The wait is over: the World Cup in Sölden is on. Following the official snow control, FIS has given the green light for the season opener on the Rettenbach Glacier. On Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, the women and men will kick off the 2026/27 World Cup season with a giant slalom each. The stars are already training on the glacier.
At the start of October, there was little sign of a race course on the Rettenbach Glacier. The races are going ahead thanks to snow farming: last spring, the lift company stockpiled around 60,000 cubic metres of snow specifically for the World Cup course. "We were only able to secure the races thanks to that stockpiled snow," says race course director Isidor Grüner. A recent cold spell also allowed the snow cannons to be switched on. The result is a compact, race-ready base.
The course on the Rettenbach Glacier is known as one of the most demanding giant slalom slopes on the circuit. The steepest section reaches gradients of up to 68 per cent, and the vertical drop from start to finish is around 370 metres. Three wave-like rollers just before the finish keep the tension high right to the end. Mikaela Shiffrin, Marco Odermatt, Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and defending champion Julia Scheib are among the racers already training on the glacier.
The weekend gets underway on the evening of Friday 23 October with the public bib draw. On Saturday it is the women's turn (first run at 10:00, second run at 13:00), with live music in the finish area. At 17:30 the traditional fan club parade makes its way from Postplatz to the Giggijoch gondola base station, where the women's prize-giving and the men's bib draw follow from 18:30, before the party carries on into the evening. On Sunday the men take to the course, also at 10:00 and 13:00. The men's prize-giving takes place on the glacier straight after the race.
Tickets are available online at soelden.com and from the ticket offices on site. Every ticket includes the shuttle bus from Ötztal station to the glacier stadium and back. New this year: the World Cup in Sölden is fully cashless for the first time. On the glacier and at the Giggijoch gondola base station, all food, drink and merchandise stands only accept debit and credit cards or contactless payment by phone or smartwatch. Cash is not accepted anywhere in the event area. Restaurants in the village are not affected.
Last year, pre-race favourite Marco Odermatt delivered in the men's race. It was already the Swiss star's third win in Sölden, ahead of Marco Schwarz and Atle Lie McGrath. In the women's race, Julia Scheib provided the surprise: the Austrian claimed her first World Cup victory and went on to win the giant slalom crystal globe at the end of the season. Mikaela Shiffrin finished fourth. Whether Scheib can defend her title on the Rettenbach Glacier will become clear on 24 October.
After the World Cup, the focus in Sölden stays firmly on the start of the season. From 30 October to 2 November, the Winter Opening takes place on the Tiefenbach Glacier. It is a chance to make your first turns of the winter and test the latest skis and snowboards from major brands on the slopes. Mountain huts are open and the après-ski season kicks off in the village.
Skiing has been under way on Sölden's glaciers since the beginning of October. In mid-November, the entire Sölden ski area starts its regular winter season. Skiers then have 147 kilometres of slopes to explore, with three peaks above 3,000 metres that are easy to reach by gondola. Skiing is possible up to an altitude of 3,340 metres until the beginning of May.
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