Winter in Innsbruck is full of variety: Sporting and cultural highlights 2018/2019

Last updated on 30.11.2018

In Innsbruck you can be sure of plenty of action, excitement, adrenaline and cultural highlights throughout the year. And 2019 gets underway with lots of variety and a great range of options for both sports fans and culture lovers. LIGHTSHOW MAX 500 20 November 2018 to 20 January 2019 – Innsbruck 2019 is the 500th anniversary of the death of Emperor Maximilian I and will be marked by all sorts of exciting celebrations. It’s being launched in November with the “world première” of the unique “Lightshow Max 500”, created exclusively for Innsbruck. Three sides of the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) are being transformed into a huge screen measuring more than 1,300 m2 to create, thanks to seven high-performance projectors and sound support, a special kind of open-air cinema. Impressive effects in XXL format based on historical events will convey the life and work of the emperor in a very modern, entertaining and sometimes surprising way. The turbulent and humorous journey through time takes visitors past medieval tournaments, weddings, court festivals and hunting and climbing scenes in Tyrol, an area close to the emperor’s heart. Spectators will be able to immerse themselves in the past, meet modern contemporaries and perhaps even get a glimpse into the future. This is an eagerly anticipated event. There will be many other events and activities throughout the year in memory of Emperor Maximilian, who was often known as the “last knight and first gunner”. Further information: www.innsbruck.info/max500 Racing down into the valley: Natural Track Luge World Cup 15 and 16 December 2018 – Kühtai Kühtai will be the venue for the Natural Track Luge World Cup’s opening competition for the fifth time, and the programme comprises ladies’ and gents’ individual, double and team competitions. This season the natural track tobogganists will also be competing in the World Cup, giving the prelude to the World Cup an extra special significance. Further information: www.rodel-austria.at Sporting start to the New Year – Ski jumping: Four Hills Tournament 3 and 4 January 2019 – Innsbruck/Bergisel Awe, encouragement and celebration is the name of the game every year on the Bergisel – one of the four stations of the Four Hills Tournament. It was in 1927 that the intrepid jumpers first soared up into the air from Innsbruck‘s landmark, which was strikingly remodelled in 2011 by the award-winning architect Zaha Hadid. At the beginning of January, the 67th Four Hills Tournament will once more be stopping over in the heart of the Alps, and ski jumpers will again be looking down from the Bergisel Stadium’s legendary launch platform, at a height of 134 metres, onto the city and across to the impressive Nordkette mountains. Further information: www.vierschanzentournee.com BMW IBSF Bob and Skeleton World Cup 2018/19 14 to 20 January 2019 – Innsbruck/Olympic bobsleigh run Igls The fearless professional pilots will be hurtling down the bobsleigh run head first and face down. There are thrills aplenty at 1,270 metres with 14 steep bends to negotiate, and in Igls you can share in the excitement of the spectacular bobsleigh and skeleton runs live. The only artificial ice bobsleigh run in Austria was created for the 1976 Winter Olympics and is exemplary for its kind as it was the first run on which all three sports could be performed without restrictions. It also provides spectators with an unforgettable sporting experience not only in the starting area but also along the entire route. Further information: www.ibsf.org FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2019 Seefeld 19 February to 3 March 2019 – Innsbruck and Seefeld 1 World Cup, 12 days and 21 competitions: some 700 athletes from 60 countries will once again be competing for the coveted medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2019, being held for the first time since 1985 in Tyrol, and Seefeld and Innsbruck will be at the centre of all the action. For the world-class athletes, all the men’s competitions are being held on the historic Bergisel. The world’s best performers in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and combination will be competing in this outstanding event, making it the absolute highlight of the coming winter. After the Climbing and Road World Championships held in autumn 2018 in summer-like conditions, Innsbruck or Tyrol will be hosting international competitions of the highest standard for the third time in just a few months. Further information: www.seefeld.com/seefeld2019 Freestyle Snowboard Championships 14 to 16 March 2019 – KPark Kühtai Outstanding performances, legendary parties and unforgettable moments are the hallmark of the Freestyle Snowboard Championships. In 2019 the Austrian and German Championships will again be taking place in the KPark in Kühtai. In the three disciplines of Slopestyle, Big Air and Halfpipe, the committed riders will be showing off their impressive tricks and giving a demonstration of freestyle snowboarding at the highest level. The KPark is the only Snow and Fun Park in the Alps entitled to call itself an Olympic venue, having hosted the Freestyle competitions of the Youth Olympics in Innsbruck in 2012. The park, managed by the Schneestern crew, has 4 areas – FreeStyle Area, SnowCross, SuperPipe and KidsPark – and snowboarders regard it as a veritable shredding mecca. Further information: www.powdern.com Conquer the Alps 8 to 10 March 2019 – Axamer Lizum and Innsbruck The “Anniversary Edition” of Conquer the Alps will once again be posing some exciting sporting challenges on the mountain, combined with legendary events and parties in the city. The tenth edition is pleased to have attracted two absolute stars of the German music scene. To kick things off, Samy deluxe will be delighting audiences with his marvellous rap lyrics, and on Saturday Paul Kalkbrenner will get hearts beating faster with his electronic music. The programme is supported in the city and on the mountain with lots more musical acts, social activities and a digital live challenge. Further information: www.conquerjourney.com Tyrol Easter Festival 5 to 21 April 2019 – Innsbruck/Hall The best way to describe the Easter Festival is as a tribute to art. The multi-faceted festival is a place of intellectual and cultural exchange and aims to promote greater tolerance and respect. Themes which change from year to year provide insights into other worlds, each theme providing a thorough examination of a region’s culture. The different art forms – music, performance, dance, readings, talks and film – all come together in the course of the festival. The challenging programme combines old and new from all eras and cultures. And the venues are just as varied as the programme, with churches, theatres, the university, an old salt warehouse and lots more becoming the stage. Further information: www.osterfestival.at