Two major highlights await visitors to Ischgl at the start of the 2026/27 winter season: The new Höllkarbahn will begin operating on 26 November, followed two days later by Westlife at the Top of the Mountain Opening Concert. Investments have also been made in new facilities and activities on the Swiss side of the Silvretta Arena and elsewhere in the Paznaun Valley.
Westlife to Headline Ischgl’s Opening Concert
The headline act for Ischgl’s opening weekend has now been confirmed: Westlife will perform at the Top of the Mountain Opening Concert on Saturday, 28 November 2026, following in the footsteps of previous headliners such as Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, Demi Lovato, Sean Paul, Seeed and Jason Derulo.
The open-air concert will take place near the Silvrettabahn valley station. Doors open at 4:30 pm, with the concert scheduled to begin at 6 pm.
The Irish pop group will celebrate 25 years in music in 2026. Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan are set to perform some of Westlife’s biggest hits in Ischgl, including “Flying Without Wings”, “My Love” and “You Raise Me Up”. The concert forms part of the band’s “Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour”.
On the day of the event, a one-day lift pass including concert admission costs €100 for adults and €62 for children. Children under the age of eight can attend free of charge when accompanied by a parent. Valid multi-day lift passes of two days or more, as well as season passes, also include admission to the concert.
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New Höllkarbahn to Open for the Start of the Season
Skiers and snowboarders can make their first turns in Ischgl from Thursday, 26 November 2026. The cross-border Silvretta Arena Ischgl/Samnaun will then open its 239 kilometres of slopes for the new winter season, which is scheduled to run until 2 May 2027.
The new Höllkarbahn C2 will also begin operating on the first day of the season. The detachable 8-seater chairlift replaces the previous lift in the Höllkar area and is designed to reduce queues while providing a significant improvement in comfort.
With a journey time of around 5.1 minutes, the new chairlift can carry up to 4,200 passengers per hour. Its 89 chairs are fitted with weather-protection bubbles and heated seats. The lift also features Doppelmayr’s AURO system, which automatically monitors passengers as they board and leave the chairlift. The backs of the chairs feature designs inspired by the history of Silvrettaseilbahn.
The completion of the Höllkarbahn marks the final stage of a modernisation programme in which Silvrettaseilbahn AG has invested more than €50 million. The new Höllboden C1 and Sassgalun C3 8-seater chairlifts already opened for the 2025/26 season (Trail Map). Photovoltaic panels installed on the station buildings of the three lifts have a combined capacity of 274.5 kWp.
Modernisation Work in Samnaun
Modernisation work is also under way on the Swiss side of the ski area in Samnaun. The two double-decker cabins of the Twinliner L1, which opened in 1995, are being replaced.
The cable car’s control system and automatic platform doors are also receiving a technical upgrade. In future, the lift will be equipped for unattended cabin operation.
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Former Ischgl Chairlift Moves to Galtür
The other winter resorts in the Paznaun Valley are also introducing new facilities for the coming season. At Silvapark Galtür, the new detachable Kopssee 6-seater chairlift will replace the resort’s two existing drag lifts.
The former Höllkarbahn from Ischgl has been fully overhauled and rebuilt in Galtür for this purpose. The new lift features weather-protection bubbles and can transport up to 2,400 passengers per hour along its 1,125-metre route.
By storing snow from the previous winter, Galtür also plans to open a roughly five-kilometre cross-country skiing trail in the Vermunt area as early as 5 November 2026.
New Snow Park in Kappl
Kappl is expanding its winter sports offering with a new snow park featuring the “SunnyCross” course, as well as two freestyle camps for children and teenagers.
In See, pre-school children can receive free ski lessons on four half-days between 6 and 20 March 2027, subject to certain booking conditions.
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