Anniversaries & Events

Founded in 1946 as a small Advent celebration, the Salzburg Advent Singing has grown into one of the most popular events at the Great Festival Hall, attracting around 32,000 visitors each year from 45 countries.

To mark its 80th anniversary, audiences can look forward to a staged oratorio called “The Great Secret". The programme features 13 performances over the first three Advent weekends, beginning on 27 November 2026.

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From 2 to 4 January 2027, the legendary Four Hills Tournament will make its 75th anniversary stop in Innsbruck. The Bergisel is one of four ski jumping hills in Germany and Austria that host this prestigious competition, alongside Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Bischofshofen.

For Innsbruck, the event is a major sporting highlight and a fixed fixture of the winter season, attracting tens of thousands of spectators every year. The Bergisel’s location is truly unique: when the ski jumpers take off, it looks as though they are flying directly over the rooftops of Innsbruck — a spectacular sight that makes this stop on the tour unmistakable.

To mark the anniversary, there will also be a premiere: for the first time, a women’s competition will be held in Innsbruck as part of the Four Hills Tournament.

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For the first time, the FIS Women’s Alpine Ski World Cup will make a stop in Gosau. On 28 and 29 December 2026, the world’s best female ski racers will compete at the Hornspitz.

The Dachstein West ski region in the Salzkammergut is taking over from Lienz, which most recently hosted the women’s technical events alternately with Semmering every two years.

The programme features a giant slalom on 28 December 2026, followed by a slalom on 29 December 2026. 

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From 6 to 21 March 2027, Montafon in Vorarlberg will serve as the main venue, with Kühtai in Tyrol as a co-host, making the regions an international hub for snowboarding, freestyle and freeskiing. At the largest winter sports event ever held in the two regions, athletes from 40 nations will compete for world championship titles.

A total of 31 competitions are scheduled, with 87 medals up for grabs.

Even during the competitions, Montafon remains a diverse holiday and ski destination. The events will be concentrated on selected courses and venues, while all other slopes and lift facilities remain fully open and available as usual.

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In Kooperation mit dem Europäischen Parlament wählte das „Christmas Cities Network“ die Stadt Wels zur europäischen Weihnachtshauptstadt 2026. Diese Auszeichnung würdigt die besonders schöne Gestaltung der Stadt in der Adventszeit. Für Stimmung sorgen ein innovatives LED-Beleuchtungskonzept mit über 800.000 Lichtpunkten und 29 verschiedenen Inszenierungen. Liebevoll gestaltet sind auch die drei alpenländischen Märkte: die Bergweihnacht am Stadtplatz, der Winterzauber im Pollheimerpark sowie der Gösser Biergarten.

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Ob in schneeweißen Bergwelten, an stillen Seen, in Weinbaugebieten oder in den festlich beleuchteten Städten: Vom leisen Geheimtipp bis zur lauten Euphorie – unser Winter garantiert magische Momente und stets neue Überraschungen. Bei all dem ist Österreich mehr als ein Ort, es ist ein Gefühl. Das Lebensgefühl Österreich.

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