With most of us having missed out on our ski holidays in 20-21 (and some of us in 19-20 too!), next winter definitely looks set to be the year to do something different when it comes to your traditional ski trip! With so many awesome Alpine festivals out there, from comedy to music, acoustic artists to DJ sets, why not make this year’s ski holiday one to really remember?! We’ve rounded up the best on-snow ski festivals for 21-22 to get you inspired (listed in date order of course – we couldn’t possibly pick a favourite!).
Before we get into the on-snow festivities though, we have to start with the incredibly exciting news that not one, but two ski festivals are coming to the UK this winter! So, if you want to get your winter sports fix before you even leave the country, you’ve got options in Birmingham as well as London before the season kicks off.
The National Snow Show
23 – 24 October 2021, Birmingham
Taking place at the huge NEC Birmingham, the National Snow Show looks set to be the ultimate day out for mountain lovers, whether you’re a seasoned skier or planning for your first ever ski holiday this winter.
Across the weekend, the National Snow Show will feature retail destination and tour operator exhibition areas, as well as a range of entertaining on-site spots for you to get your winter fix. The Snowdome dry slope will be hosting Park & Pipe style sessions throughoug the day where you can watch the UK’s best athletes showcase their skills, while the on-site skate mini ramp will give you an opportunity to get a few expert tips yourself. At the Shred & Butta stage, you’ll find practical demos and brand interactions, or, for a more chilled out vibe, you can pop over to the Riders’ Lounge and rub shoulders with your favourite snowsports athletes both past and present!
The event already has a huge amount of partners on board, bringing visitors an incredible range of ski brands and organisations to explore and browse. These partners will be working together with The National Snow Show towards a more sustainable future for the winter sports industry, an aim we’re all keen to support.
Weekend tickets are priced at just £10, while kids under 16 go free. More info and tickets at nationalsnowshow.com
London Ski & Snowboard Festival
28 – 31 October 2021, London
This new event will bring a taste of the mountains to Battersea Park across four days this Autumn, giving skiers and snowboarders all the Alpine excitement they’ve missed out on over the last year.
An altogether different and more dynamic setup than London’s previous ski festivals, this event is set to be an immersive, dynamic and experiential snow sport event. While it will include all the classic resort, apparel and hardware exhibitors, this event will also ensure a whole host of additional experiences to entertain you.
Think on-snow ski testing, incredible freestyle displays on the huge snow kicker, expert talks and discussion, street food, themed bars and, of course, the most of epic of Après parties!
The London Ski & Snowboard Festival is partnering with Snow-Camp charity this winter, a charity that strive to give young people from inner-city communities across the UK positive futures through snowsports. As such, it’s a great opportunity for the snowsports community to support Snow-Camp and learn more about the great work they do.
We personally think it’s fantastic that we now have two ski events within the UK, meaning that skiers from even more areas can access all the best winter sports inspiration and entertainment before the season begins!
Tickets for The London Ski & Snowboard Festival are available from £15, with student, child, concession and family discounts on offer. To buy tickets or find out more, head to londonskiandsnowboard.co.uk
Rise Festival
11-18 December 2021, Les 2 Alpes
One of he first festivals hoping to take place in a post-pandemic world, Rise Festival have pulled out all the stops to ensure this year’s event will be no different to normal.
Held in the popular resort of Les 2 Alpes, Rise is another long-standing stalwart of the ski music festival world, with seven years under its belt thus far and no intentions of slowing down. Unlike many of the other Alpine festivals, Rise takes place at the beginning of the season in December, perfect if you can’t wait another few months (which after a year off the slopes, definitely sounds appealing!).
Rise Festival
You’ll have the best of the early season snow, as well as Europe’s largest skiable glacier to enjoy, ensuring fantastic skiing throughout your week. For beginners, Les 2 Alpes is a fantastic choice for your first ski music festival, with a vast amount of safe, sunny beginner runs to hone your skills. Meanwhile adrenaline-hungry skiers will love the area’s award-winning snow park, as well as the numerous more challenging slopes and off piste options.
On the music side, you can expect energetic DJs and live acts across seven stages, with a variety of music and party options throughout the day, night and into the early hours! Throw in some impressive adventure options off the piste, this will be one action-packed, glitter-filled week you don’t want to miss.
View the full lineup here. Tickets for 2021 are now sold out, but you can join the waiting list here for resale tickets, which will go live on April 30, from £299.
Rise Festival
Snowboxx
19-26 March 2022, Avoriaz
One of the most well-known festivals in the mountains, Snowboxx (pictured top) brings an energetic and explosive atmosphere to Avoriaz year on year, with a wide range of stages and activities, all set within the huge Portes du Soleil ski area.
If the ski area is as much of a priority for you as the lineup, Snowboxx is one of the best festivals you’ll find. The huge Portes du Soleil ski area spans seven resorts across both Switzerland and France and provides an opportunity for skiers of all abilities to explore a range of slopes day in, day out. From steep blacks and entertaining off piste routes, to beautiful gentle tree-lined blues and forgiving beginner areas, every type of skier will find a lot to enjoy here.
Off the slopes, Snowboxx offers a whole world of unique activities and music venues, from huge main stages to igloo and forest parties, allowing you to party all the way from a morning bottomless brunch right through to the early hours in one of the resort’s many lively nightclubs.
The 2022 line up will be announced in two tiers between September and November. More information at snowboxx.com
Snowboxx
Altitude Comedy Festival
28 March – 1 April 2022, Mayrhofen
If you fancy a weekend of world-class skiing with a side of serious laughter, Altitude Comedy Festival is the ultimate getaway. If you’re finding your Alpine festival choice pretty much limited to late night DJs and raucous on-slope parties, Altitude Festival promises something a little different, but no less entertaining. Now in its twelfth year, Altitude is a truly unique mountain event, one like none other on this list, that is guaranteed to have your sides splitting.
Created in 2007 by comedians Andrew Maxwell and Marcus Brigstocke, it’s unsurprising that the Altitude lineup each year features some of the world’s best comedic talent. For example, previous lineups have included comedy royalty like Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Bill Bailey, John Bishop, Lee Mack and Eddie Izzard. With entertainment like that, you’re in for a serious treat when it comes to evening events and you might even bump into some of your favourite stars on the slopes the next day!
If the world’s best comedy talent wasn’t enough, you’ve also got access to the incredible ski area of Mayrhofen here, with a huge range of runs for skiers of all abilities (including one of the world’s steepest blacks!).
The venues are ideally located for skiers looking to maximise time on the slopes as well as in the bar, with Apres Ski and Late Shows at The Strass Hotel (right next to the Penken Lift), and the super modern Europahaus for the main Gala show.
Tickets are available now at Altitude Comedy Festival from £114.45.
Zermatt Unplugged
5-10 April 2022, Zermatt
This fan-favourite acoustic festival brings some of the best live artists to the iconic ski town of Zermatt, where visitors can enjoy acoustic sets while drinking in the backdrop of the magnificent Matterhorn.
This festival has been a staple of the ski season in Zermatt for twelve years now, with its laid-back, relaxed atmosphere setting it apart from the more DJ-focused festivals. Previous artists have included the Kaiser Chiefs, James Morrison, Dido, Jack Savoretti, Jessie J and Michael Kiwanuka – to name but a few!
Zermatt Unplugged have issued a ‘Save the Date’ for a return to “the old/new Zermatt Unplugged Festival” in 2022, after a toned-down, more intimate event planned for summer 2021.
If the event goes ahead as planned, over 100 concerts are set to take place across 17 stages during the five days of this festival, meaning you can enjoy a contemporary range of music artists and styles in the heart of one of our favourite ski areas.
More info: zermatt-unplugged.ch/en
Zermatt Unpluged
Snowbombing
4-9 April 2022, Mayrhofen
Ahh Snowbombing, the OG of mountain music festivals, the Mecca of movers and groovers both on the slopes and the dance floor. Since its conception in 2000, Snowbombing has set the standard for mountain snow and music festivals.
The lineups have evolved over the years to reflect changing music trends, with the original dance and DJ lineups now joined by live bands and artists.
Since 2005, the festival has been held in the world-famous resort of Mayrhofen, where visitors can experience some of Austria’s best skiing and snowboarding in the day, before dancing their way from the afternoon to the early hours of the morning.
It’s undeniable that the themed parties at Snowbombing are the highlight for many, with incredibly unusual locations that include an igloo village, a forest clearing, a traditional remote alpine farmstead and an open-air street party.
Add in Snowbombing’s wide range of luxury extras and options, from pools and spas overlooking the beautiful mountain mountainscapes, to comedy shows, après-ski games and even mountain-top yoga, it’s easy to see why Snowbombing just keeps getting better and better.
Bookings available now and lineup TBC closer to the festival date. More info: snowbombing.com
Snowbombing
Tomorrowland Winter
March 19-26 2022, Alpe d’Huez
Iconic dance music festival Tomorrowland have committed to finally being able to stage the second edition of Tomorrowland Winter in March next year, according to the tourist office at the French resort of Alpe d’Huez.
When Tomorrowland Winter rolls around, incredible stages are constructed in Alpe d’Huez village as well as on the surrounding peaks. In true Tomorrowland style, they are some of the most impressive ever constructed in the mountains, with magical designs and intense immersive experiences. The highest stage is set an an incredible 3,300 metres above sea level on Le Pic Blanc, overlooking the whole resort.
The lineup is yet to be released, but pre-registration is now open at tomorrowland.com
The 2020 event had to be cancelled at extremely last notice and last year’s event was understandably postponed, so organisers are hoping that 2022 will be the year this epic experience returns to the slopes!
As slopes go, these are some of the best in Europe. The vast Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski Area boasting routes for all abilities, as well as fantastic off piste opportunities – all in the midst of one of the sunniest climates in the Alps.
When Tomorrowland Winter rolls around, incredible stages are constructed in Alpe d’Huez village as well as on the surrounding peaks. In true Tomorrowland style, they are some of the most impressive ever constructed in the mountains, with magical designs and intense immersive experiences. The highest stage is set an an incredible 3,300 metres above sea level on Le Pic Blanc, overlooking the whole resort.
The lineup is yet to be released, but pre-registration is now open at tomorrowland.com
Dates TBC, Portes du Soleil
This famous high-altitude music festival is set to return to the Portes du Soleil in Spring 2022, bringing an impressive 35 concerts to the slopes of this incredible ski area in just one week.
One of the world’s largest ski areas, the Portes du Soleil is the ideal place to enjoy both incredible skiing and awesome entertainment. Ski seamlessly between France and Switzerland, taking in the sights (and cuisines!) of each of the area’s twelve resorts.
Full details on Rock the Pistes 2022 aren’t available yet, but we’ll update you as soon as we know more!
More info: rockthepistes.com
Rock The Pistes © Mathieu Vitré