Sint-Niklaas (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The D’ijsrink ice rink in Sint-Niklaas officially opened on December 4, 2025, with 26 skaters, a light show, an upgraded chalet, a larger transition area, and redesigned curling lanes, says organiser Dirk Van de Merck.
As VRT News reported, the D’ijsrink ice skating rink on Hendrik Heymanplein in Sint-Niklaas opened officially on Thursday evening, Dec 4, 2025. The opening featured a festive show with lights and music.
This year, the winter fair and Christmas market returned to the renovated Grote Markt. Because of this, there was not enough space for the rink at the market. Organisers decided to keep the rink at Hendrik Heymanplein for another winter.
“With 26 figure skaters, a light show, and an ice sculpture of a penguin, we had a more than successful opening night,”
said Dirk Van de Merck enthusiastically.
What’s new at Sint-Niklaas D’ijsrink with 26 skaters and upgrades?
This year, the ice rink and winter chalet at Hendrik Heymanplein in Sint-Niklaas were upgraded with several new features.
“The ice rink and the chalet are more of a cohesive whole this year,”
says organiser Van de Merckt
Organisers expanded the winter chalet to almost twice its previous size. For the first time, it includes a permanent stage, a backstage area, and a children’s corner. These additions allow performances to take place while keeping the restaurant area separate.
The skating transition area has also been improved. It is now 3 times larger than last year and includes central heating. The curling area has been redesigned with 2 longer lanes instead of 3 shorter ones. The total ice surface is slightly smaller, covering around 735 square meters.
“We’re losing a bit of space because we’re installing a structure in the middle that will allow skaters to skate more in one direction. More than 80 percent of our visitors are beginners, so we’re preventing experienced skaters from crisscrossing between them,”
says Van de Merckt.
The ice rink in Sint-Niklaas has been a popular winter attraction since 2015, when it first opened at Hendrik Heymanplein. It started as a small seasonal rink but quickly drew many families and visitors.
In 2018, the rink was moved to the Grote Markt. A winter chalet was added in 2020, offering food, drinks, and shelter for visitors. In 2022, the rink received upgrades, including a larger skating transition area and better lighting.
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