Official opening of Sunderland’s ice rink in Keel Square cancelled due to Storm Arwen

The popular attraction is set to return to Keel Square this year, as the centrepiece of a packed festive programme, with the grand opening scheduled for today.

Having been an open air ice rink in previous years, the rink is set to be covered this year to ensure the weather won’t get in the way of festive fun.

A spokesperson for Sunderland BiD confirmed to the Echo that it will be closed to the public on Saturday, November 27 due to Storm Arwen.

It is currently unknown when the ice rink will now officially open but when it does, it is set to run until Monday, January 3.

The Christmas programme is being delivered in partnership between Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID), and the plans will be welcome news after last year’s festivities were curtailed by Covid restrictions.

The activities are concentrated around the Riverside Sunderland site, which has undergone a dramatic transformation since the last major festive programme in 2019, with construction of City Hall now complete and the new Holiday Inn Keel Square taking shape.

The Bridges multi-storey car park is currently closed due to damage to the shutters caused by high winds, the centre confirmed on social media.

A section of The Bridges Shopping Centre itself is also understood to be closed to the public due to debris falling from the roof.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Sunderland’s stories for generations to come.

Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Echo’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.