Winter Closing Ischgl
Every year around end of April or begin of May there is the winter closing in Ischgl. It has always been a big thing but still keeps growing. There is a Top of the Mountain concert where many big artists have been during the years. We visited the closing in 2016 (Muse) and 2023 (Eros Ramazzotti). Here are some examples of artists who have been performing between 1993 and today: P!nk, Robbie Williams, Tina Turner, Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, The killers, Rihanna, Sting, Bon Jovi and many more.
The location of the concert is really unique. It think that this is where Tomorowland Winter got their inspiration to host a winter edition of there festival in Alpe D’Huez. It is something we realised during the concert that we were happy to be able to enjoy these kind of moments. Good music, friends closeby and enjoying a drink together.
We attended the Closing edition in 2016 (Muse) and planned to go to the 2020 edition (Eros Ramazzotti) when it got cancelled due to the pandemic. Funny thing is that we later decided to attend the 2023 edition and that the artist was Eros Ramazzotti. It’s a great experience but not something we’ll do every year. We don’t plan to go back in the next years, unless there would be a big artist we would really want to see. In recent years they also started with Easter and Spring concerts. So maybe we’ll attend one of those, or why not attend once the opening of the season in the last week of November.
Closing Ischgl party zone
We prefer to go to the party or concert zone via the 3-S Pardatschgratbahn and then take the B8 lift down to Idalp. When you arrive a little before the concert you get a great view on the surroundings and concert zone.
Earlier years we saw plenty of people taking drinks and food to the concert but in recent years there are checks on backpacks at the elevators before you go up. It started when the lifts opened and the first skiers wanted to go up. Checks don’t last all day, because when we went up around 12:35 there were no more checks. You can buy drinks at the concert zone. A can of beer (33 cl) was 5€ during the 2023 edition.
If you ask multiple people what is the best position I’m convinced that plenty of people will have a different opinion. We were at the right of the podium where we had a good sight and were close to the drinks. A tip for smaller people is to build a mini podium with snow, so you can look over the crowds.
Empty slopes
The Closing really means the end. The most common question we got from people in our home country was: “You go skiing? Will there be snow?”. I think you must have experienced the Closing in Ischgl before you can really understand it. In the days before the concert, it’s really empty in Ischgl. It means you have the slopes for you alone! The après is not was it’s normally is, but you see it growing every day. We really enjoyed the empty slopes big time! Although I have to admit that the 2023 edition didn’t have the best snow quality. Previous edition (2016) was completly different.
Impressions of Closing in Ischgl
Closing in Ischgl is not only the Top of the Mountain concert, but a real party in the entire village. There are plenty of places where you can party with all kinds of music and vibes. Our favorites are the square at Kuhstall and Trofana Alm, where outside the DJ plays mostly a great set.
More information on Closing in Ischgl
In recent years there is now also a concert on Idalp the day before Top of the Mountain concert. It’s not on the main stage, but on a smaller podium in front of the restaurant, but it brings some extra atmosphere. During the performance there were longer queues for getting drinks. An option might be to just fetch the drinks in the restaurant. It might be faster.
Don’t limit yourself to check out the parties in the main street of Ischgl. There is some things to see at the other side as well. There are activities at Schatzi bar and Kizloch bar. Do take into account that beers in Kizloch are the most expensive ones in Ischgl.
