Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square Opens for 2026-27 Season in Los Angeles

The Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square has officially opened its gates for the 2026-27 season, bringing a touch of winter to the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Located at 532 S. Olive St., the 7,200-square-foot facility offers residents and visitors alike the chance to enjoy outdoor skating in the city through January 3. While many people search for Pershing Square in the context of financial firms, this historic park is currently defined by its seasonal transformation into a popular recreational hub.

The Holiday Ice Rink at Pershing Square has returned to downtown Los Angeles for its annual winter season.

Operating on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., the rink organizes its schedule into 60-minute skating sessions that begin every 90 minutes. This year marks more than 25 years of holiday skating traditions at the downtown location, which annually attracts over 45,000 skaters and more than 221,000 spectators. Tickets for the sessions are currently available for purchase.

Special Events and Programming

A formal celebration to mark the return of the rink is scheduled for November 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will feature live skating performances by the LA Ice Theater, a hula hoop skater, and musical selections from the Grand Arts Holiday Jazz Carolers. Additionally, Buddy the Elf from the Hollywood Pantages Theatre’s production of "Elf the Musical" will make an appearance before the park’s holiday tree is illuminated.

Throughout the season, the rink will host "Tuesdays After Dark," a series of themed skating events starting at 7:30 p.m. These include "Onesies Tuesday," "Friendsgiving," "Broadway on Ice," "Latin Holiday Night," "K-Pop Holiday Skate," "A Country Christmas," and a "Y2K Nostalgic New Year" celebration. The Broadway-themed session on December 1 will feature music and activities tied to "The Lion King" and "Elf the Musical."

Other recurring programming includes "DJ Spotlight" sessions on select December evenings, featuring a mix of soul, funk, disco, and pop music. Furthermore, the "Classical Sundays" series, presented by Classical California, will provide a backdrop of classical music during the noon and 1:30 p.m. sessions each Sunday.

Why it matters

The return of the ice rink serves as a significant annual cultural event for downtown Los Angeles, providing a rare outdoor winter recreational space in a major metropolitan center. It impacts local tourism and community engagement by drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the downtown area during the holiday months.

For residents and visitors, the rink offers a centralized venue for holiday festivities and themed community gatherings. The event highlights the integration of arts and local entertainment, such as theater collaborations, into public city spaces, reinforcing the park's role as a primary destination for seasonal social activity.