For many travellers, the appeal of a ski holiday extends beyond the slopes, with après-ski, live music and late-night venues playing an important role in the overall experience.
While strong terrain and reliable snow remain the foundation of any successful resort, nightlife has become an increasingly important factor for groups, friends and younger skiers choosing where to travel. Some resorts have built long-standing reputations around their social scenes, developing a balance between high-quality skiing by day and lively resort centres by night.
Ski Solutions has identified eight ski resorts around the world that stand out for their nightlife, highlighting destinations that continue to attract visitors looking to combine skiing with an active après-ski and evening programme.
1. St. Anton, Austria
St. Anton positively crackles with nightlife. From early afternoon to late at night, the ski resort parties hard in some of the best bars and clubs in the Alps. With the Krazy Kanguruh on its home run, St. Anton can rightly lay claim to being the birthplace of après ski and one of the best party ski resorts in the world. The terrace of this institution has been home to revellers since 1965. That’s a lot of steins of beer drunk here on ski holidays to Austria over the years!
Adding to this heritage is the MooserWirt opposite. With both pumping out the tunes and revellers dancing on the tables in ski boots, it’s impossible to ski back to the resort without being lured in to party. Once you’re down in the resort, some of the Alps’ best ski nightlife continues. For live music, it’s the Basecamp umbrella bar. For cocktails and dancing, it’s Bar Cuba and Bobo’s, plus many, many more.
2. Val d’Isère, France
Head to Val d’Isère on your ski holiday to France, and you might need another holiday to recover! With some of the world’s most epic skiing, it has bars and clubs to match. Val d’Isère deserves its reputation as one of the best ski resorts in Europe for nightlife.
At the heart of Val d’Isère’s claim to be the best ski resort to party in is La Folie Douce. Home to the original, La Folie Douce Val d’Isère opened in 1981 and just gets better and better each season. By mid-afternoon, the terrace at the top of La Daille gondola is buzzing, with live musicians playing on the roof and champagne buckets being zip-lined to the crowds.
Also worth checking out for a party is Le Petit Danois, Cocorico and Doudoune.
3. Tignes, France
No longer overshadowed by its sister ski resort, Val d’Isère, Tignes has a strong claim to be one of the best ski resorts with good nightlife in the Alps. Without wanting to start a war of words between the two Tignes-Val d’Isère ski areas, some people may argue that Tignes is actually better than its neighbour.
The party scene centres on several fun bars. Favourites include Loop Bar and Marmot Arms earlier on, and Jack’s Club for late-night revelry. For the best party of the season, Tignes is the best place to be for New Year’s Eve. A huge fireworks display illuminates the mountains, and the foot of the slopes turns into an enormous nightclub.
4. Ischgl, Austria
Ischgl wears its nightlife crown with pride. Celebrated for its opening season and end-of-season Top of the Mountain weekends, the ski resort is firmly on the map as one of the best party ski resorts in Europe.
The legendary weekend-long parties at the beginning and end of each season feature a host of events, with each bar pulling out all the stops. But the highlight is the big concert the ski resort puts on for free on the slopes. A stage that wouldn’t look out of place in Hyde Park has hosted Elton John, Robbie Williams, Kylie and Beyoncé, among others. This truly makes it an exciting time to be in the resort.
But it’s not just about the beginning and the end of the season. Visit throughout, and you’ll experience some of Austria’s finest après ski. Dancing on tables in ski boots is obligatory, and the action starts around lunchtime on the slopes and continues into the early hours. Hotspots include Paznauner Thaya, Niko’s Hexenküche and Feuer & Eis.
5. Mayrhofen, Austria
Home to the legendary Snowbombing festival, Mayrhofen is a solid bet when looking for ski resorts with good nightlife. This is arguably the heaviest and best snow and music festival in the Alps. With an anything-goes attitude, Mayrhofen draws a friendly crowd that doesn’t take things too seriously. This atmosphere is what attracted Snowbombing in the first place, way back in 2005.
The mayhem kicks off around lunchtime in the group of bars around the top of the Penken gondola at 1,800m. Then you continue to Brück’N Stadl or the Scotland Yard Pub down in town. Then, finally, you inevitably finish up at the Arena nightclub in the basement of the Central Hotel Strass.
6. Verbier, Switzerland
It’s hard to put our finger on what makes Verbier one of the best ski resorts in Europe for nightlife, but whatever it is, we like it. We think Verbier’s standing has something to do with its ability to combine the classy with the raucous. This ski resort provides something for all tastes on a ski holiday to Switzerland.
The Farinet is a stone-cold classic après bar in the centre of the resort, while Ice Cube and Pub Mont Fort are popular earlier on. In the evening, the Farm Club will take you through to the small hours.
7. Alpe d’Huez, France
Alpe d’Huez has a vibrant nightlife that pulses with energy long after the slopes close. There is a mix of choices for any kind of partygoer, whether you’re looking for live music, sophisticated spots, après fun, or nightclub nights.
The après scene kicks off in full force with bustling bars, cosy pubs, and stylish lounges. One of the highlights is the legendary La Folie Douce, located at the top of the Marmottes 1 chairlift. It has a large south-facing deck that looks over snowy mountain views. Après Folie-style starts at 2:30 pm, and the party continues until the lifts close around 4:30 pm.
If you’re searching for something off the slopes, a pub crawl in Alpe d’Huez wouldn’t be complete without visiting Smithy’s Tavern, Zoo Bar, or The Underground Bar. Each has its own character and offers a laid-back atmosphere with tasty drinks and bar snacks. The party will continue deeper into the night at the Igloo Club, which keeps the fun alive until 6 am closing time.
8. Les Deux Alpes, France
Les Deux Alpes has been a long-term favourite for youngsters looking for a party. It not only offers an exceptionally long season due to the huge glacier that characterises this resort, but it’s also home to one of the biggest music festivals in the Alps – Rise Festival.
This weekend-long party plays live beats on and off the mountain with multiple stages and venues spread throughout the resort. Big names churn out well-loved bangers on the main stage while various acoustic artists perform in a more intimate setting around an open fire.
With 45 bars along the main street and 8 nightclubs in Les Deux Alpes, there is no end to post-ski fun. The wide choice of party places at this ski resort wildly outdoes any other resort in the surrounding area.