Visiting the Manchester Ice Cavern
This is what happens when you give a team of ice sculptors 4 months and 4000 litres of water to play with…or maybe you can visualise it better in terms of tonnes of ice: over 250 of them! The Manchester Ice Cavern is part of Britain’s very first dedicated Ice Village. It opened in November 2018 ready to celebrate the festive run up to Christmas. It is the largest ice attraction the UK has ever seen and is truly spectacular! It’s a great addition to the Manchester Christmas Markets experience.
When I first saw photos of these tremendous ice sculptures, I knew I had to fit in a trip to see them. Living half way between Manchester and Liverpool, Manchester is my local city. However with lots in the diary in the run up to Christmas, I was unsure whether I’d manage to get there. As you can see – I did and it was well worth the trip!
The Manchester Ice Cavern Experience
An icy blast hits you in the face as you enter the cavern which is hardly surprising as it is kept at a chilly -10°. Brrrrrrr…. I wish I’d had a few extra layers on but as it was a last minute spontaneous trip into Manchester, I wasn’t exactly dressed for the temperature! Ooops…
You enter into the wintery North Pole landscape full of arctic animals where you’ll encounter polar bears, wolves, snow foxes, huskies, arctic hares and even a Yeti, all set against a backdrop of icicles, snowflakes and twinkly lights.
Emerging from the arctic woodlands you’ll find an absolutely tremendous steam locomotive. This was easily my favourite sculpture in the Manchester Ice Cavern, although the penguins are super cute and just make me want to hug them (if they weren’t so ‘icy’ of course.) Formed from over 100 individually carved blocks of ice, there’s so much detail on the locomotive it’s hard to believe the sculpture was achievable.
Santa’s workshop scenes where elves are hard at work making toys look fabulous, especially the conveyor belt coming out of a wall inlaid with sweets. The team have created some fantastically inventive scenes.
Amongst them there are many references to Manchester’s rich heritage and culture hidden in the ice. According to the sign on the way in there are 10 of them. I was so mesmerised by the sculptures, I forgot to actually look out for them all so I didn’t spot all 10. There are plenty of cogs, pistons and tools on display to acknowledge Manchester’s industrial history.
Then there’s the female train driver positioned next to that epic steam locomotive who sports a “Votes for Women” badge. This is a tribute to Manchester-born suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. Also, look out for the Manchester bee and the emblems of the two Manchester football clubs.
You finally end up in Santa’s Grotto where you can sit in his fireplace (ice) chair with a warming cup of hot chocolate or Gluhwein from the ice bar. Yes there’s a bar in the ice cavern too, but make sure you pile on the layers to counteract that chilly -10°!
The Manchester Ice Cavern is billed as a fully immersive and interactive walk-through experience where you’re encouraged to touch the ice and take selfies.
Manchester Ice Cavern Sculpture Techniques
As you walk round you’ll see little ice plaques giving you details about what you’re seeing and how the sculptures were made. For example, one sign tells us about the tools used by the ice sculptors including chisels made from Japanese steel. Another informs us how the ice is made to look so clear. This is achieved by removing all the bubbles and impurities from the water before freezing.
In contrast to the crystal clear ice, the pink stripes of the festive candy canes certainly stand out. I had no idea how the pink colour was obtained but after a bit of research, I discovered that it was done by adding red poster paint to the water. Rudolph’s cold nose was formed the same way.
It might have taken the sculptors of the Manchester Ice Cavern 4 months to create the sculptures but the hard work certainly paid off. The sculptures were carved out initially in refrigerated shipping containers as the massive freezer structure that sprung up in Cathedral Gardens to house the ice cavern was only constructed a short while before it opened to the public.
Visitor Information
Other attractions in the ice village include an ice rink, the Arctic Bar and a woodland market with stalls, food and drink and wintery games. There’s even an area to sit and eat under an all-weather canopy. Venture beyond Cathedral Gardens and there are Manchester’s extensive Christmas markets to explore too. There’s over 300 market stalls at 10 locations across the city centre. Manchester doesn’t do anything by halves!
The ice village site itself is free to enter but you need to buy tickets for the ice cavern and ice-skating rink. The ice cavern costs £10: adults, £9: concessions, £8: Under 16’s and Under 4’s are free. (Note: these prices are £1 less online but with a £1 ticket booking fee making them the same price.) It is open daily from 11am till 9pm until the 6th January 2019, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Personally I think this price is a little on the steep side considering I only spent about 15 minutes in there. However when you think about all the work and time that goes into making these sculptures and the cost of running the freezer environment 24/7, I understand the cost.
Walking through Manchester’s ice cavern is a magical experience but take my advice: wrap up warm so you don’t end up scuttling out in a hurry blowing warm air into your hands!
Have you visited the Manchester Ice Cavern?
Which was your favourite sculpture? Let me know in the comments below…
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10 COMMENTS
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Deepa Kartha | 22nd Mar 19
Wow! It looks a magical place. Despite the cost, I loved all the things & a must-experience place in the UK. Thanks for sharing.
Tilly Horseman | 15th Apr 19
Agreed. I definitely thought it was worth it! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Trish Burgess | 21st Dec 18
Ooh I had no idea the UK had an Ice Village. This looks spectacular and worth a look, despite the cost.
We were in Lapland earlier this year for a cross-country skiing trip and didn’t set aside any time to go to an ice village nearby. We’re going again in February so I’ll have to hunt it out.
Tilly Horseman | 21st Dec 18
It’s the first year they’ve done it and I hope it’s been popular enough to repeat it next year! Lapland looks fabulous – I’d definitely factor in time to go to the ice village next time you’re there. Consider it a must…!
A Lady in London | 21st Dec 18
Wow, that looks amazing! I love the tribute to Emmeline Pankhurst.
Tilly Horseman | 21st Dec 18
Yes, me too! I’m glad they included her!
Kath | 21st Dec 18
The Ice Cavern is definitely a stunning but expensive outing! Unless dressed prepared for Arctic or Antarctic climates, it would be difficult for anyone to spend very long in there, which is a shame as there is so much to see and appreciate that a second and third “go round” would be great!!!
Tilly Horseman | 21st Dec 18
Agreed – you definitely need to pile on the layers to make the most of your visit, especially if you’re going to partake in a tipple at the Ice Bar!
Donna Janke | 20th Dec 18
The Manchester Ice Cavern looks very impressive. I’ve seen a variety of ice sculptures during winter festivals in my home city of Winnipeg, Canada, but the closest I’ve come to something like this was visiting Aurora Ice Museum in Alaska this summer. It’s a lot of work to create the type of sculptures at the Manchester Ice Cavern. I wonder if this will be a one-time event or whether it might be repeated in subsequent years.
Tilly Horseman | 20th Dec 18
Yes, I don’t think many people realise just how much work goes in to these works of art! Only time will tell as to whether it will feature next year…I think for the general UK public though, they may need to reduce the admission cost and get more people in to cover the cost… From much of the feedback I’ve heard – many think it’s too expensive for what you actually see and the amount of time you spend there. As an artist myself, I can see the amount of work that has gone into it and can understand the price point. The Aurora Ice Museum sounds amazing – definitely one to visit should I find myself in Alaska some day!