Free entry, booked in advance, from 20 November to 3 January at the Norfolk Showground. Opening days, hours, ride wristband prices and the ice rink.
Winter Wonderland Norwich opens at the Norfolk Showground on Friday 20 November 2026 and runs until Sunday 3 January 2027, and entry is free. The organiser’s own tickets page calls it “Step into Christmas, the admission’s free”, but you still book a free admission ticket in advance through its booking partner, SeeTickets. The ice rink, grotto, rides and wheel are paid extras.
The quick answer
- Dates: 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Weekends only in November, then daily from 1 December. Closed Christmas Day.
- Where: Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Norwich NR5 0TT, off the A47 at the Longwater interchange.
- Price: free entry, booked in advance. Ride wristbands from £20.90.
- New for 2026: an illuminated trail and a 60m Sky Swing.
The opening date has moved. When we first checked in September, the organiser’s site gave 12 November. It now says 20 November on every page, including the dates and times page. Go by 20 November.
Opening days and hours
All from the organiser’s dates and times page.
| Period | Open | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| November | Fri 20 to Sun 22, Fri 27 to Sun 29 | Fri 4pm to 10pm, Sat 11am to 10pm, Sun 11am to 9pm |
| 1 to 20 December | Every day | Mon to Thu 4pm to 9pm, Fri 4pm to 10pm, Sat 11am to 10pm, Sun 11am to 9pm |
| 21 to 23 December | Every day | 11am to 9pm |
| Christmas Eve | Open | 11am to 7pm |
| Christmas Day | Closed | |
| 26 December to 3 January | Every day | Noon to 9pm |
Two things to plan around. Weekdays before 21 December do not open until 4pm, so there is no daytime weekday visit until the school holidays start. And Monday to Thursday in November it is shut altogether.
What costs what
Entry is free. Everything inside is priced separately, and only some of the prices are printed on the organiser’s own site.
Rides and games. These are the prices on the rides page:
| Ticket | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny Thrills wristband | £20.90 | Unlimited rides on nine children’s rides for a day, for children 90cm to 1.2m |
| Tiny Thrills wristband plus one skate | £31.30 | As above, plus one ice skating session |
| Ultimate Thrills wristband | £31.30 | Unlimited rides on the children’s rides plus ten bigger rides |
| Ultimate Thrills wristband plus one skate | £44.90 | As above, plus one ice skating session |
The bigger rides include the Airmaxx, Crazy Mouse roller coaster, Freefall, Red Devil, Snowdome Waltzer and dodgems. Wristbands are sold in limited numbers each day, and the organiser advises booking ahead.
If you only want a few rides, the Festive Fun Card is topped up with credits that work on rides, game stalls, and food and drink, and last for the whole season. £5 buys 5 credits, £20 buys 22, £50 buys 57 and £100 buys 125.
The Sky Swing, a 60m swing ride that is new this year, is a separate ticket and is not included in either wristband. It runs only in suitable weather (Sky Swing).
Ice skating is a separate booked session with skate hire included. The organiser’s skating page no longer prints prices and points to SeeTickets, which we could not read when we checked on 3 October. We will add the 2026 skating prices when we can confirm them from the organiser.
Santa’s Enchanted Grotto has its own prices and hours, set out on our Santa’s grotto in Norwich page alongside the city centre grottos.
What is there
- The ice rink. Just under 1,000 square metres of real ice under a clear-span cover, so it runs in the rain. Skate aids are available for children and beginners (Magical Ice Skating).
- Journey to the North Pole: Illuminated. New for 2026. A lit trail through festive scenes, open from dusk to close, which the organiser says takes 20 to 40 minutes (Illuminated).
- The observation wheel. 24 enclosed capsules, with a 15-minute LED light show after dark (Observation Wheel).
- Mistletoe Lane Christmas Market. Gift and food stalls. The 2026 traders have not been announced; the page still lists last year’s (Mistletoe Lane).
- The Alpine Lodge and Bavarian Bar. Hot chocolate, mulled wine and beer in steins, with a stage. Food stalls include a carvery doing Yorkshire pudding wraps, German sausages, noodles, crêpes and churros (Food and drink).
- Grinchy’s Grotto Takeover. An adults-only comedy grotto on two Saturday nights, 5 and 19 December, 7pm to 9pm, with free tickets booked in advance (Grinchy’s Grotto).
Getting there
The showground is on Dereham Road on the western edge of the city, just off the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass at the A1074 Longwater interchange. The organiser gives NR5 0TT as the venue address and NR5 0TP for sat nav (Find us).
By bus, Konectbus service 4 and First’s Excel services stop outside the showground, and the organiser says it is partnering with Konectbus this year. Norwich station is about seven miles away.
The organiser’s own pages say nothing about parking arrangements or charges for 2026, so we are not going to guess. Check the find-us page before you set off, and our Norwich roadworks and travel page for anything shut on the A47 or Dereham Road that week. If you are heading into the city centre the same day, parking in Norwich has the car parks and tariffs.
The rest of the Norwich Christmas season
- Festive Lights Switch-on: Thursday 19 November, the night before Winter Wonderland opens. See our lights switch-on page.
- Christkindl Market: Chapelfield Gardens, 11 to 20 December. See our Norwich Christmas market page.
- Pantomime: Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal from 5 December. See our pantomime page.
Frequently asked questions
When does Winter Wonderland Norwich open in 2026?
Friday 20 November 2026, at 4pm. It runs until Sunday 3 January 2027. In November it opens on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only; from 1 December it opens every day except Christmas Day.
Is Winter Wonderland Norwich free?
Entry is free, but you book a free admission ticket in advance through SeeTickets. The ice rink, grotto, rides, observation wheel, Sky Swing and illuminated trail are paid extras.
How much are the ride wristbands?
£20.90 for the Tiny Thrills wristband for younger children, and £31.30 for the Ultimate Thrills wristband. Versions that include one ice skating session are £31.30 and £44.90.
Is there an ice rink in Norwich this Christmas?
Yes, at Winter Wonderland on the Norfolk Showground: just under 1,000 square metres of real ice under a cover, with skate hire included. 2026 skating prices were not readable on the organiser’s booking site when we checked.
Can you get the bus to Winter Wonderland Norwich?
Yes. The organiser says Konectbus service 4 and First’s Excel services stop outside the Norfolk Showground.
What is Grinchy’s Grotto?
An adults-only comedy version of the grotto, on Saturday 5 and Saturday 19 December from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets are free and must be booked.
Sources
Winter Wonderland Norwich: home page, tickets, dates and times, find us, ice skating, rides and game stalls, Illuminated, observation wheel, Sky Swing, Grinchy’s Grotto, food and drink and Mistletoe Lane. All checked 3 October 2026.
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