The popularity of festivals both home and abroad continues to soar, and if what the music industry tells us is correct, it seems that despite the ever deeper recession, Brits are still spending to see their favourite acts perform live. And ski resorts are always keen to jump on the bandwagon, attracting more youngsters to their slopes in the day, and out partying once the lifts close.
There is no question, Snowbombing is still the Alpine Glastonbury, but such a mass gathering isn’t for everyone, and continuing the UK comparisons, Sölden’s new Electric Mountain Festival is V.
The resort has a long reputation as a ”hot spot” of the Alps when it comes to partying, and the line-up for the inaugural festival was impressive; David Guetta headlined a concert on the resorts glacier (at 2670m) in front of 10,000 partygoers, and Snoop Dogg was due to perform but bailed, as he did for Snowbombing too.
There may be no mud, no camping and no wellies (although, surprisingly, a pair wouldn’t have gone amiss as spring snow can be slushy at the best of times), but what European festivals (especially Austrian ones) do bring to the mix is just as exciting – copious amounts of Jägermeister, lots and lots of Europop and, most of all, they sure know how to party.
I was in town to see DJ Antoine take to the (high-altitude) stage. His name might not ring any bells, but (… and for those of you who have just returned from the White Isle this might bring memories flooding back) his hits include Welcome to St Tropez and, more recently, Ma Chérie. Which, I hasten to add, are two songs that probably have the most repetitive lyrics going, making them very good crowd pleasers.
Decked out in a fur-hooded Puffa jacket, with oversize sunglasses on (at night, but I understand DJs can pull off such a look), the Swiss DJ had the crowd jumping up and down to his euphoric beats. Opening the set with your two biggest tracks could seem risky, especially if you intend to close with them too, but the crowd couldn’t get enough of it – jumping along throughout his 2 hour gig.
Nightlife in the resort is lively to say the least, with partying from 3pm–3am at the two-storey, glass-fronted Fire and Ice club. I’m told the music is blaring and the dance floor packed every night of the week during the ski season, and I can certainly vouch for this from my visits.
Sölden’s skiing is equally as impressive as its music scene, with 150km of piste and 34 lifts, most of which are high-speed detachable chairs or gondolas. With two glaciers, and the ”Big 3” mountain peaks all above 3000m – Gaislachkogl 3058m, Tiefenbachkogl 3309m and Schwarze Schneid 3370m – the snow reliability is second to none. The resort is famed for its long season: hosting the World Cup season openers in October, and not closing until the beginning of May (the main ski area will close 28 April 2013).
Nearby Obergurgl is the more popular destination with British tourists; however there are more slopes in Sölden (and the nightlife is better rated). The resort is a haven for intermediates, with a large percentage of red runs (34% to be precise), and most of the main slopes fall into this classification. There are a handful of blacks as well. There are choices for beginners on the slopes, with a good number of blue slopes and also a beginners’ zone, served by two parallel drag lifts.
Accommodation in the town is plentiful, and although there is one 5 star hotel, most are good 3 to 4 star, with a number of apartments and chalets on offer as well. The 4 star Liebe Sonne hotel is located a few minutes walk from the main lift, and also has its own, very popular, après-ski bar, the Schirmbar, which is lively and packed from mid-afternoon. For those wanting to put their feet up and relax, the hotel spa, with a sauna, steam room, and both indoor and outdoor pools is just the answer; but beware there’s no place for prudishness here, it’s a clothes off at the door policy.
Every season new festivals pop up in alpine resorts (and others fall by the wayside), and it’s not the easiest market to break, but there is no question that Sölden has the right idea. DJ Antoine’s tunes now appear twice in my ”Top 25 Most Played” playlist on my iPod, he must have hit a chord!
Travel Essentials
The Electric Mountain Festival (electric-mountain-festival.com) takes place in Sölden 2–6 April 2013. Tickets from £39.45.
Easyjet (easyjet.com) operate flights to Innsbruck, which is 85km away and a 1 hour’s drive, from Bristol, Liverpool and London Gatwick airports. Prices one-way start from £27.99. British Airways (BA.com) fly five times a week from Gatwick to Innsbruck. Alternatively, you can fly to Munich, which is also within easy reach, approximately 210km and a 2.5 hours drive away, and is serviced by many of the major airlines from most UK airports.
Sölden: soelden.com
Hotel Liebe Sonne: sonnenhotels.at
