Morzine Events

Wondering what to do this Christmas and New Year? The festive season in the snowy Alps is always magical and every year there is some sort of celebration in resort to mark the occasion. Christmas is a far less commercial event in France than in the UK and so you won’t find things publicised for months in advance - but you can always be sure of a glass of vin chaud (mulled wine), a few carols and perhaps the odd firework or two!

Many of the restaurants will put on a special festive menu with champagne and traditional French dishes, so book in advance if you want to treat yourself to a meal out. Likewise, planning ahead is advised if you have your heart set on ringing in the New Year in a particular bar or club – many of them are ticket-only, so enquire in advance to avoid disappointment!

The week leading up to Christmas sees Morzine sparkling with Christmas cheer! The lights are up throughout resort and the fun includes street parades, tasty Christmas treats and children’s entertainment. Christmas Eve is a special night when well-behaved children might just catch a glimpse of Father Christmas outside the Tourist Office!

Morzine welcomes in the New Year with music parades, vin chaud at the foot of the pistes, a torch lit descent and a spectacular firework display.

To find out exactly what Morzine has in store this year have a look at our What’s On Calendar. You can read about the revelries of years gone by in our Après Ski Report, just use the drop-down box called ‘Archived Reports’ to go back to the date you are looking for. To get a feel for what Morzine nightlife is all about, take a look at our Dining & Going Out Guide.

From the 6th-9th January this exciting event passes through the Portes du Soleil. Over 300 dogs spend over 5 days racing through the snowy landscape in what is considered to be the most challenging race of its kind. The trainers are amongst the best in the world and so big crowds and lots of media attention are anticipated!

A week full of free screenings of celebrated films about the mountains.

This week Morzine celebrates all that is great about winter in the mountains! Mountain patrollers will be demonstrating ARVA avalanche rescue transceivers and there will be the chance to try snowshoeing and ski joering amongst other things. Each evening in the sports hall there will be free screenings of celebrated films about the mountains and winter sports from 6pm onwards.

The Rip Curl Girls Tour is back in the Alps for more freestyle snowboard and freeski lessons, demos and competitions. As well as qualified instructors the Rip Curl Team Pros will be on hand to offer top tips on style and technique.

Once you've mastered a few new moves you can take part in the ‘TRICKS ‘N’ FUN’ contest on the second day of the event. Open to all girls, you must complete three tricks and be judged by Alexandra Barrère and one of the instructors. A Rip Curl snowboard and Mountainwear are up for grabs for the snowboard and ski winners respectively.

Everyone is welcome, whatever their skills on the slopes with beginners’ classes to more advanced sessions. With DJ’s, lunch and a test of ski and snow equipment with Apo Snowboards, the girls will be busy all day. To top it off there will be a FREE GOODIE BAG and RIP CURL GIRLS TOUR PARTY (show of the day's photos, fashion show, videos, and DJ’s) and a chance to learn more at the Mountain Environment Protection Stand.

This mountain biking weekend sees cyclists of all abilities tackling the VTT routes of the Portes du Soleil. There are 3 designated categories to enter: 75km, 50km and 30km as well as a special 'Rando Kids' track. You can start from a number of resorts throughout the region and each trek takes just one day so you can enter on either Saturday or Sunday (or both if you're a bit keen!) Refreshment points and marshalls ensure that everything runs smoothly so turn up and get muddy! Participants can register in advance on this website. ... see "Pass'Portes du Soleil Mountain Bike Event" for more

Fête de la Musique is the celebration that takes place every summer solstice on 21st June in cities, towns and villages across France. More than a music festival, the Fête de la Musique is a free event that spills out from the bars and restaurants onto the streets and encompasses every type of music imaginable, from local amateur teen bands to professional classical musicians, from club DJ’s to traditional folk bands.

Launched in 1982 by the French Ministry for Culture, the Fete is different from a music festival in that all the concerts and performances are free to the public and none of the artists are paid.

The Fete de la Musique is now celebrated all over the world, where it is more commonly refered to as World Music Day.

Fête de la Musique is one of those certain nights throughout the year when the French authorities waive normal licensing laws, allowing the revelry to continue as long as there are people with the stamina to enjoy it – it is definitely one of the not-to-be-missed events of the summer social calendar!

This incredible endurance race really puts the athletes through their paces as they demonstrate 5 sporting disciplines, over 5 days, passing through 5 different resorts! Competitors must complete one trail running stage and one outdoor discipline each day, gaining points as the event progresses. The outdoor disciplines can include such diverse sports as mountain biking, mountaineering, canoeing, hydrospeed, canyoning, caving and abseiling.

(NB The organisers of the Saab Salomon Mountain X Race have decided to take a sabbatical for summer 2009, but they are confident that they will return to organise another great X Race in time for summer 2010.)

In summer 2008, Avoriaz hosted the very first Urban Roof 'n' Slopestyle freestyle MTB event. Totally unique in concept, this event doesn't take place at street level, but high up on the roofs of the resort providing freestyle fans with a jaw dropping spectacle. ... see "Avoriaz Urban Roof 'n' Slopestyle" for more

Every summer France is gripped by the biggest and best cycle race in Europe - Le Tour de France. The Alps have played a large part in the race over the years with the gruelling mountain climbs providing some of the most exciting spectacles of the event. The route changes slightly each year, taking in different towns and villages along the way. Even if the race doesn't pass near to where you are this summer you can guarantee that it will still be avidly watched in bars and cafés around the country with everyone joining in to cheer on the famous yellow jersey! ... see "Le Tour de France" for more

If leathers, fumes and interesting facial hair are your thing then you will be in your element this weekend as the annual Harley-Davidson Owners Group (HOG) descends on the town. Don't miss the opportunity to drool over these beautiful machines as approximately 3000 bikes arrive for the weekend.

The HOG currently has about 950 000 members worldwide and about 10% of those are in Europe. Each year, club members are invited to gather together in Morzine to coo over each others bikes, watch/take part in demonstrations, see some cool Harley stunts and round it off with a fashion show (leathers??!!). There is normally a couple of live bands playing as well to mosh and headbang to.

For petrol heads in the Alps the Mont Blanc Rally is one of the big events of the summer. First held in 1947 it was originally organised as part of the Fete d’Evian and was known as the “Rally Paris-Evian”. Over the years the rally’s course and focus shifted and it became the “Rally Evian – Mont-Blanc” and then in its tenth year, the “Rally Mont-Blanc Iseran”.  It was not until 1961 that it finally became the “Rally Mont-Blanc”.

Today the race exists as the fifth stage of the French National Rally Championships and draws many of France’s top drivers to the mountain town of Morzine to compete. The race takes place over two days, during which the drivers will cover over 600km around the Portes du Soliel and the Massif du Chablais.
The Mont-Blanc Rally is a road rally and therefore differs in a number of ways, from the more recognisable stage rallies which drive through snow and dirt along forestry trails. Firstly, as the name suggests, these races take place on roads that are open to the public. The emphasis therefore, is not on point-to-point speed but on accurate time keeping, navigation and vehicle reliability. Each driver and co-driver must cover long distances in each stage along twisting, open roads attempting at all times to maintain a constant pre-determined speed.

Along the course the cars will come to “Special Stages” where the road is closed and the cars are timed. These stages are shorter and require faster driving and controlled cornering and the road from Morzine to Avoriaz is one such stage. Between these stages are the much longer “transport stages” where the cars must travel under their own power. It is necessary therefore for the cars to be road legal and in a working order that is conducive to both short sprints and long cruises.

This form of Rallying is popular as both a spring board for the younger generation who want to compete at a higher level and as an amateur hobby for those who never lost that need for speed.

In recent years the Rally has been a highlight in the Morzine summer calendar drawing large crowds to the resort. The sight of the cars parked around town is enough of an incentive to visit during the event, especially now that it is twinned with the classic car rally as well.  However, once they head up the road to Avoriaz, the real excitement starts.  Whilst the noise does break the tranquillity of the mountains, there is something undeniably cool about seeing a car not too dissimilar to the one you drive to the shops in, hurtling up the road and screeching around the bends!

Morzine has a busy event calendar throughout the year. Here are some video clips of the big annual events.

Our videos rely on the latest Flash Player technology. If the video(s) won't play in your browser then you may need to update to the latest version of the Flash Player plugin. This update is free and should only take seconds on most computers. ... see "Morzine Event Videos" for more