New Year Ski Holidays in the Alps

How New Year week differs from Christmas week

The calendar in 2026

Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, the usual changeover day, so the New Year week runs from Saturday 26 December to Saturday 2 January. Operators with a Sunday changeover run it a day later: Le Ski's New Year holiday is Sunday 27 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.

French schools break up on Saturday 19 December 2026 and go back on Monday 4 January 2027, the same dates in each zone. So French families are on holiday across both weeks, not just one.

Demand and availability

In February 2026 Ski Beat reported strong demand for departures on both 19 and 26 December, and OVO Network said New Year 2026/27 was the most searched-for date on its website. The previous winter sold out early: on 19 December 2025 Ski Beat said it had "all but sold out for New Year". If you want New Year, the booking advice in our guide on when to book a Christmas ski chalet applies with equal force.

Price difference at one operator

On 21 September 2026 we compared Le Ski's listed prices for the same chalets across the Christmas and New Year weeks. Le Ski's prices include flights, transfers and chalet half board.

Chalet (Courchevel)	Week from 13 Dec 2026	Christmas week, from 20 Dec	New Year week, from 27 Dec	New Year vs Christmas
Le Bisolet	£1,213	£1,889	£2,645	+40%
Eagle's Nest	£1,223	£1,879	£2,678	+43%
Les Marmottes	Sold	£2,249	£3,153	+40%

At this operator New Year was the dearest of the three weeks. It is one operator on one date, not a market-wide figure.

What changes in a catered chalet

Le Ski's staff take New Year's Day off, and it serves a Bucks Fizz and smoked salmon breakfast on 2 January to make up for it. On New Year's Eve Le Ski serves Champagne and canapés before a special dinner, then guests head into the resort centre for the fireworks. Ask your operator which day the staff take off. See our catered Christmas chalets.

New Year's Eve programmes by resort

Resort	Season	What happens	Times
Val d'Isère	31 Dec 2026	DJ set on the snow front, fireworks at midnight	21:00–01:00
Tignes	31 Dec 2026	Live karaoke concert, fireworks, then a DJ set	22:30–01:30
Avoriaz	31 Dec 2026	Three stages with DJs, fireworks at midnight	21:30–01:00
Les Gets	31 Dec 2026	Family concert, DJ, ESF torchlit descent, fireworks	From 16:30
Méribel	31 Dec 2025	Torchlit descent, fireworks early and at midnight, open-air party	From 18:00
Courchevel	Each year	Dance Party on the snow front, fireworks at midnight	Not yet published
Verbier	1 Jan 2027	Free mulled wine and fireworks on the Place Centrale	17:00–18:30
Corvara	31 Dec 2026	Festa de Nanü, music in the town hall square	22:30–01:30
St Anton	31 Dec 2024 listing	Laser shows, no fireworks	20:00 and 23:30
Lech and Zürs	1 Jan 2027	Sound-and-light fireworks show in Zürs	22:00

France

Val d'Isère holds its New Year's Eve party at the foot of the Face de Bellevarde on Thursday 31 December 2026, from 21:00 to 01:00, with a DJ set on the snow front and fireworks at midnight. Entry is free, no drinks are sold on site, and private fireworks are banned.

Tignes celebrates on the snow front at Tignes le Lac, at 2,100 metres, from 22:30 to 01:30 on 31 December 2026. The programme is a live karaoke concert with the lyrics on giant screens, the traditional fireworks near the snow front, and then an electro-pop DJ set.

Avoriaz runs three stages with three DJs across the resort from 21:30 to 01:00 on 31 December 2026, with fireworks at midnight in the heart of the resort. It is free, and the Prodains cable car stays open until 00:30.

Les Gets starts early. From 16:30 on 31 December 2026 there are free hot drinks, a family concert, a DJ set and a Champagne and Champomy bar. At nightfall the ESF instructors make a torchlit descent, the mayor gives the New Year's wishes, and fireworks follow, visible from the snow front. The tourist office says detailed times are still to come.

Méribel's programme for 31 December 2025 had a torchlit descent by ski instructors at the Mottaret snow front at 18:30, fireworks at 18:00 and again at midnight at three sites (Méribel Village car park, La Chaudanne and Mottaret), and La Folie Douce's open-air party on the snow front at La Chaudanne from 22:30 to 01:30. A special shuttle ran that night.

Courchevel's tourist office describes New Year as a tradition of a Dance Party on the snow front and big fireworks at midnight. Its 2026 programme has not yet been published.

Switzerland

Verbier does its fireworks on New Year's Day, not at midnight. Verbier Tourisme lists a free New Year aperitif with mulled wine and fireworks on the Place Centrale on Friday 1 January 2027, from 17:00 to 18:30.

Zermatt's municipal council has banned large fireworks across the municipality all year, including New Year's Eve, as reported in April 2026. Sparklers and other small fireworks remain allowed.

Austria

St Anton calls itself a firework-free zone on New Year's Eve. The tourist office's most recent listing, for 31 December 2024, had a family laser show at 20:00 and the main laser show from 23:30 to about 00:15, in front of the tourist information office, free of charge.

Lech and Zürs have a general fireworks ban. The one exception is the New Year show in Zürs, a sound-and-light fireworks display at the Flexenarena by the Trittkopfbahn, at 22:00 on 1 January 2027.

Italy

In Alta Badia, the Festa de Nanü fills the town hall square in Corvara from 22:30 to 01:30 on 31 December 2026, with music and some of the Christmas market stalls still open for mulled wine. The party runs again on 1 January 2027 at the same times.

Early evening or midnight for families

The programmes split into two kinds. Les Gets starts at 16:30 and puts its torchlit descent and fireworks at nightfall, Méribel fired its first fireworks at 18:00 in 2025, and Verbier's show is at 17:00 on New Year's Day. Those suit younger children. Val d'Isère, Tignes and Avoriaz build towards midnight fireworks, with DJ sets running to 01:00 or later. Our family Christmas chalets collection is a starting point if you are travelling with children.

Which resorts do New Year well?

On the programmes published so far, the French resorts put on more for New Year's Eve itself: Val d'Isère, Tignes and Avoriaz for a midnight party with fireworks, and Les Gets for an early family evening. If you would rather avoid fireworks, St Anton, Lech, Zürs and Zermatt all mark the night without rockets. Check the tourist office page again nearer the date.

For snow, the Christmas Snow Report measures snow depth on Christmas morning at weather stations serving 38 resorts.

Sources

• service-public.gouv.fr — French Christmas school holidays 19 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027, all zones
• leski.com — Le Ski New Year dates 27 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027; Champagne and canapés on New Year's Eve; staff day off New Year's Day, breakfast on 2 January
• leski.com — Le Bisolet prices for 13, 20 and 27 Dec 2026
• leski.com — Eagle's Nest prices for 13, 20 and 27 Dec 2026
• leski.com — Les Marmottes prices for 20 and 27 Dec 2026
• inthesnow.com — 13 Feb 2026: Ski Beat demand for 19 and 26 Dec; OVO Network most-searched date New Year 26/27; Boxing Day Saturday changeover
• inthesnow.com — 19 Dec 2025: Ski Beat all but sold out for New Year
• valdisere.com — Val d'Isère 31 Dec 2026, 21:00–01:00, DJ and midnight fireworks, Face de Bellevarde
• tignes.net — Tignes 31 Dec 2026, 22:30–01:30, karaoke concert, fireworks, DJ set
• avoriaz.com — Avoriaz 31 Dec 2026, 21:30–01:00, three stages, midnight fireworks, Prodains cable car to 00:30
• lesgets.com — Les Gets 31 Dec 2026 from 16:30, torchlit descent at nightfall, mayor's wishes, fireworks
• meribel.net — Méribel 31 Dec 2025 torchlit descent, fireworks, La Folie Douce party, shuttle; Father Christmas arrives 24 Dec 2025
• courchevel.com — Courchevel's traditional New Year Dance Party and midnight fireworks
• verbier.ch — Verbier New Year aperitif and fireworks, 1 Jan 2027, 17:00–18:30, Place Centrale
• 20min.ch — Zermatt council bans large fireworks all year, including New Year's Eve (21 Apr 2026)
• stantonamarlberg.com — St Anton firework-free New Year's Eve; laser shows 31 Dec 2024
• lechzuers.com — Zürs New Year show 1 Jan 2027 22:00; general fireworks ban in Lech and Zürs
• altabadia.org — Corvara Festa de Nanü 31 Dec 2026 and 1 Jan 2027, 22:30–01:30