Belfast Botanic Gardens to host special 'Christmas Ice Experience'

A snowy scene captured in Botanic Gardens in Belfast
-Credit: (Image: Meghan McArdle)


Botanic Gardens is to provide a special 'Christmas Ice Experience' this winter and into the new year.

A Belfast Council committee document reveals councillors approved behind closed doors the 11 week event for the popular South Belfast park.

At the September meeting of the Belfast City Council People and Communities Committee, during 'restricted items', elected representatives approved a request from Scottish based event hire and catering company Jordan Events Ltd.

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They will host a 'Christmas Spectacular Winter Ice experience' in Botanic Gardens from 15th November 2024 to 2nd January 2025.

The proposed event will include Christmas market stalls, an 'ice museum', an ice rink and slide, and a big wheel. It will also have a public bar, a 'food offering' and 'décor features'.

A council officer said that there would be no entry fee for the event, but some of the fixtures detailed would be charged individually. They also confirmed that the park would not close for the event, and added it would have longer opening hours than it normally would have at that time of year, which would “help to animate the space”.

The officer said that the organisers had indicated that approximately 10 days either side of the event operating dates would be required for event build and “de-rig", but there would be no requirement to close the park.

The minutes of the meeting, as published this week for the full council, state: “A member asked the Director to ensure that due diligence of the applicants was undertaken to ensure the council was achieving value for money.

“The Director assured the members that through due diligence checks would be undertaken and if any issue was highlighted, or the companies were not deemed to meet the required criteria a subsequent report would be submitted to the committee.

“Following a further query, the Director undertook to ascertain which charity the promoter intended to donate to, and to liaise with him directly. He noted that any decision regarding the distribution of the Social Fee for Botanic would be considered by the South Area Working Group in due course.”

It added: “During discussion the Director also advised that the promoters had indicated that they would be keen to engage with residents at an early stage regarding the event to help mitigate any issues that might arise.”

Councillors granted authority to the applicant for the proposed event on the dates noted, subject to “due diligence of the applicant, the completion of the appropriate event management plans and satisfactory terms being agreed”.

Two years ago Belfast City Council was told it had “lost the trust” of Botanic residents after the Bright Lights event in Winter 2021/22.

At City Hall in June 2022 a spokesperson for residents living around Botanic Gardens gave a searing critique of the council’s decision to give up the park to the Bright Lights in Botanic Gardens event, run by a private company, from November 13 2021 to January 9 2022.

The event illuminated the public park with a trail involving more than 18,000 bulbs, 25,000 metres of neon tubes, 10,000 metres of tree lighting and 160 lanterns, all sound-tracked by Christmas themed music.

Many questioned the ticket pricing - with the cost for a family of two adults and three children going above £85.

Others complained about invasive noise which went beyond the gardens into the University area and Stranmillis, and some complained bitterly about their experiences with staff and company management. Much of the Gardens were closed to the general public for the three month event.

The council said throughout that Bright Lights was a commercial event and was not funded by the local authority. It did not give information relating to how much money it made from allowing the organisers to stage the display in Botanic Gardens. The promoter, Wonderland Productions NI Ltd, made no comment at the time.

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