Ice skating and glorious views at the Festive Fair in Millennium Square

It’s a bitter winter night with a flurry of snow in the air, but the weather is no match for the pull of bright lights and sounds of happy squeals emanating from the ice-skating rink, drawing people to We The Curious’ Festive Fair that has transformed Millennium Square.

Fairground stalls, a carousel and bungee trampolines are lit up against the darkness, while wooden food shacks, decorated with lights and evergreen foliage, offer hot treats including traditional bratwurst, freshly-made crêpes and roasted chestnuts. Music pumps from an atmospheric Après Bristol bar that’s doing a roaring trade in cups of mulled wine and cider, hot chocolate and bottles of alpine peach lager Jubël (all £4).

Après Bristol sells a range of drinks including mulled wine and hot chocolate

The ice rink begins to be emptied of flush-cheeked skaters and is prepared for the next skating slot, which gives us just enough time to take a ride on the SkyView wheel (£6 adults, £4 kids aged four-16, £1 for children under four).

Compartments offer space for up to six and we pack in excitedly, ready for lift-off. The wheel begins to rotate and we rise up vertiginously, above the drinkers huddling by the outdoor heaters of the city bars, up above the rooftops of Pryzm and We The Curious, until we can see across to Arnolfini and M shed on one side, and to the top floors of Colston Tower on the other side. We rise to a staggering height, the lights of Bristol twinkling below, and then tip over the edge to roll back around to the bottom, ready to go again and again.

A view over Millennium Square’s Festive Fair from the SkyView Wheel

As we disembark from the wheel, it starts to snow. A little girl skips past, sticking her longer out to catch snowflakes, and we make our way towards the white marquee to collect our skates for the 45-minute session (£8.50 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and £6.50 for children when booked in advance, plus £5 to hire skate aids).

The friendly staff take our shoes and bags in return for a pair of brightly blue ice-skates, which we put on clumsily, standing up on shaky legs. The crowd waits with anticipation to be allowed out, and then suddenly the ground below us has become slippery and cold, and we’re all skating loops around the rink, reflected in the mirrored surface of the Planetarium.

The ice rink is in the shadow of the mirrored Planetarium

With music blaring, people of all ages skate around the compact rink, lit up blue by the lights. Some confident skaters weaving effortlessly through the melee with hands in pockets, while beginners cling on to the barriers around the edge.

A little girl of no more than eight pushes her little sister on a special banana-shaped sledge and they have great fun weaving through traffic amongst arm-waving comedy falls and selfie-taking couples. As everyone becomes more confident, the wobbles become fewer and the exhilaration greater, proud mums clap and cheer from the sidelines, and all-too-soon it is over.

A huge traditional Christmas tree adds to the festive feel

As our time ends, we leave the ice to take the skates off, carrying the dusting of shaved ice on our knees and elbows as a badge of honour. If you’re looking for something to get you into the Christmas spirit this year, make sure you pay Millennium Square the visit it deserves.

We The Curious’ Festive Fair in Millennium Square runs until January 16 2018. To book a slot for ice skating, visit www.wethecurious.org/event/ice-skating-sessions.