At 18:15 on 31 December 2026 the instructors of the Ortisei ski school come down the Furdenan and Palmer slopes carrying torches, followed by a drone show and, from 22:30, a party in Piazza S. Antonio until 2:00. On 1 January there is a second drone show in Selva.
In Ortisei, New Year's Eve starts on the snow. At 18:15 the ski and snowboard instructors of the Ortisei ski school come down the Furdenan and Palmer slopes with torches, in the traditional New Year's torchlight descent the school puts on, and a drone show follows straight after.
At 22:30 the party moves to Piazza S. Antonio in the village centre. It is organised by the local ice hockey club, HC Gherdëina, and goes on until 2:00. Several bars in the centre stay open after midnight.
The next evening, Friday 1 January at 21:45, the Selva tourist office puts on a second drone show at the Frëina field by the Ciampinoi in Selva. If you would rather carry a torch yourself, there is a date at the end of January: on Thursday 28 the Ortisei ski school runs the Seceda Torchlight, which it calls ‘the longest torchlight descent in the world’, about 10 km with LED torches from the top of the Seceda down the Longia run to the Baita Val d'Anna.
Where New Year's Eve in Ortisei falls in the Dolomites year, and what happens in the other weeks: Best time to visit the Dolomites: a month-by-month guide.
Good to know
- Admission: The official pages mention no tickets for either the torchlight descent or the party in the square; food and drink are paid for. The Seceda Torchlight on 28 January does need a ticket, booked at the Ortisei ski school office: the price is not published.
- Torchlight descent at 18:15 on the Palmer slope in Ortisei, followed by the drone show; party in Piazza S. Antonio from 22:30 to 2:00.
- This is the programme the tourist office published in November: check the official page again in the last days of December, because in many resorts torchlight descents are only confirmed a few days ahead, as our guide to New Year in the Dolomites explains.
- Selva drone show: Friday 1 January at 21:45, Frëina field, Ciampinoi.
- Seceda Torchlight, Thursday 28 January 2027: meet at 18:15 at the Seceda valley station, ride up to the top station and light the LED torches there. Places are limited and tickets must be booked in advance at the Ortisei ski school office.
- By train, get off at Ponte Gardena (Waidbruck), Chiusa (Klausen), Bressanone (Brixen) or Bolzano, and take bus line 350 up into Val Gardena.
Official website (tickets & info) ↗
Dates, times and prices change every year: always check the official pages before you go.