CHRISTMAS
MANCHESTER’S Ice Village has arrived in Cathedral Gardens. The Ice Cavern is once again the centrepiece of the Christmas Markets’ family area and this year has a Fantasy Adventure theme, featuring mythical beasts and royal regalia.
A team of the world’s best ice artists began hand-carving the intricate ice sculptures for the immersive walk-through experience as far back as June.
In fact, 250 tonnes of ice have been used to create everything from a massive dragon bathed in fire-red light, to a spectacular unicorn and an ice princess.
The mythical creatures guard the entrance to a frozen castle, its battlements and turrets, all built from solid blocks of ice.
You can also get that allimportant selfie trapped in a block of ice, or have your picture taken inside the icy medieval stocks.
To stop any of it melting, the cavern, effectively a massive freezer structure installed in front of the National Football Museum, is kept at a chilly -10º so you certainly need hats and gloves at the ready.
Perhaps most exciting for youngsters is the Ice Regal carriage you can actually sit in, not forgetting the mini ice slide - and don’t worry mums and dads, while it’s mostly aimed at under 12s, you can accompany little ones, or even have a go yourself, so there’s no getting out of it.
There’ll be a Santa’s grotto on site from November 20 and the covered Skate Manchester ice rink has already opened.
Emily Duffy, of Ice Village Manchester, said: “The ice sculptures were all hand-carved at the Ice Village’s ice sculpture studio in south west London.
“The ice sculpting is all done in special refrigerated shipping containers using a combination of power tools, computer-aided machinery, and traditional Japanese Samurai chisels.
“Once each sculpture is complete, it’s wrapped for protection and put into freezer storage.
“Work began in June, so it takes the team six months to create all the sculptures.
“The biggest ice sculptures, such as the train from last year’s Ice Village and the dragon this year, actually comprise many individually-sculpted elements that are assembled on site.”
Unlike last year, where a small
Ice Bar was featured inside the cavern, this time there’s a separate Ice Tiki Bar for over 18s. You can buy separate tickets for this, which include a cocktail or mocktail in an ice glass.
The Ice Cavern itself costs £9 for adults, £7 for children aged four to 15, or £28 for a family of four. Under fours go free but still need a ticket.
New sessions start every 15 minutes and you can book in advance or turn up on the day and you can spend as long as you like inside.
The Ice Village is open daily until Sunday, January 5, except Christmas Day.
For more information and to book tickets, visit the website icevillage. co.uk.