World Snow Festival 2027 in Grindelwald and on Männlichen
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The 42nd World Snow Festival runs from 18 to 24 January 2027, and the best of it for anyone staying in Wengen is not a day trip at all. Two of the teams carve their sculptures up on Männlichen, the mountain Wengen shares with Grindelwald. The motto for 2027 is "Animal worlds", and watching costs nothing.
The event
Teams from a dozen nations are handed identical blocks of snow, three and a half metres on each side, and five days to turn them into something. Most of them work in the middle of Grindelwald, on the Eiger+ Nordwandplatz and the Bärplatz, from 08:00 to 18:00. Two more work up in the Männlichen ski area, from 09:00 to 16:00, out of competition and away from the crowds.
That second group is the reason this belongs in a Wengen week rather than on a day-trip list. The gondola runs straight up from the village, and the sculptures stand near the top station along the trail towards the summit. You can break a morning on the pistes to watch a block of snow turn into an animal, then carry on skiing. No train, no change at Kleine Scheidegg, no day handed over to it.
The judged competition is down in Grindelwald, which is worth a separate trip if you want the full field. The village is reached from Wengen by train, over Kleine Scheidegg or round through Lauterbrunnen. Towards the end of the week the finished pieces are lit after dark, which is when they look their best.
It rewards more than one look. A shape that is unreadable on Monday is finished by Friday, and the same sculpture reads differently lit at night. The week also begins the day after the Lauberhorn Races end, so it extends a race-weekend stay instead of competing with it.
Practical information
Dates: 18 to 24 January 2027, the 42nd edition.
Motto: "Animal worlds".
Where: Eiger+ Nordwandplatz and Bärplatz in central Grindelwald, plus the Männlichen ski area.
Carving hours: 08:00 to 18:00 in the village, 09:00 to 16:00 on Männlichen.
Entry: free.
Getting to Männlichen: by gondola directly from Wengen.
Getting to Grindelwald: by train from Wengen, over Kleine Scheidegg or via Lauterbrunnen.
Illumination: the village sculptures are lit in the evenings towards the end of the week.
Plan your stay
The festival follows straight on from the busiest weekend of the Wengen winter, so January rooms go early. Victoria Lauberhorn sits beside the station in the car-free village, a few minutes from the Männlichen gondola and on the line to Grindelwald. There is the spa at the end of a cold day and the restaurants after it. Book your January stay in Wengen in good time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World Snow Festival?
The World Snow Festival is a snow-sculpture competition, running its 42nd edition in 2027 under the motto "Animal worlds". Teams from a dozen nations are handed identical blocks of snow, three and a half metres on each side, and five days to turn them into something. Most teams work in central Grindelwald, while two more carve up in the Männlichen ski area, the mountain Wengen shares with Grindelwald.
When does the festival take place, and when can I watch the carving?
The 2027 festival runs from 18 to 24 January, beginning the day after the Lauberhorn Races end. Carving hours are 08:00 to 18:00 on the Eiger+ Nordwandplatz and the Bärplatz in Grindelwald. On Männlichen the two out-of-competition teams work from 09:00 to 16:00.
Does it cost anything to see the sculptures?
Entry is free; watching costs nothing. From Wengen, the gondola runs straight up to Männlichen, where the sculptures stand near the top station along the trail towards the summit. Grindelwald, where the judged competition takes place, is reached by train over Kleine Scheidegg or round through Lauterbrunnen.
When is the best moment to visit during the week?
It rewards more than one look: a shape that is unreadable on Monday is finished by Friday. Towards the end of the week the finished village sculptures are lit after dark, which is when they look their best. If you are skiing on Männlichen, you can break a morning on the pistes to watch a block of snow turn into an animal, then carry on skiing.
Why is Hotel Victoria Lauberhorn a good base for the festival?
Hotel Victoria Lauberhorn sits beside the station in car-free Wengen, a few minutes from the Männlichen gondola and on the railway line to Grindelwald. The festival follows straight on from the busiest weekend of the Wengen winter, so January rooms go early. After a cold day at the sculptures there is Wengen's largest wellness area, and the hotel restaurants for the evening.