À Valloire, Winter doesn't just snow on the summits. It sculpts. From 13 to 16 January 2026, the Savoyard resort will be hosting one of its most spectacular events, the International Ice Sculpture Competition, organised on the Verneys plateau, just three kilometres from the heart of the resort. Every year, this open-air event attracts curious onlookers, families and fans of ephemeral art.
For three days and three nights, 20 artists from all over the world will face off against each other in a friendly challenge: transforming simple blocks of ice into real works of art.
Each team has five blocks of identical dimensions, which they shape in front of the audience, armed with tools that are sometimes unexpected. Chainsaws, picks, files and irons become instruments of precision, serving creativity and mastery of gesture.
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The Verneys plateau is transformed into a giant workshop, where you can watch the ice slowly evolve to the rhythm of the strokes, the adjustments and the meticulous details. Day and night, the sculptures take shape, playing with light, transparency and reflections, until the final verdict is announced on Monday 16 January.
Free introduction to sculpture
In addition to the competition, Valloire is also inviting the public to take part. From Tuesday to Friday, from 10am to 12pm and from 3pm to 6pm, a free introduction to ice carving is available at the Verneys site.
Led by professional sculptor Raphaël Cavagna, this workshop lets you discover the basic techniques involved in carving a small object from a block of ice. It's a fun and accessible experience, ideal for understanding the complexity of an art as fragile as it is demanding.
And in Valloire, creativity doesn't stop at the ice. The following week, the resort follows up with its other major artistic highlight. From 20 to 23 January 2026, it's time for the 43rd edition of the International Snow Sculpture Competition.
Seventeen teams of three sculptors will be given 50m³ snow cubes to transform into monumental works of art up to five metres high. Before the eyes of visitors, shovels, trowels, ladders and custom-made tools will breathe new life into a tradition that has become emblematic of the resort.
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