ISU Figure Skating World Championships will bring the long-awaited ice rink to Laikunlava stage area in November

The Skating Finland Federation wants to make skating accessible to everyone and encourage people to get out onto the ice with minimal effort. The synthetic ice at Laikunlava ice rink makes it possible to skate even when temperatures are above freezing.

"We want the ISU Figure Skating World Championships to be visible and felt in Tampere well in advance of the actual competition week. Ice rink at Laikunlava offers everyone a free opportunity to go skating right in the city centre. Every Finn has the right to learn to skate, and we hope the ice park will inspire both first-timers and more experienced skaters to take to the ice," says Salla Mäkelä, the Secretary General of the World Championships

The opening ceremony for the ice rink will take place on Saturday 21 November. The ice rink will be open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 9.00 p.m. until 20 December, and admission to the ice is free. Figure skating clubs in the Tampere area are offering free skating lessons on Thursday and Friday evenings, as well as on Saturdays. In addition, the ice rink will host pre-event celebrations for the ISU Figure Skating World Championships on Finland's Independence Day, 6 December, and on Sunday 20 December. Skates can be hired on site during the events and guided skating sessions.

A more detailed programme and timetable for the ice rink will be published closer to the event in the Tampere events calendar and on the Culture House Laikku website.