From 18 to 20 January 2027 the teams of the 36th Dolomites Snow Festival carve cubes of pressed snow, three metres a side, in the centre of San Candido. The 2027 theme is The Power of Nature, and the official sources mention no tickets.
The Dolomites Snow Festival, in Italian the Festival Internazionale di Sculture di Neve, reaches its 36th edition in 2027. The idea is simple: fresh local snow is pressed, with water and cold, into cubes of 3 by 3 by 3 metres, which are set up at various spots around San Candido. The teams have three days to carve them using only tools and water, which turns to ice almost at once in the frost.
The 2027 theme is The Power of Nature. For visitors the work goes on from Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 January, from 9:00 to 19:00: you walk round the village and watch the snow take shape, and locals and guests can vote for their favourite pieces. On Wednesday the sculptures must be finished by 19:00, and the prize-giving follows.
Once the festival is over the sculptures stay where they are, lit up in the evening too, until the first milder days arrive. Watch the date: in 2027 the festival is in January, not in February as some websites still say.
Where Dolomites Snow Festival in San Candido 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 sculptures stand at various spots in the centre of San Candido and the official sources mention no tickets or paid entry. No explicit "free entry" statement is published.
- When: Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 January 2027, sculptures in progress every day from 9:00 to 19:00; on Wednesday the pieces must be ready by 19:00.
- Where: in the centre of San Candido, with the blocks spread across various spots in the village. The official sources mention no tickets.
- The sculptures stay on view, lit in the evening, after the festival ends too, until the weather turns milder.
- Information: San Candido tourist association, Piazza del Magistrato 1, tel. +39 0474 913149, info@innichen.it. The programme is at snow-festival.com.
Official website (tickets & info) ↗
Dates, times and prices change every year: always check the official pages before you go.