itison, organisers of the much-loved winter festival, Elfingrove, have announced that it will not be making a return for 2023, scrapping one of Glasgow’s favourite festive events. The now-cancelled Rockafeller-inspired Christmassy ice rink Elfingrove welcomed over 100,000 visitors last year, featuring an adorable Snow Wheel overlooking the picturesque Kelvingrove Art Gallery And Museum.
Elfingrove has been cancelled due to rising costs and the cost of living crisis that would then have to be put on us visitors, highly increasing ticket prices.
itison said: “Lots of you have been in touch over the past few weeks, asking about our plans for Elfingrove. Today, we’re sharing the news that for this Christmas coming, we’re putting Elfingrove on ice.”
“Last year, hundreds and thousands of you amazing people joined us on the UK’s biggest ice rink at Elfingrove, set against the spectacular backdrop of Kelvingrove Art Galleries.”
“Since 2019, we’ve made huge infrastructure investments, developed our event and seen so many of you come and spend the most magical time of the year with us. It’s amazing to see our vision come to life, and set the bar for a Glasgow Christmas experience that rivals the likes of Rockefeller Centre in New York.”
“However, large-scale temporary events like Elfingrove, by their nature, require huge levels of investment. Like so many other businesses, we have been hit by inflation and skyrocketing prices across the supply chain. When planning the feasibility of this year’s event, these price hikes would have required substantial ticket price increases and we weren’t comfortable passing these increases on to our customers.”
“So, as a result, we have decided to put this year’s show on ice while we work on an even more magical new event that will elevate Glasgow Christmas in future. It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.”
However, do not panic, as there is still a drive-in cinema experience to check out near the Loch Lomond shores this festive season.