Big changes in store for Ägeri on Ice

The temporary open-air ice rink at ‘Ägeri on Ice’ offers a very special atmosphere, but also creates uncertainty for Zug Sports, the association responsible for organising the event. The event will thereby be held in a tent in future. For the time being, however, everything remains the same.

‘Ägeri on Ice’ (AOI) in a circus tent on the Lido meadow? This rumour is doing the rounds in Unterägeri - and it's not entirely unfounded. According to a message on the Zug Sports homepage, ‘Ägeri on Ice is breaking completely new (weatherproof) ground’, and continues: ‘Circus Monti is returning to the Lido Unterägeri with a 2,133 square-metre circus tent. Instead of a circus ring, there will be an ice rink.’

But these things won’t happen immediately. The temporary ice rink will be set up in Birkenwäldli as usual this year, as Daniel Schärer, President of Zug Sports, confirms: ‘The announcement was made in September, but an analysis of the construction site has since shown that the new idea unfortunately cannot yet be realised.’ But it is being pursued. For the time being, the classic concept in the Birkenwäldli will take centre stage, albeit in an adapted form - back to the Winter Magic (Winterzauber).

Ägeri on Ice 2023 as a galactic space centre, here in Unterägeri on 23 November 2023    
Daniel Schärer from Zug Sports        Photos: Christian H. Hildebrand

Ten weeks of operation
One of the new features is the duration of the event. The ice rink is expected to open on 14th December, and will not close until 16th February, after the sports holidays. ‘This was a popular request from visitors, children and families,’ explains Daniel Schärer. ‘More ice skating after Christmas instead of Chilbi before.’ The aim is to have 60 operating days during these ten weeks of operation. In comparison: last year, 53 operating days were recorded with over 15,000 visitors.

The minigolf kiosk will also become a take-away, and a small fondue parlour is planned in the SC Frosch clubhouse. According to the current concept, the large fondue parlour will not be set up. The ‘School on Ice’ programme is still on offer, with the ice rink being made available to schools free of charge in the mornings, and now also on Tuesday afternoons.

‘It doesn't rain or snow in the tent’
‘Ägeri on Ice, as we know it, will be one of the last programmes before something new and innovative comes along,’ says Daniel Schärer. He doesn't want to go into detail just yet, but he can already reveal: ‘We're planning an ice rink in a circus tent, in collaboration with the professionals from Circus Monti.’ This would open up completely new possibilities, and new ideas could thereby be realised.

Those responsible have been working on the new ice-in-a-tent idea for almost a year. ‘The anticipation was great.’ The advantages are obvious: ‘It doesn't rain or snow in the tent,’ says the club president succinctly. The news report on the homepage is a little more detailed: ‘The bad weather and the very complex installation once again led to losses at AOI 2023. In post-processing, it became clear that there is no concept that can cover the costs as long as the event is dependent on the weather.’

The new concept offers much greater scope, for example for inclusion programmes, school classes, tournaments, events or corporate functions. The tent is rented and, according to the association's forecasts, this will have a positive impact on the budget: ‘The costs will fall, as the levelling [of the site] would be completely eliminated at a new location,’ explains Daniel Schärer.

Additional synergies are also conceivable, including in the long term. He lists everything from the trade exhibition to the AGM or a winter wedding. However, the concept should first be tested, also in terms of emissions. ‘Then we will develop it further together with local residents and the municipality.’ Step by step.