Ice Wonderland

The skating season began with the opening of the Ice Wonderland ice park in Varaždin, the largest real-ice skating park in Croatia and the region. Spanning over 1,900 m², the park set a new benchmark for large-scale seasonal ice rinks.

The grand opening featured performances by professional skaters from Dubai, who particularly impressed the audience with choreographed routines and stilt ice skating performances. Varaždin’s Advent was named the Most Beautiful Advent in Croatia for the third consecutive year, and the Ice Park in Varaždin – with its diverse programme of events – undoubtedly contributed to this recognition.

The highest attendance at the rink was recorded during themed on-ice events. Highlights included Meet & Greet sessions with Ice Wonderland’s penguin mascots, a Children’s New Year celebration, skating and hockey schools, disco evenings, hockey tournaments, and assisted skating sessions for people with disabilities, further emphasizing the inclusive nature of the programme.

During the season, Ice Wonderland delivered more than 30 real-ice rinks, maintaining a clear focus on quality of execution, advanced cooling technology, and user experience rather than quantity. Notably, installations in shopping centres stood out, where Ice Wonderland continues to deliver high-quality real-ice rinks year after year. Shopping centres recognize the value of these rinks as additional attractions that increase footfall and visitor engagement.

A significant part of the season was dedicated to installations in luxury resorts, including projects at Porto Montenegro and Portonovi. Visitors enjoyed skating on real ice with sea views, making these rinks distinctive attractions within these popular destinations.

In addition to international resort projects, Ice Wonderland also installed a rink at the Roxanich Wine & Heritage Hotel this season, demonstrating the flexibility of the concept and its applicability within exclusive boutique hotels.

Ice Wonderland was also a partner of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival this year, installing two real-ice rinks in Dubrovnik and continuing a long-standing collaboration and presence at one of Croatia’s most important winter events.

A key focus of the season was the Middle East, marked by entry into the Saudi market through the Global City Dammam project. As part of this visionary cultural and entertainment initiative, Ice Wonderland designed and delivered the first seasonal outdoor real-ice rink in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Covering over 900 m², the rink provides visitors with a unique winter experience and represents a rare example of real-ice skating in a desert climate.

The entire season received extensive media coverage, with over 450 features across national, local, tourism, and lifestyle media outlets. Social media content generated over 2,200,000 views, confirming strong brand visibility and sustained interest in real-ice skating experiences.

Looking ahead to the next winter season, Ice Wonderland continues to advance quality and innovation. The company remains committed to delivering premium winter offerings and unforgettable experiences on ice, with new projects and initiatives planned to further enhance the season.

Ice Wonderland is a Croatian brand specializing in the design, construction, and management of luxury real-ice skating rinks, as well as infrastructure solutions for sports and entertainment projects. With more than 12 years of experience in Europe and, in recent years, the Middle East, Ice Wonderland made a strategic entry into the Saudi market in 2025 by participating in the Global City Dammam project.

As part of Global City Dammam, a visionary cultural and entertainment destination led by Vega Intertrade & Exhibitions, Ice Wonderland designed and delivered the first seasonal outdoor real-ice rink in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Covering more than 900 m², the rink offers visitors a unique winter attraction, creating an exceptional real-ice skating experience in the desert climate of Saudi Arabia.

The project is fully aligned with the strategic objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, which promotes the development of tourism, recreation, and cultural initiatives while contributing to the diversification of the Kingdom’s entertainment sector. Ice Wonderland combines high-quality real-ice rink technology, innovative design, and operational expertise to create skating experiences that attract families, youth, and entertainment audiences from around the region and beyond.

The entry into Global City Dammam marks a new milestone in Ice Wonderland’s international expansion. The brand has established itself as a trusted partner for global entertainment and sports projects, while the Dammam rink sets new standards for ice-based attractions in regions with extremely hot climatic conditions.

The Ice Wonderland brand specializes in the design, installation, and operational management of real-ice skating rinks for luxury hotels and resort destinations. Through integrated solutions, the brand enhances the overall hotel offering, contributes to the extension of the tourist season, and creates added value for both guests and the local community.

This season, Ice Wonderland real-ice rinks were delivered in prestigious seaside destinations, including Porto Montenegro and Portonovi, where they became an integral part of winter and holiday programmes. Each project is conceived as an added value to the destination, seamlessly integrated with existing hotel facilities, Advent or themed markets, and broader event programming.

Each ice rink is custom-built to suit its location, fully adapting to the space, architecture, and identity of the destination. Ice surfaces are integrated into hotel squares, marinas, terraces, and open-air spaces, while on-ice programmes – from recreational skating to entertainment performances and stage shows – form an essential part of the hotel and resort leisure offering. A distinctive attraction is the opportunity to skate in unique settings, including locations directly by the sea.

In addition to international projects at luxury resorts, this season Ice Wonderland also installed a rink at Roxanich Wine & Heritage Hotel, demonstrating the flexibility of the concept and the adaptability of its solutions even within exclusive boutique hotels. The project was developed as a premium seasonal amenity, enhancing the destination experience by connecting fine dining, architecture, and curated entertainment.

Ice Wonderland provides a complete end-to-end service, from conceptual design and technical implementation to operational management and programme production, ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and visual presentation. The ice rinks are designed to enable luxury hotels and resorts to differentiate themselves in the market and create an unforgettable winter experience for their guests.

Ice Wonderland ice park Varaždin is the largest ice park in Croatia and the region, featuring a total of 1,900 m² of ice surface located in the city centre of Varaždin. This unique winter project delivered a premium ice-skating experience, combining recreation, entertainment, and quality time for visitors of all ages.

The official opening of the ice park featured an impressive program with performances by professional skaters from Dubai. Acrobatics, choreographed routines, and stage performances – including a unique stilt ice-skating show – marked the start of the new skating season at Kapucinski Square, further establishing Ice Wonderland as a leading expert in large-scale ice projects.

During its nearly two-month run, Ice Wonderland Ice Park Varaždin offered a diverse and continuous programme, including evening themed skating sessions, special events, and seasonal activities. The park was designed as a safe, well-organised, and high-quality environment for recreation, entertainment, and social gatherings, operating in accordance with strict operational and safety standards.

This year, the Varaždin ice park served as the central skating destination in the region, while Advent in Varaždin was recognised for the third consecutive year as the Most Beautiful Advent in Croatia. Ice Wonderland Ice Park welcomed over 38,000 visitors of all ages – from the youngest guests taking their first steps on the ice to experienced skaters refining their technical elements.

After 12 years of designing, building, and operating Ice Wonderland real-ice rinks across Europe, 2025 marks a new milestone – our official entry into the Saudi Arabian entertainment market. We successfully launched in the UAE and are now proud to expand into Saudi Arabia with a series of strategic, long-term projects.

We are delighted to announce our participation in Global City Dammam, a flagship cultural and entertainment development organized by Vega Intertrade & Exhibitions. As part of this visionary project, Ice Wonderland will deliver the very first outdoor real-ice skating rink in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia – a world-class ice rink spanning more than 900 m².

The rink will be open seasonally, for the entire period of Global City Dammam’s operation, giving visitors the chance to enjoy real ice skating throughout the festival.

This milestone project is fully aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, which places strong emphasis on leisure, entertainment, and cultural exchange. With its innovative design and authentic real-ice experience, our rink will give families, youth, and visitors the opportunity to enjoy a true winter atmosphere in the heart of Dammam.

Global City Dammam is set to become one of the Kingdom’s most significant entertainment landmarks, bringing together cultural pavilions, retail, dining, and large-scale attractions. We are confident it will establish new standards for immersive family entertainment in Saudi Arabia, and we are proud that Ice Wonderland is contributing to this ambitious vision.

See you on the ice in Dammam!