Skiing and Snowboarding .The Best Skiing And Snow Music Festivals

	Clare Maloney
	Online Editor
	9-02-2012

Whether you like it loud with a crowd or boutique and bijoux, there's something to suit all tastes and budgets in the snow music festival line-up this season. From Switzerland to Serbia, the slopes will be rocking with high-energy snow action by day and a mega-watt party atmosphere by night. Wristbands at the ready!

The Brits, Laax, Switzerland, 18-25 March 2012.

Rock up for seven days of adrenalin-charged ski and snowboard action and seven nights of pumping live music and DJ sets. Dubbed 'Glastonbury in the snow', The Brits thrives on a wild party atmosphere, but stays true to its competitive roots as a showcase for Britain's hottest snowsports athletes. Check out the talent in slopestyle and cross events, then try a few new tricks in the Freestyle Academy (a ramped-up indoor space complete with foam pits and trampolines, where you can turn it out without fear of major injury). Laax itself is a brilliant resort brimming with cool bars and great places to eat and stay. Seven-night packages, including accommodation, lift pass and wristband, start from £255. the-brits.com

The Big Snow, Kopaonik, Serbia, 23-29 March 2012.

Bigger and better in its third year, The Big Snow has outgrown Andorra and moved to the stunning Balkan resort of Kopaonik, Serbia. Boasting breathtaking scenery, friendly locals, great-value accommodation and big gig venues, the resort will be cranking up the party volume with a high-energy mix of music and snow action. Brit Award-winning Basement Jaxx headline and featured DJs include Judge Jules. Beyond the music, Kopaonik offers more than 62km of varied alpine runs, floodlit night skiing, freestyle park and cheaper-than-the-Alps food and drink. Seven-night packages, including flights, accommodation, lift pass and festival wristband, start from £449. thebigsnowfestival.com

Altitude Festival, Mayrhofen, Austria, 26-31 March 2012.

Get set to laugh your ski socks off at Altitude, where some of the comedy world's biggest names converge for a six-night funny fest. Jokes and Jagerbombs go hand in hand with evening stand-up sets from the likes of Tim Minchin, Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Al Murray, Ed Byrne, Michael Winslow (Motor Mouth from Police Academy films) and Phill Jupitus. And if you're still standing after all that, you can party on in the resort's famed apres bars and clubs. Those who are still fit to ski by day have access to the entire Zillertal Super Ski Area with 639km of piste and 167 lifts and gondolas to keep you happy. Five-night accommodation packages plus Altitude wristband start from £259. altitudefestival.com

The Winter Sessions, Chamonix, France, 30-31 March 2012.

If the words big, brash, loud and crowd don't factor in your festival vocabulary, you might want to get your boots on for the boutique Winter Sessions weekender in Chamonix. Set against one of the most jaw-droppingly spectacular backdrops in the French Alps, the festival plays host to world class DJs and bands, including Zero7 and Norman Jay. The bijoux nature of the event means you won't miss any of the action, taking place in various locations across the valley, including exclusive celebrity-hosted chalet parties and the infamous Alpine Cake Bake-Off. Lovers of snow sports are in the right place for heli-skiing, paragliding, the world's highest elevation lift to the Aiguille du Midi and the legendary glacier Mer de Glace. Weekend wristband, £65. wintersessions.net

Basecamp, Morzine, France, 2-6 April 2012.

Hailed as a five-day rollercoaster ride of sounds, slopes and snow, Basscamp is back with a banging line-up of international DJs and electronic bands, including Foamo, The Correspondents and A.Skillz. Fancy dress is big at Basscamp and this year's final day street party theme is a shock-inducing Back to the '80s tribute, which is bound to throw up a few cracking photo opportunities! Expect to see fluoro rave shades out in force, mixing it up with Madonnas, Wham look-alikes, the Village People and maybe a Mr T or two. If you're there to ski as hard as you party, you've got 650km of piste, six snow parks, a super pipe and Europe's only Burton Stash to keep you busy. Standard 5-day ticket, €100. basscamp-festival.com

Snowbombing, Mayrhofen, Austria, 9-14 April 2012.

Dizzee Rascal calls it 'Ibiza in the Snow' and that just about sums it up. The big one in the snow music festival stable, Snowbombing is back with one of its best line-ups ever. Dizzee headlines along with Example, Groove Armada, The Vaccines, Mr Scruff, DJ Yoda and Norman Jay. Snowbombing has earned its title of the Greatest Show on Snow by offering a week's worth of fun and games including a sky high igloo rave, an open-air forest gathering, a secret backcountry bash and Austria's biggest fancy dress street party. If you're not too 'bombed' to ski, your Snowbombing Super Ski Pass gives you access to the entire Zillertal Super Ski Area - the Glacier, the Vans Penken Park, 639 km of piste and 167 lifts and gondolas. A 7-night package with 3* accommodation, wristband and 6-day lift pass starts from £452.snowbombing.com