skating Season in Moscow
The GUM rink on Red Square
A rink and fair set up beside the GUM department store on Red Square for the winter season, with the Kremlin wall, St. Basil's Cathedral and the lit facade of GUM as the backdrop. It is compact compared with the big park rinks and gets crowded, particularly around the New Year. It has its own ticket and hours, and the season usually runs from late November or early December into late February. See the Red Square guide on this site.
Tip: Check the rink's own website for session times, and come on a weekday for shorter queues.
Gorky Park
The Gorky Park rink is one of the largest artificial-ice rinks in Europe, covering many thousands of square meters along the park's paths and squares, with separate areas for children, hockey and dancing. It is reached from the Park Kultury and Oktyabrskaya metro stations, and the main entrance is on Krymsky Val. Sessions are ticketed with breaks between them. See the Krymsky Val guide on this site.
Tip: Choose an afternoon session if you want daylight and the park's winter scene.
VDNKh
The rink at VDNKh is among the largest artificial rinks in Europe, set in the middle of the park between the two big fountains, so you skate with the Stalin-era pavilions around you. It has a separate children's area and warm rooms, and opens from late November. It has its own ticket and hours, and VDNKh is the nearest metro station. See the VDNH and Ostankino guide on this site.
Tip: Look at the lit pavilions in the evening, when the rink is at its best.
Sokolniki Park
Sokolniki has two kinds of rink: the Big Circle, a ring of alleys flooded with natural ice that is free to enter, and a modern artificial-ice rink that charges admission. The quality of the natural ice depends on the weather, and skates can be rented. See the Sokolniki guide on this site.
Tip: Check the weather before you go, since natural ice closes in a thaw.
Free rinks in district parks
The city opens free rinks in many parks each winter, some with artificial ice and some with natural, and some offer figure skating and hockey lessons. They are smaller and less crowded than the big rinks, and you usually pay only for skate rental. The list changes each year. Check the official city portal for the current rinks.
Tip: Choose a park rink near your hotel for a short, cheap session.
Skating during the New Year festival
The skating season overlaps with the Journey to Christmas festival, when the central squares are decorated and rinks are busiest, with extra shows and programs. See the Journey to Christmas Festival in Moscow guide on this site. The crowds are largest between 31 December and the first week of January.
Tip: Skate in early December or mid-January if you want fewer people.
What It Means for Your Visit
The skating season is not a holiday, so museums, shops and transport work as usual. The effect is on the rinks: the central ones, particularly on Red Square and in Gorky Park, are crowded on weekends and during the New Year holidays, with queues for tickets and for skate rental, and sessions that can sell out. Streets around the rinks are busy in the evening.
Natural-ice rinks may close in a thaw. Check each rink’s own website for hours, session rules and any closure, since they change from year to year, and check the city portal for the free park rinks.
Atmosphere
On a winter evening a Moscow rink is a noisy, bright place: pop music from loudspeakers, the scrape of blades and the rattle of the ice resurfacer between sessions, steam rising from paper cups of tea. Skaters range from children clinging to the barrier to confident pairs doing laps.
At the big rinks the setting is half the point, with the Kremlin wall, the Stalin-era pavilions or the lit trees of a park around the ice. In park alleys the mood is quieter and local, with families on natural ice. The cold is real, usually below freezing. The crowd varies by rink and no figures were verified.
History of Ice Skating Season in Moscow
Moscow has had winter skating for generations, on frozen ponds and in parks. In recent decades the city has expanded the season with large artificial-ice rinks, which stay open even in mild weather, and with rinks in many district parks. The rink beside GUM on Red Square has been set up each winter for a number of years and has become one of the symbols of winter in the capital.
In the early 2010s Gorky Park was reconstructed and opened a large rink in December 2011 with separate zones for children, hockey, dancing and general skating, and other parks followed with big rinks, among them VDNKh, which has built one of the largest artificial rinks in Europe. The city announced in earlier seasons that it was opening more than a thousand rinks of different kinds by winter, most of them courtyard and park rinks.
Today the season usually starts in mid to late November with the largest rinks and continues until late February or March. The dates, hours and prices differ each year, and are announced by the rinks and by the city. Natural-ice rinks depend on the weather and may open late or close early in a warm winter.
Tickets and Booking for Ice Skating Season in Moscow
Skating is run by each rink separately, so there is no single ticket. The big paid rinks, such as those on Red Square, in Gorky Park and at VDNKh, sell session tickets on site and, in many cases, online through their own websites, and popular sessions can sell out on weekends and during the New Year holidays. Free park rinks need no ticket and charge only for rental. Rinks rent skates on site, often against a deposit or an ID. Dates, hours and prices change every year, so none are given here.
- Payment: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards are reported not to work in Russia, so bring rubles in cash, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some Russian payment services, so check this yourself.
Rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ, so check the official website of each rink and the city portal, mos.ru, for the current season.
Get Tickets for Ice Skating Season in Moscow
How to Get to Ice Skating Season in Moscow
Each rink has its own access. For Red Square, the nearest stations are Okhotny Ryad (Line 1) and Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Line 3). For Gorky Park use Park Kultury (Lines 1 and 5) or Oktyabrskaya (Lines 5 and 6). For VDNKh the station is VDNKh (Line 6), and for Sokolniki it is Sokolniki (Line 1). The exits and walking times were not verified.
- Metro: central stations are crowded in the evening; the metro guides on this site explain the lines.
- Taxi: the taxi apps guide of this site explains the options.
Accessibility
No accessibility information was found for the rinks as a whole. Access depends on the rink, and snow, ice and crowds make movement difficult, so check with each rink before you go.
Food Nearby
Large rinks have cafes and warm rooms, and the parks have stalls with hot drinks and snacks. No individual venue was verified for this guide, so check opening hours on site.
What to Bring
Warm layers, gloves and a hat, and thick socks for rented skates; bring an ID if the rink asks for one as a deposit, and rubles in cash, since foreign cards are reported not to work.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Ice Skating Season in Moscow
The GUM rink with the Kremlin wall behind
Skaters on the ice with the lit facade of GUM and the Kremlin wall behind them. It is one of the best-known winter frames in Moscow.
Best time: Early evening, after dusk.
VDNKh rink between the fountains
A wide expanse of ice with the Stalin-era pavilions and fountains around it. The scale of the rink and the architecture are the point.
Best time: Dusk and early evening.
Gorky Park rink from the central entrance
The rink along the park's alleys with trees hung with lights. It shows the park's winter side.
Best time: Late afternoon.
Sokolniki Big Circle
A ring of alleys with skaters among snow-covered trees, with radial paths leading off. It is a quieter, local scene.
Best time: Midday in cold weather.
Photography Rules
No general photography rules for the rinks were found. Skaters may not want to be photographed, so ask before filming people, and security zones near Red Square may restrict tripods and drones. Drone rules in Moscow are strict and were not checked.
Family Suitability
Skating suits families well: large rinks have zones for children and beginners, rent skates and have warm rooms, and many park rinks are free. Crowds on weekends and holidays, the cold and falls are the main limits for small children. Stroller access depends on the rink and the snow.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Go on a weekday morning or early afternoon for the central rinks, which are crowded on evenings and weekends.
- Choose VDNKh or Gorky Park if you want space to skate, and the GUM rink if you want the view.
- Check the weather before you go to a natural-ice rink, since a thaw closes it.
- Bring thick socks and gloves; rented skates are often tight and the ice is cold.
- Look for free park rinks on the city portal if you only want a short, cheap session.
- Combine skating with the Journey to Christmas festival in December, but expect crowds.
Explore Nearby Ice Skating Season in Moscow
Sights near Ice Skating Season in Moscow
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FAQ: Ice Skating Season in Moscow
When is the skating season in Moscow?
From late November or early December to late February or March.
Is skating on Red Square possible?
Yes, at the GUM rink in winter, with its own ticket.
Which rink is the biggest?
The rinks in Gorky Park and at VDNKh are among the largest artificial rinks in Europe.
Are there free rinks?
Yes, many park rinks and the Sokolniki Big Circle are free to enter.
Can I rent skates?
Yes, at most rinks, often with a deposit or ID.
Do I need to book?
Not always, but popular sessions can sell out; check each rink's site.
Does natural ice always open?
No, it depends on the weather.
Is there a guide on this site?
Yes, see the how-to guide on ice skating in Moscow in winter.
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Last updated: October 7, 2026.
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