Ice sculptures, fire and ice displays and festive market stalls return to the East Yorkshire coast on 14 and 15 November, with the full programme still to come.
The Bridlington Ice Trail returns on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026, turning the town centre into a winter route of hand-carved ice. Most people know Bridlington for its beach and harbour in summer. In November, the same streets fill with sculptures that begin melting the moment they go on show.
That is the part worth planning around. The organisers have published the dates and the headline features, but not the schedule, the sculpture locations or the road closures. This guide sets out what is confirmed, what earlier years looked like, and what to check before you set off. Details were checked on 29 September 2026 and will be updated when the programme is released. If you are planning a longer trip to the coast, our guide to family days out in Yorkshire has more ideas.
Event date: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026
Location: Bridlington town centre, East Riding of Yorkshire
Nearest town: Bridlington. Hull is about 44 minutes away by direct train.
Getting there: Direct trains from Hull to Bridlington station. The council’s park-and-ride is not scheduled to operate on the event weekend (see Getting There below).
Admission: Not confirmed for 2026. Earlier editions were free, but check with the organisers before you travel.
Tickets: None announced. Check the official Bridlington Ice Trail website for updates.
What It Is
The Bridlington Ice Trail is a two-day winter event featuring ice sculptures along a route through the town centre. For 2026, the organisers promote hand-carved ice creations, fire-and-ice displays, and festive market stalls. No sculpture subjects have been announced.
The event has a short but documented history. In 2024 it ran on Saturday 16 November with a “Christmas on the Coast” theme, and East Riding of Yorkshire Council said at the time that UK Government funding had helped bring it to the town. In 2025, it ran on 15 and 16 November, featuring 15 sculptures with Christmas and maritime themes, carved by the Glacial Art team. The council said it was backed by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with local business sponsorship supporting individual sculptures.
What Happens
For 2026, three things are confirmed as part of the event: hand-carved ice sculptures, fire and ice displays, and festive market stalls with local crafts, treats and gifts. Times, locations and the exact format are not yet published, so treat everything below about earlier years as background, not a 2026 timetable.
In 2025, the trail opened at 11am on both days. Live ice carving took place outside HSBC on Manor Street and lasted around three hours. An interactive carving wall opened at Garrison Square at 11:30am. Fire and ice shows ran for 15 minutes at Regent Gardens at 1pm and 4pm on Saturday, and at 1pm and 3:30pm on Sunday. Santa’s Grotto ran only on Saturday. Sculptures were taken down at 5:30pm on Saturday and at 3:30pm on Sunday.
Ice is the point, and ice does not last. The organisers’ own guidance says that wet, sunny or windy weather can melt sculptures faster, and that a sculpture may be removed during the day if it is damaged or touched. On a bright afternoon you can watch the edges soften, and the meltwater run onto the pavement. The fire displays in earlier years paired chainsaw ice carving with pyrotechnics, which puts noise, heat and November air in the same small space.
When and Where
The Ice Trail takes place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026 in Bridlington town centre. Sculpture locations have not been published for 2026, so there is no venue postcode to give you yet.
In 2025, the organisers offered free trail maps from Bridlington Tourist Information Centre, as an online download, and from volunteers on the day. Sculpture locations were also listed with what3words references, and interactive sculptures were marked with a camera icon. Expect similar arrangements, but check the Visit East Yorkshire event page and the official site for the 2026 map.
Getting There
By train, Northern’s journey planner lists direct services from Hull to Bridlington with an average journey of 44 minutes. Bridlington is a Category A station with level access to all platforms via lifts. The station car park has 43 spaces, including four accessible spaces, at £3.30 a day, so it will fill early on a busy weekend.
Road closures for 2026 have not been published. The council’s Bridlington park and ride at South Cliff (YO15 3QN) is listed as operating from 28 March to 1 November 2026, which ends before the Ice Trail weekend. Check the council’s parking pages for event-day arrangements before you leave home.
Where to Stay
Premier Inn Bridlington Seafront, Bridlington. A chain hotel next to the seafront, with partial sea views from some rooms. Book early for a November weekend.
Seacourt Hotel, 76 South Marine Drive, Bridlington. An Edwardian seafront hotel on South Marine Drive with a bar and an on-site carvery. Breakfast is included, rooms are upstairs, and dogs are welcome in the restaurant area but not in the rooms.
Where to Eat and Drink
North Beach Fish and Chips, North Marine Promenade, Bridlington. A seafront chip shop looking across Bridlington Bay towards Flamborough Head, open since 2015. Opening hours change with the season and the weather, so check its Google Business Profile on the morning you visit.
The Bridlington Christmas Food Festival ran on King Street at the same time as the trail in 2024 and 2025. Nothing has been confirmed for 2026.
Beyond the Trail: Bridlington Priory
If you want a second stop that is not part of the Ice Trail, the Old Town has a medieval priory. Augustinian canons founded Bridlington Priory in the early twelfth century, and its nave survives today as the parish church of St Mary. Nearby stands the Bayle Gate, the priory’s gatehouse, dated to about 1388 when Richard II granted permission to crenellate it. It later housed a school and has been used as a museum, so check opening arrangements before you visit.
This is a suggestion for your day, not part of the event. The priory’s own history page explains what remains of the monastery. For a longer coastal trip, our guide to secret beaches and hidden coves on the Yorkshire coast covers the shoreline north of here.
Planning Your Weekend
Because the 2026 programme is unpublished, the safest plan is to be flexible. Here is how to build a day around what is known and what is not.
Choose your day first. Saturday and Sunday are both listed on the official website, so you are not limited to Saturday. In 2025, the Saturday ran later, with sculptures on show until 5:30pm, compared with 3:30pm on the Sunday, and Santa’s Grotto opened on Saturday only. Those are 2025 patterns, not 2026 promises, but they show why the two days may not be identical.
Arrive with time to spare for the live carving. In 2025, each carving took around three hours and started at 11am, so arriving at opening let you watch a block become a sculpture. Fire and ice shows in 2025 lasted 15 minutes, which is short enough to miss if you are queuing for a coffee.
Keep the afternoon loose. If the weather turns warm or windy, sculptures may come down early, so see the ice first and leave the Priory, the seafront and lunch for later. Check the official website again on the Friday before you travel, because schedules, road closures and access arrangements are the details most likely to change.
Worth Knowing
- History: The Bayle Gate was licensed for fortification by Richard II around 1388, meaning the Ice Trail’s sculptures are on display in a town whose gatehouse is more than 600 years old.
- Practical tip: In 2025, sculptures came down at 3:30 pm on the Sunday, two hours earlier than on the Saturday. If the 2026 pattern matches, Saturday gives you the longer viewing day.
- What makes it different: Every sculpture is temporary by design. The organisers may remove pieces early in wet, sunny or windy weather, so a sculpture you see at 11am may not be there at 3pm.
Practical Tips
- Check the official website for the 2026 schedule, map and road closures before travelling. None had been published when this guide was checked.
- Wear waterproofs and gloves. Melting ice, sea air and standing about between shows are all cold in November.
- Download the digital map. In 2025, the organisers encouraged digital downloads and marked interactive selfie sculptures with a camera icon.
- Do not touch or climb on the sculptures. Touching can damage them and lead to their removal.
- In 2025, the organisers described Bridlington’s smooth, flat surfaces and ramped access and said they chose sculpture locations with accessibility in mind. Confirm the 2026 details on the official site.
- Dogs were welcome in public spaces in 2025, but the organisers warned of crowds. Judge whether your dog will be comfortable.
Responsible Visiting
Keep to the marked route and stay off the sculptures. Take litter home or use the bins provided. Use the train if you can, as the town centre is busy and residents still have to get around.
Reader Q&A
Is the Bridlington Ice Trail free in 2026?
Not confirmed. The 2024 and 2025 editions were free to attend, but the organisers have not announced 2026 admission or booking arrangements, so check the official website before you travel.
What time does the Bridlington Ice Trail start in 2026?
No 2026 times have been published. In 2025, the trail started at 11am on both days, but do not treat that as a 2026 timetable.
How do I get to the Bridlington Ice Trail without a car?
Take the train to Bridlington station. Northern operates direct trains from Hull, with an average journey time of 44 minutes, and the station has level access to all platforms via lifts.
Are the sculptures wheelchair accessible?
The organisers said the 2025 route used smooth, flat surfaces and ramped access, with sculpture locations chosen for accessibility. Check the official site for 2026 arrangements.
Will the sculptures still be there if it rains?
Not always. The organisers say wet, sunny or windy weather can melt ice faster, and pieces may be removed during the day if the weather or damage requires it.
Can I bring my dog to the Bridlington Ice Trail?
Probably, but check. The organisers said dogs would be welcome in public spaces in 2025, while warning about crowds, and asked owners to judge whether their pet would be comfortable. No 2026 dog policy has been published.
Beyond the last sculpture and the last show, the North Sea will still be at the end of the street, as it is on every other weekend of the year.
