Where to see Father Christmas and a torchlit descent on Christmas Eve in the Alps

By Charnette Labs · Updated 21 September 2026

Most of the French ski resorts we checked put on a free Christmas Eve show for children: Father Christmas arrives in the late afternoon, ESF instructors ski down with torches, and many finish with fireworks. For 2026, Val d'Isère, Megève, Serre Chevalier, Les Menuires and Samoëns have already published theirs. Tignes, Méribel, Les Gets and Chamonix put on full programmes in 2025.

Austrian and Swiss resorts are quieter on the 24th; in German-speaking Switzerland it is the Christkind who brings the presents. Verbier and Zürs have Father Christmas on the 24th or 25th. In Italy, torchlit descents mostly wait for New Year, though Courmayeur has its own Father Christmas on Christmas Eve. Every time below comes from the tourist office or ski school, with the season it applies to.

What a French resort's Christmas Eve usually includes

In the French resorts we checked, Father Christmas arrives in the late afternoon, often by sleigh, carriage or parade. The ESF instructors ski down in a line of torches, and many resorts finish with fireworks. Most start between 17:00 and 18:30, and the ones listed here are free to watch.

Where the 2026/27 programme is not out yet, we give 2025/26. Last winter's times show a resort's usual pattern, not this year's.

Resorts at a glance

Resort What happens Programme
Val d'Isère Father Christmas arrives 17:00 on 24 Dec; ESF torchlit descent 18:00 on 22 Dec 2026/27
Megève Santa's office 21–24 Dec; sleigh parade 17:30 on 24 Dec 2026/27
Serre Chevalier Father Christmas at Chantemerle from 18:00 on 24 Dec 2026/27
Les Menuires Torchlit descent and fireworks from 17:30 on 24 Dec; Father Christmas from 11:00 on 25 Dec 2026/27
Samoëns Father Christmas, parade, torchlit descent and fireworks on 24 Dec 2026/27 (times not yet out)
La Clusaz Surprise arrival of Father Christmas on 24 Dec 2026/27
Les Deux Alpes Ski show, torchlit descent and fireworks from 18:30 on 24 Dec Listed with 2026
Les Gets Father Christmas's village 20–24 Dec 2026; parade, torches and fireworks on 24 Dec 2025 2026/27 and 2025/26
Méribel Father Christmas arrives 17:30 on 24 Dec; torchlit descent and fireworks on 25 Dec 2025/26
Tignes Parades, lantern and torchlit descents, fireworks on 24 Dec 2025/26
Chamonix Christmas parade with Father Christmas 17:30 on 24 Dec; torchlit descents on 25 Dec 2025/26
Morzine and Avoriaz Parades, torchlit descent and fireworks from 18:15 on 24 Dec 2025/26
Verbier Santa and two elves in the streets, 15:30–17:00 on 24 and 25 Dec 2026/27
Lech The Christkind arrives on 20 Dec; Santa Claus visits Zürs at 14:30 on 25 Dec 2025/26
Courmayeur Rhémy de Noël arrives on 24 Dec afternoon 2025/26

France

Val d'Isère

For 2026, the tourist office lists Father Christmas's arrival at 17:00 on Thursday 24 December, on the square outside the tourist office. The ESF torchlit descent down the Face de Bellevarde is on Tuesday 22 December 2026 at 18:00, weather permitting, so check the date if you want to see both. At the ESF Christmas show, hot chocolate and mulled wine cost €2 with a cup deposit.

Megève

Megève's Village de Noël runs from 21 to 31 December 2026, 10:00–12:00 and 15:00–18:30, and closes on 25 December. From 21 to 24 December children can visit Father Christmas in his office. On 24 December at 17:30 he parades through the village in his sleigh. Elf workshops for children aged four and over cost €5, booked online.

Serre Chevalier and Les Deux Alpes

In Serre Chevalier, Father Christmas arrives on 24 December 2026 from 18:00 on the square at the Chantemerle cable car. ESF instructors put on a torch display at the foot of the Luc Alphand slope. In Les Deux Alpes, the resort's Christmas Eve ski show starts at 18:30 on the Lutins slope, with the ESF torchlit descent, ski demonstrations and fireworks. The page gives the date as "Wednesday 24 December" next to 2026, and 24 December 2026 is a Thursday, so check the date nearer the time.

Christmas Eve in Les Menuires, Samoëns, La Clusaz and Valloire

  • Les Menuires: on 24 December 2026, a parade, sound and light show, torchlit descent and fireworks at Les Bruyères from 17:30. On Christmas Day Father Christmas visits La Croisette from 11:00.
  • Samoëns: the Christmas village opens daily from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, from 14:00, and is free. On 24 December it adds Father Christmas, a parade, a torchlit descent and fireworks. Times were not yet published.
  • La Clusaz: the free Pestacles street-theatre festival runs from 20 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. How Father Christmas arrives on the 24th is kept secret until the evening.
  • Valloire: from 20 to 25 December 2026 the Town Hall square has a 5-metre snow sculpture of Father Christmas, his life-size house and a small market. The 2026 programme had not been announced.

Christmas Eve in the Portes du Soleil resorts

In Les Gets, Father Christmas's village runs from 20 to 24 December 2026. On Christmas Eve 2025, the Haute-Savoie tourist board listed the parade at 17:30, the ESF torchlit descent at 18:15 and fireworks at 18:30. In Morzine the parade welcoming Father Christmas started at 18:15, with fireworks from the Pléney snowfront. In Avoriaz the Christmas show started at 18:15 on the Dromonts slope, with an ESF torchlit descent, a sound and light show and fireworks.

Méribel and Tignes

Méribel ran its festivities from 21 to 25 December 2025. Father Christmas arrived at 17:30 on the 24th, by carriage in Méribel Centre. On Christmas Day at 17:30 a torchlit descent and fireworks at La Chaudanne marked his departure. In Tignes, on 24 December 2025, both Val Claret and Le Lac had a parade with Father Christmas, a children's lantern descent, an instructors' torchlit descent and fireworks. Val Claret's parade started at 17:00. On Christmas Day there were sleigh rides with Father Christmas in Val Claret, 17:00–18:30.

Chamonix valley and Courchevel

The Chamonix tourist office's 2025/26 programme had Father Christmas in Les Houches on 22 December and in Argentière on 23 December. The grand Christmas parade left the Place du Triangle de l'Amitié at 17:30 on 24 December, with Father Christmas in the procession. On Christmas Day there were torchlit descents in Les Houches and Vallorcine. In Courchevel, the ESF describes its instructors' torchlit descent at 1850 on Christmas Eve and a photo session with Father Christmas the same evening, but gives no times.

Switzerland and Austria

In German-speaking Switzerland, the Samichlaus visits on 6 December and the Christkind brings the main presents at Christmas, according to the Swiss National Museum. In the programmes we found, Father Christmas appears less often than in France.

  • Verbier: Santa and two elves walk the streets on 24 and 25 December 2026, with the best chance of meeting them from 15:30 to 17:00.
  • Lech: in 2025 the Christkind arrived on the Kirchplatz in Lech at 18:00 on 20 December. In Zürs, Santa Claus visited the Edelweissplatz at 14:30 on Christmas Day.
  • St Anton: the 2025/26 winter press release lists no event between the Christmas Adventure Trail on 21 December and 30 December.

We did not find a public Christmas Eve event for children in the official programmes for Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Obergurgl or Ischgl. For their Advent events, see our guide to Christmas markets in ski resorts.

Italy

In the Italian resorts we checked, the torchlit descents were at New Year. Courmayeur is the exception for children. On 24 December 2025 a children's workshop at 15:00 in the Jardin de l'Ange led to a story and the arrival of Rhémy de Noël, a Father Christmas dressed as a mountaineer. At 16:30 the children walked him to the Alpine Guides Society to light his lantern. The instructors' torchlit descent was on 30 December in 2024.

In Ortisei, Val Gardena, Christmas Eve 2025 brought choirs at 18:00 in Piazza Stetteneck, and the ski school's torchlit descent was on New Year's Eve.

Choosing a resort for Christmas Eve with children

If Father Christmas and a torchlit descent on the 24th matter most, the French resorts above give you the most choice. In resorts with several villages, such as Tignes and Méribel, check which village's event is nearest your chalet. Our family Christmas chalets and catered Christmas chalets collections cover these resorts. In 2026 the usual chalet week runs from Saturday 19 to Saturday 26 December, so Christmas Eve falls on the Thursday of your week.

Sources

Common questions

Where can children see Father Christmas on Christmas Eve in the Alps?

Most French resorts hold an arrival on 24 December. For 2026, Val d'Isère lists 17:00, Megève a sleigh parade at 17:30 and Serre Chevalier from 18:00 at Chantemerle.

Is there a torchlit descent on Christmas Eve?

In many French resorts, yes. On 24 December 2025 Tignes, Les Gets and Avoriaz all held ESF torchlit descents, and Les Menuires lists one from 17:30 on 24 December 2026. Val d'Isère's is on 22 December in 2026.

Do Austrian and Swiss resorts have Father Christmas on 24 December?

Less often. In German-speaking Switzerland the Christkind, not Father Christmas, brings the presents. Verbier has Santa in the streets on 24 and 25 December 2026, and in 2025 Zürs had Santa Claus at 14:30 on Christmas Day.

Do Italian ski resorts hold torchlit descents at Christmas?

Mostly at New Year instead. Courmayeur's was on 30 December in 2024 and Ortisei's on 31 December 2025. Courmayeur has Rhémy de Noël, its own Father Christmas, on the afternoon of 24 December.

Are the Christmas Eve events free?

The arrivals, parades and torchlit descents listed by the tourist offices are free to watch. Some extras cost money, such as Megève's €5 elf workshops and Val d'Isère's €2 cup deposit for drinks.

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