Honolulu Christmas On Ice At Hawaii Convention Center

Published on Nov 24, 2025, 4:36 pm CST

9 min read

Key points

Honolulu Christmas on ice event runs December 4, 2025 to January 4, 2026 at the Hawaii Convention Center
Immersive lights, an 8,000 square foot indoor skating rink, and a keiki wonderland create a weather proof family holiday outing on Oahu
Tickets use timed entry slots and range from about $30 to $50 for adults and $20 to $30 for children depending on skating and day of week
Travelers should reserve popular evenings and weekends early, plan transit around Waikiki traffic, and arrive at least 30 minutes before their scheduled entry time

Impact

Where Impacts Are Most Likely: Expect the largest crowds, noise, and parking pressure on Friday and Saturday evenings and during prime school holiday dates
Best Times To Visit: For a calmer experience choose weekday daytime or early evening sessions and avoid the latest skating blocks when energy is highest
Onward Plans And Timing: If you are stacking dinner in Waikiki or a same day flight, keep at least ninety minutes of buffer around your reserved entry window
What Travelers Should Do Now: Pick a date and timed entry on the ticketing site, book early for weekends, arrange transport or parking, and plan clothing for a chilly rink
Health And Comfort Factors: Expect indoor air conditioning and cold rink temperatures so pack socks, closed toe shoes, and light layers, and consider masks if you prefer extra protection in crowds

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Honolulu Christmas on ice event Twas the Light Before Christmas on Ice is set to turn the Hawai'i Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, into an indoor winter wonderland from December 4, 2025 through January 4, 2026, with skating, immersive lights, and family activities in one climate controlled hall. The experience targets both kamaaina and visitors looking for a holiday outing that does not depend on clear skies or beach weather. Travelers should reserve timed entry slots in advance, budget extra time for traffic near Waikiki, and select less popular times if they prefer a quieter rink and shorter lines.

In practical terms, the Honolulu Christmas on ice event at the Hawai'i Convention Center adds a monthlong, ticketed indoor skating rink and light show to Oahu's holiday calendar, which lets travelers schedule a weather proof evening or daytime activity instead of relying only on outdoor displays or shopping malls.

What The Experience Includes

According to the convention center and Hawai'i Tourism Authority partner sites, Twas the Light Before Christmas on Ice combines three main elements inside a 56,000 square foot exhibit hall. First is an 8,000 square foot indoor ice skating rink with holiday music, colored lighting, and themed skate sessions, which will be the center of gravity for many families and groups. Second is a 10,000 square foot multi sensory digital art installation called Spectacular Factory, A Holiday Multiverse, produced by experiential art group ARTECHOUSE and described by organizers as a first in Hawai'i. Third is an array of static and interactive light displays, including a snow dusted Fir Forest of Light, twin light tunnels, oversized ornaments, snowflakes and stars, and a Santa sleigh scene set up for photos.

Families with younger children get a separate keiki area that functions almost like a mini indoor fun fair. The convention center's materials describe bounce houses and soft play elements, a small holiday movie theater corner, and a Honolulu Cookie Company Letters to Santa station where kids can write notes before or after skating. For adults and older teens, a food and beverage zone will serve specialty cocktails, non alcoholic drinks, and seasonal snacks, while the American Savings Bank Holiday Marketplace brings local vendors into the hall on select weekends, offering a mix of gifts and souvenirs tied to the event.

Programming extends beyond static displays. Organizers highlight a roster of themed moments such as Toddler Time sessions with earlier openings on some Mondays, story time events with Mrs. Claus on Sunday mornings, Santa photo windows with cookies on selected weekends, and occasional skate times with guest characters on certain Fridays, along with drink specials on some dates for guests 21 and older. Exact dates for each of these elements may vary through the run, so travelers who care about a specific experience should verify the schedule on the Aloha Immersive ticketing site or the event's social channels before buying.

Tickets, Pricing, And Timed Entry

Official partner sites state that the event operates at the Hawai'i Convention Center from December 4, 2025 through January 4, 2026. Hours published on the Aloha Immersive site list daily opening at 1000 a.m., with closing at 800 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 1000 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and last entry times of 700 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. respectively. Entry uses prebooked, half hour arrival windows rather than open walk up admission, which helps regulate crowding on the rink and in the light exhibits.

Pricing varies by day of week and whether your ticket includes skating. Travel industry coverage citing the convention center says adult tickets range from roughly $30.00 (USD) to $50.00 (USD), and children's tickets range from about $20.00 (USD) to $30.00 (USD), with higher prices usually tied to peak evenings or bundled skate sessions. Earlier versions of the event used price ladders starting at about $26.99 (USD) for adults and $14.99 (USD) for children, with additional discounts for seniors, military guests, and groups, plus limited VIP packages, and that general structure is likely to continue, even if exact figures are updated closer to opening.

For travelers, the key is to treat this like a small concert or show rather than a casual drop in attraction. Decide whether you want to skate and for how long, check whether any special programming applies to your chosen date, and then pick an arrival window that works with your broader itinerary and jet lag patterns. If you are visiting with children, remember that skate rental is typically included in skating tickets, but bringing your own socks and, if you prefer, your own skates can speed things up at the rink entrance.

Getting There, Parking, And Local Transport

The Hawai'i Convention Center sits at 1801 Kalākaua Avenue on the edge of Waikiki, within a short rideshare or bus ride of many hotels. Event organizers note that onsite parking is available on a first come, first served basis, so visitors driving in from other parts of Oahu should plan to arrive early on weekend nights and popular holiday dates when stalls will fill quickly.

For those who would rather not deal with parking at all, the event has a partnership with local rideshare operator holoholo Mobility that offers $15.00 (USD) off prearranged trips using promo code TWAS15, which can be applied inside the holoholo app. Travelers staying in central Waikiki may find that a walk of 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the hotel, is realistic in good weather, but families with small children or anyone carrying skates and winter style clothing may prefer a short car ride instead.

Visitors flying in specifically for the event will most likely arrive through Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), which sits less than 20 minutes by car from the convention center in light traffic. Because late afternoon and early evening congestion between the airport and Waikiki can be significant, especially on Fridays and around Christmas and New Year week, it is safest not to schedule a skating slot in the first hours after your scheduled arrival time if you are checking into a hotel first.

Who This Event Suits Best

The design of Twas the Light Before Christmas on Ice is skewed toward families with children and multigenerational groups, but it also works as a date night or friend outing for locals and visitors who enjoy holiday theming and moderate activity. The rink and digital art installation provide enough movement and visual variety to hold the attention of teens and adults, while the keiki area and Santa touches keep preschoolers engaged. Because admission is time limited and the entire experience lives indoors, it also appeals to visitors who prefer more structured, predictable outings than you get with casual strolls through outdoor light displays.

Travelers who are highly crowd averse or uninterested in holiday themes may not see as much value here, especially on peak weekend evenings when noise levels and density rise. On the other hand, weekday morning and early afternoon sessions should feel more relaxed and may be a good fit for travelers with flexible schedules, home school families, or visitors who want a low stress way to adjust to the time zone before more ambitious excursions.

Background

The convention center and its tourism partners began experimenting with large scale immersive holiday light installations in 2024, when the original Twas the Light Before Christmas event, without the ice component, premiered as a ticketed attraction in the exhibit halls. After that run, the producers and venue upgraded the concept for 2025 with the addition of the real ice rink and the Spectacular Factory digital art piece, positioning the experience as a recurring anchor on Oahu's holiday events calendar.

For travelers, that evolution matters because it indicates that the organizers are thinking in terms of repeat seasons and fine tuning operations over multiple years, rather than a one off pop up. That usually leads to smoother entry flows, more predictable programming, and stronger partnerships with nearby hotels and transport providers, which can show up as bundled staycation packages or discounted parking arrangements. It also means that if you enjoy the 2025 version, a similar or expanded event is likely to be on offer in future holiday seasons, making this a potential repeat tradition for returning visitors.

Practical Tips For Travelers

From a logistics perspective, treat the event like a medium weight night out, not a quick stop between other commitments. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your timed entry, especially if you are driving and need to park or if you are picking up skate rentals on site. Bring socks for every skater, closed toe shoes for non skaters who will be walking on cold surfaces, and a light sweater or hoodie, since the ice and air conditioning can feel chilly after a long session, even in Honolulu.

Because the experience is indoors, it can be an especially useful backup plan on days when outdoor beach or hiking plans are rained out, but you cannot rely on same day availability during peak weeks. If your Oahu trip falls across Christmas, New Year's Eve, or New Year's Day, you should book well ahead and be ready for a busier hall even in off peak hours. Pairing the event with an early dinner in Waikiki, then walking or taking a short rideshare to the convention center, can keep the evening simple and minimizes the risk of missing your slot because of traffic or parking delays.