Christmas and New Year in Mayrhofen 2026/27: what is on, and when
By Josi & Willi, your hosts at Black Eagle ·
The lifts in Mayrhofen run normal hours over Christmas and New Year 2026/27: 8:30 to 17:00 up to 24 December, 8:00 to 17:00 from 25 December, with no special hours published for Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. The village's Advent market ends on Saturday 19 December, and the big published evenings of the New Year week are the fireworks at the Ahornbahn on 30 December and the horse race on snow on 1 January.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Nov – 19 Dec 2026, weekends | Mayrhofner Advent market | Waldfestplatz, Mayrhofen |
| 4 Dec 2026 | Ski season starts on the Penken and Horberg | Penkenbahn, Horbergbahn |
| 12 Dec 2026 | Ahornbahn opens | Ahorn |
| 19 Dec 2026, 17:00–21:00 | Last Advent evening, the Christkind arrives | Waldfestplatz |
| 30 Dec 2026, from 15:30 | Fireworks with live concert, torch run weather permitting | Ahornbahn valley station |
| 30 Dec 2026, 19:00 | Pre-New Year's Eve party with fireworks, free entry | village square, Ramsau |
| 31 Dec 2026 | New Year's Eve steam train with music at the stations | Zillertalbahn |
| 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's horse race on snow | Mayrhofen |
| 5 Jan 2027 | Perchten, a local midwinter custom | Mayrhofen |
All dates are from the Mayrhofen tourist board and the Mayrhofner Bergbahnen, checked on 14 November 2026.
The Advent market
The Mayrhofner Advent at the Waldfestplatz runs on weekends from late November: Friday and Saturday evenings from 17:00 to 21:00, Sundays from 16:00 to 20:00. On Sunday 6 December St Nicholas comes, and on the final evening, Saturday 19 December, the Christkind. If your Christmas week starts on Saturday 19 December, the first day of the Dutch Christmas holiday, you can still catch that last evening on the day you arrive. Check-in with us is from 15:00, with a door code.
Lift hours over the holidays
The Penkenbahn and Horbergbahn run from 8:30 to 17:00 until 24 December and from 8:00 to 17:00 from 25 December; the Horbergbahn's last ascent is at 16:30. The Ahornbahn runs from 7:30 to 17:00. The lift company's booklet lists no special hours for 24 or 31 December. The Hintertux Glacier is open every day of the year.
New Year week
On 30 December the Ahornbahn hosts fireworks set to a live concert from 15:30, with a torch run if the weather allows. The Ahornbahn valley station is 1.16 km from our door, about 15 minutes on foot, so no car or taxi is needed afterwards. The same evening, Ramsau, further down the valley, holds a free pre-New Year's Eve party with fireworks from 19:00.
On 31 December the Zillertalbahn runs a New Year's Eve steam train with music at the stations; no times were published by 14 November. Mayrhofen station is 244 m from our door. On New Year's Day there is a horse race on snow in Mayrhofen, and the organisers ask for dogs to be kept on a lead.
For a New Year's Eve party or fireworks in Mayrhofen itself, check the tourist board's event calendar closer to the date: on 14 November no such event was listed on its event pages.
School holidays over Christmas
| Region | Christmas holiday |
|---|---|
| England (e.g. Surrey, Ealing) | from 19 or 21 Dec 2026 to 1–3 Jan 2027 |
| Scotland (Edinburgh) | 21 Dec 2026 – 5 Jan 2027 |
| Netherlands | 19 Dec 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 |
| Germany, Bavaria | 24 Dec 2026 – 8 Jan 2027 |
| Austria | 24 Dec 2026 – 6 Jan 2027 |
To see which of our apartments are still free over Christmas and New Year, week by week, go to free apartments in Mayrhofen.
FAQ
Are the ski lifts open on Christmas Day in Mayrhofen?
Yes. From 25 December the Penkenbahn runs from 8:00 to 17:00; no special Christmas hours are published.
When is the Christmas market in Mayrhofen in 2026?
The Mayrhofner Advent at the Waldfestplatz runs on weekends from 28 November to 19 December 2026.
Are there fireworks in Mayrhofen at New Year?
On 30 December 2026 the Ahornbahn holds fireworks with a live concert from 15:30. Plans for 31 December in the village were not yet listed on 14 November.
What happens on New Year's Day in Mayrhofen?
A horse race on snow, on 1 January 2027.
Is there snow at Christmas?
Not guaranteed in the valley. The Hintertux Glacier, at up to 3,250 m, is open every day.
Sources, checked 14 Nov 2026: Mayrhofner Advent, Klangfeuerwerk at the Ahornbahn, Vorsilvesterparty Ramsau, Silvesterzug, New Year's horse race, Perchten, ski season dates, Mountopolis winter booklet 2026/27, rijksoverheid.nl, KMK, oesterreich.gv.at, Edinburgh.
