A memorable edition opens at the start of 2026.

In Valloire, January is experienced as a race against time. For four days and four nights, monumental blocks of snow are transformed before the public's eyes into giant sculptures, destined to disappear almost as soon as they are completed. From Tuesday, January 20 to Friday, January 23, 2026, the Savoyard resort hosts the 43rd edition of its international snow sculpture competition, a unique event in France, which has become a global benchmark for ephemeral art.

In the heart of the village, on the entirely pedestrianized Avenue de la Vallée d'Or, the teams work tirelessly. In groups of three, twenty artists from around the world confront the raw material, the cold, and the changing light. The snow hollows out, stretches, rises until it forms fragile architectures, poetic or politically charged figures. One overly forceful gesture, a change in temperature, and everything can tip over. Here, each sculpture is a gamble. The public moves freely among the works in progress, observing the hands at work, the volumes emerging hour after hour. Some creations are striking for their symbolic power—such as Inner Heat by the Iranian team, Gentle Wave by the Chinese artists, or Crossroads by the Swedish team—revealing the diversity of perspectives and imaginations gathered in Valloire. The snow becomes language, narrative, living sculpture.

Friday marks a double moment: the end of the competition and the beginning of an open-air exhibition. At noon, the tools fall silent, and the jury deliberates. At the end of the day, the sculptures light up, fireworks ignite the sky, and the village transforms into a life-size winter gallery. The white giants remain visible day and night until nature decides to make them disappear.

A free, spectacular, and profoundly collective event, where art is experienced in the moment. In Valloire, everything is there to be seen now—because tomorrow, only a memory sculpted in the snow will remain.

Snow Sculptures 2026
Avenue de la Vallée d’Or, in the heart of the village of Valloire
From Tuesday, January 20 to Friday, January 23, 2026
Continuous creation, day and night
20 international artists, teams of 3
Free admission
Highlight not to be missed - Friday, January 23

• 12:00 PM: End of the competition and jury deliberations
• 12:00 PM–4:00 PM: Public and youth voting
• 5:30 PM: Awards ceremony followed by fireworks

The sculptures will remain on display until weather conditions dictate otherwise.