Snowbombing
Festivals in the Alps have become an ever bigger attraction for skiers and boarders in recent years. All taking place in the last month or so of the season, when the skies are sunny and the temperatures warmer, the idea is that you have fun with lots of like-minded people on the snow all day then party together all night. The energy requirements, and the music involved, means that the festivals mostly appeal to the younger crowd.
There are currently four main events to consider, and they do follow each other pretty well insuccessive weeks so you could spend a month going from one to the next.
First up in The Big Snow Festival in Arinsal (www.thebigsnowfestival.com), Andorra which aims to just be lots of fun and actually attracted 80% first timers when it opened last year, so skiing and boarding prowess is not vital. It runs from 13th – 20th March.
Simultaneously the Little World Festival (12 – 19 March) in Meribel was initiated by local band The Feeling and this season will also feature Sophie Ellis Bextor and Squeeze and 40 other gigs. Unsurprisingly the onus here is more on the music.
Next it's the BRITS Music and Winter Festival (www.the-brits.com ) – one of the biggest and longest running events – staged in Laax, Switzerland, from the 20th – 27th March. There is a greater emphasis on good skiing and boarding – freestyle – here with serious competition for the UK's best boarders and skiers, as well bas all comer events where anyone can try their luck. Events include Freestyle insanity care of the Protest Slopestyle, SNO!zone Halfpipe, Giro Big Air and Trespass Snowboard/Skiercross Championships. Confirmed après ski acts include festival heavyweights Pendulum as well as The Correspondents.
The final festival, and the biggest, is Snowbombing (www.snowbombing.com) which takes place in Mayrhofen and indeed 'takes over' the resort with 5,000 attendees. This year The Prodigy and Fat Boy Slim will be headlining and it expects to sell out soon, so if you want to go, better buy your tickets.