Polar Skate, Curling, Skating Shows & DJs at Pershing Square, LA

Los Angeles Holiday Ice Rink

November 16, 2023-January 7, 2024

Pershing Square
532 South Olive St,
Los Angeles, CA
$20 includes skate rental, holidayicerinkdowntownla.com

LOS ANGELES, CALIF.--Pershing Square Holiday Ice Rink, formerly known as Downtown Ice is sponsored by LA Parks. Operated by local skate professional, Willy Bietak, this is one of the most fun, wackiest and full-of-surprises seasonal ice skating rinks in California. Bietak Productions knows how to entertain with their professional ice shows on cruise ships, TV, and tours around the globe. So don't be surprised if there are a few amazing skaters appearing from time to time in Downtown Los Angeles at the Pershing Square Rink. There are curling games, dress-up days, and holiday celebrations like Angelinos have never seen (as ice rinks outdoors are rare in the City of Angels.)

We've been to this rink and find the staff is very professional and accommodating to all levels of skaters, the rink is clean and there's lots of musical entertainment as well as events to rock you through the season. Book tickets online as they do tend to sell out.

Pop-up icescape transforms Pershing Square into a winter wonderland!

Free community and special events
Low skate admission price
DJ nights
Skating exhibitions
Single in the City Skate night
Winter Holiday Festival
Polar Bear Skate

Downtown on Ice outdoor skating rink, LA's biggest outdoor rink with the smallest admission price, gets underway. As an original Southland tradition and a favorite holiday destination, the community rink is open everyday during the skating season. Picturesque Pershing Square boasts a medley of FREE events including a winter concert series, the Winter Holiday Festival, championship skating exhibitions, broomball games, and more.

Framed by towering skyscrapers and stunning historical landmarks, the spacious rink is made possible through collaboration with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, Councilmember 14th District, and Willy Bietak Productions which handles rink operations and management. The grand opening "ice breaker" ceremony is always a blast.

Underground discount parking is available with validation.
 

 Pershing Square's holiday ice rink returns for a season of skating, performances, games and more, all in the shadow of downtown's gleaming skyscrapers.

The biggest Los Angeles holiday outdoor ice skating rink with the smallest admission price, DOWNTOWN ON ICE, is back for another year.

 Welcome to Pershing Square, an outdoor concert and event center. Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Pershing Square hosts an array of free programs for the downtown community.

A frosty tradition at picturesque Pershing Square is our favorite holiday destination. Each year guests discover free  events including concerts, championship skating demos, and special days with all kinds of entertainment. 

Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and Councilmember Jan Perry (9th District), you can reach the rink by car, bus or Metro. The convenient stop at Pershing Square Station makes getting there easy. Underground discount parking is available with validation. 

Special Events

Pershing Square's annual holiday ice skating event returns each year with larger crowds and more fun. The annual downtown Los Angeles city event, Downtown on Ice, has become a success.

Jon Jerde studied Pershing Square to help put a positive spin on a spot that once experienced blight. In the heart of the downtown financial and work center in L.A. homeless once occupied Pershing Square, an LA Parks venue, in a not-so-tourist-friendly manner. Jerde has similarly turned city downtowns around. And while some lament the fact that the Downtown on Ice annual event does so well, yet seemingly not much else, the growing numbers of attendees make this event a great kick-start to help interest grow in a center plaza surrounded by high-rise buildings in the heart of downtown.

Constructed by an ice events management company contracted by the City of Los Angeles, the ice skating rink has grown in popularity during the 10+ years it has been around. Adding to the quality of this well-managed event is the free concert series that also attracts guests to explore. Just a jump off the Metro's Pershing Square exit, guests who take the Metro save $1 on their admission to an affordable ice attraction. Over 350,000 people attend annually.

 The approx. 40-by-60-foot open-air ice rink built on a 5-acre parcel next to the civic center is designed to bring residents and tourists together, giving them something special for the holidays.  The man-made ice is created with a wooden stage and metal refrigeration plates. Workers install special coils connected to a large refrigeration unit, and freeze gallons and gallons of water that are sprayed onto the plates and frozen, one layer at a time, until they form a 2-inch-thick sheet of ice. In recent years, the respected and well-known skate professional, Willy Bietak of Willy Bietak Productions, Inc., has taken the event up a few notches so that it offers even greater appeal.

With anticipation that the event will be produced for many years to come, the Parks Department has stated it looked forward to securing a long term contract with a management firm that would come in and build the temporary rink, then man and rent it with quality staff. The have succeeded!

Where to stay: 

Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles 

Westin Bonaventure hotel.

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.