Marwell's Fire and Ice runs 4pm to 7.30pm on 25 evenings from 20 November to 30 December. Which nights have Santa, every ticket price, and the free parking.

Christmas at Marwell runs from Friday 20 November to Thursday 31 December 2026, and its evening event, Fire and Ice, is on 25 of those dates from 4pm to 7.30pm, with last entry at 6pm. On the opening night an evening-only ticket is £24.95 for an adult and £21.95 for a child aged 2 to 15; under-2s go free. All of this is from Marwell’s own Christmas pages and its booking site, checked on 12 October.

The quick answer

  • When: Fire and Ice evenings from 20 November to 30 December, on Fridays to Sundays in November and early December and most days from 18 December. Dates below.
  • Times: 4pm to 7.30pm, last entry 6pm. Marwell suggests allowing at least an hour and a half.
  • Price: £24.95 adults, £21.95 children, under-2s free, for the evening only (20 November prices). Zoo-and-evening, Santa and member tickets cost more or less; table below.
  • Book ahead: walk-ups are let in only if there is space, and online bookings cannot be refunded.
  • Parking: free, at Thompsons Lane, Colden Common, SO21 1JH.

Which days have what

Marwell splits the season three ways. These are its published dates:

Days What is on Hours
20 to 22 Nov, 28 to 30 Nov, 5 to 7 Dec, 11 to 13 Dec, 18 to 24 Dec Zoo, Fire and Ice, and Santa’s grotto 10am to 7.30pm
Thursday 10 and Thursday 17 Dec The same, as Quiet Sessions 10am to 7.30pm
27 to 30 Dec Zoo and Fire and Ice, no Santa 10am to 7.30pm
23 to 27 Nov, 1 to 4 Dec, 8 and 9 Dec, 14 to 16 Dec, 31 Dec Festive daytime zoo only, no Fire and Ice 10am to 4pm

Christmas Day and Boxing Day are not on any of the three lists. If you are set on a particular day, check the booking calendar before you plan around it.

Ticket prices

These are the prices Marwell’s booking site shows for Friday 20 November, the opening night. We have not been able to confirm that every date costs the same.

Ticket Adult Child 2 to 15 Under 2
Fire and Ice evening, 4pm to 7.30pm £24.95 £21.95 Free
Zoo and Fire and Ice, 10am to 7.30pm £34.95 £27.95 Free
Fire and Ice and Santa £32.95 £43.95 £19.95
Zoo, Fire and Ice and Santa £51.95 £56.95 £19.95
Festive day at the zoo, 10am to 4pm £30.95 £26.95 Free

A carer for a visitor with accessibility needs pays £7.50 on the evening-only ticket and £7.95 on the bundles, and gets into the daytime zoo free; proof of need is required.

Members get into the daytime zoo free but must book. Explorer and Premium members pay less for the evening: £22.95 an adult and £19.95 a child for Fire and Ice. Standard members pay the full evening price.

The Twixmas offer takes 10% off visits from 27 to 30 December, the four Fire and Ice evenings after Christmas. Marwell’s tickets page gave those dates when we rechecked on 27 October; 31 December is a daytime-only day.

You cannot book Santa on his own, only as part of a zoo or Fire and Ice ticket, and Marwell says the grotto sells out every year; Sunday 6 December had already gone when we checked on 12 October, and it was still the only date the tickets page listed as sold out on 27 October. The elves take a maximum of six people into the grotto per group, and every group needs at least one paying child. On the booking site, a date with no Santa time slots showing is sold out for that day. Our Father Christmas in Winchester page compares the grotto with the Great Hall and the Watercress Line.

What Fire and Ice is

It is an after-dark trail around the front loop of the zoo, walked clockwise. Marwell lists fire performers, a fire dragon, a “Floor is Lava” installation, an illuminated ice maze, a snowball fight zone and marshmallows toasted over firepits. You can go round the route again as many times as you like before 6pm.

You are given a wristband on the way in and must hand it back as you leave. Torches are not allowed, including phone torches.

During the day the festive extras are a snowball fight zone, the ice maze, the Fire Forest, a Snow Window trail and snow machines, and two roaming characters, the Ice Enchantress and the Fire Wizard, from 10am to 3pm. On peak days a Christmas market outside Marwell Hall sells food, drink and gifts from 11am to 6.45pm.

On Fire and Ice days the back of the zoo shuts at 3pm. The animal houses, the adventure playgrounds and the back loop close so the evening can be set up, and only the front half stays open. Marwell’s advice to daytime visitors is to arrive by noon.

Quiet Sessions on 10 and 17 December

The two Thursday Quiet Sessions have lower music, fewer visitors and slow-fading or static lighting, and the grotto runs with low-level sound and sensory lighting. The zoo warns that the standard Fire and Ice evening uses LED lights, music and effects that may not suit people with photosensitive epilepsy, and asks anyone unsure to email events@marwell.org.uk first.

Getting there and parking

Marwell is at Thompsons Lane, Colden Common, SO21 1JH, south of Winchester. Parking is free, coach parking included. The last Fire and Ice entry is at 6pm, so on the busiest Saturdays in December arrive well before then.

Before you set off, check our roadworks and travel page for the M3 junction 9 works. If you are combining the evening with Winchester’s Christmas market first, our parking in Winchester page has every city car park and the November tariffs.

The small print

  • No refunds. Marwell’s FAQ says online bookings “are non-transferable and non-refundable”, and dates cannot be swapped.
  • It goes ahead in the rain. Bring waterproofs and warm clothes; there are covered picnic lodges.
  • No dogs, inside the zoo or left in cars. Assistance dogs are allowed but not in every area.
  • Complimentary, gift, raffle, school and third-party tickets are not valid for the Christmas event.
  • Groups of 20 or more get a discount through events@marwell.org.uk.

Frequently asked questions

When is Christmas at Marwell 2026?

From Friday 20 November to Thursday 31 December 2026. The Fire and Ice evenings run on selected dates up to 30 December; some weekdays in late November and early December are daytime only.

How much is Fire and Ice at Marwell?

On the opening night, £24.95 for an adult and £21.95 for a child aged 2 to 15, with under-2s free. A day at the zoo plus Fire and Ice is £34.95 and £27.95.

What time is Fire and Ice?

4pm to 7.30pm, with last entry at 6pm. Marwell recommends at least 90 minutes.

Can you see Santa at Marwell without a zoo ticket?

No. The grotto is sold only as a bundle with a daytime zoo ticket or a Fire and Ice ticket, from £32.95 an adult and £43.95 a child with the evening.

Is parking free at Marwell at Christmas?

Yes. Marwell’s FAQ says parking is free, including for coaches.

Is Marwell Fire and Ice sold out?

Not as a whole. When we checked Marwell’s tickets page on 27 October 2026, the only sell-out it listed was Santa’s grotto on Sunday 6 December; Fire and Ice evening tickets were on sale from the opening night, 20 November, at £24.95 an adult. Walk-ups are admitted only if there is space, so book the busy December Saturdays ahead.

Is Fire and Ice on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve?

Christmas Eve, yes: 18 to 24 December are full days with the zoo, Fire and Ice and Santa, 10am to 7.30pm. New Year’s Eve, no: 31 December is a daytime-only day, 10am to 4pm. The last Fire and Ice evening is Wednesday 30 December.

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