- Christmas
- 3rd Nov 2026
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Life Science Centre announces festive calendar – a unique Santa Experience, themed ice skating and your last chance to meet the dinosaurs
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If you’re looking for Christmas events in Newcastle that’ll keep the whole family entertained, Newcastle’s Life Science Centre has the festive season sorted.
From Saturday 7 November to Sunday 3rd January, it’s home to the city’s open-air ice rink, a completely unique Santa Experience and your last chance to meet 25 moving dinosaurs before they leave Newcastle for good.
Here’s what’s on, and why it’s worth booking early.
COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION – THE DINOSAURS ARE GOING SOON!
Until Sunday 3rd January 2027
Cost: included with your Life Science Centre entry ticket
This festive season is your final chance to see The Great Dinosaur Escape before it closes. There are 25 animatronic dinosaurs, making their UK debut courtesy of Dinosaurios Mexico, and the star is a three-tonne T. rex and a fearsome Carnotaurus.
Little ones become dino rangers, following a trail to track down the cheeky escapees around the science centre and crack a code, with The Fossil Show revealing what a real dinosaur might have sounded like. It’s all included in your Life Science Centre ticket.
THE ELVES ARE BRINGING AN EXCITING NEW FESTIVE SHOW TO THE SANTA EXPERIENCE
From Saturday 21st November to Wednesday 23rd December 2026
Cost: £25 per person (includes science centre entry)
The Santa Experience: Operation Christmas Eve is a completely fresh take on Life’s much-loved festive event. Santa’s elves are racing to get ready for Christmas Eve, and the new Elf Show brings surprises and live festive science before children meet the big man himself.
Every child heads home with a gift and a Christmas Eve bag filled with reindeer food, hot chocolate mix, and a sweet treat. Designed for ages 3 to 10, your Santa Experience ticket also includes entry to the science centre, where you can catch the stunning What Santa Sees planetarium show, which was made by Life’s award-winning team – plus, there’s lots of moving dinosaurs for you to meet! Just note the ice rink is booked separately.
Relaxed sessions run on Sunday 22nd November and 6th December, and British Sign Language-interpreted sessions run on Sunday 29th November.
THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE OUTDOOR ICE SKATING UNDER TWINKLING LIGHTS
From Saturday 7th November 2026 until Sunday 3rd January 2027
Cost: £14.50 per child, £15.75 per adult, £15 concessions and £49.50 for a family of four
Life’s outdoor ice rink is back in Times Square. Made from real ice , the popular rink welcomes all ages and abilities and has become an established part of Newcastle’s festive calendar. Each session gives you around 45 minutes of skating, with skate hire included with your ticket.
Opening weekend on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th November is just £10 per person, and relaxed sessions with no music or lights run during the first session of the day (10-11am) on Sunday 15th November, 6th December and 3rd January.
HLN TOP TIP: If you have little ones under 1.2m tall, adorable penguin skating aids are available to hire for £6.
NEW FOR 2026: FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, HERE ARE THIS YEAR’S THEMED MUSIC NIGHTS
SKATIN’ TO NASHVILLE
Friday 13th November 2026
Swap your cowboy boots for skates and glide along to country hits.
THE ART OF SKATING: OLIVIA DEAN NIGHT
Sunday 15th November 2026
Skate around and sing along to the beautiful music of Olivia Dean.
PYJAMA SKATE
Sunday 22nd and 29th November 2026
Cost: £16.50 child, £18 adult, £57.50 family (hot chocolate included)
Skate in your pyjamas to Christmas music, there’s a hot chocolate included with your ticket.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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