International Snow Sculpture Festival in Italy

The International Snow Sculpture Festival which will be held in San Vigilio - St. Vigil from 9th to 11th January 2019 and in San Candido - Innichen from 14th to 16th of January 2019 is organized by the Tourist Boards of the two towns.

• The competition is open to groups of a maximum of three adults.
• The costs of board and lodging for a maximum of three persons per group from 8th to 17th January (departure), including breakfast on January 17th, as well as the transfer expenses from San Vigilio to San Candido on the Sunday, are sustained by the organisation (extras such as telephone and bar etc. are not refunded). Rest days: Saturday 12th January, the day of transfer to Innichen and Sunday 13th January.
• Prize giving: the guests in the various tourist resorts and the local residents will vote the sculptures of their liking. The prizes will be awarded to the three groups which have obtained most success in Innichen and in St. Vigil.
• Travel expenses refund: all groups participating will be refunded their travel expenses at Euro 0,20 per km to a maximum of Euro 260 (teams from Europe) and Euro 520 (teams from the other continents).
• Topic 2019: “Winter art - sculptures in snow”
• The sculptures must be made of snow, ice and water. The organizers will put at the competitors disposal the following tools: 2 spades, 1 ladder, 1 bucket, 1 pick-axe. The use of electric tools is prohibited.
• The 3 x 3 x 3 m (27 m³) blocks of snow will be assigned to the competitors by lottery draw at 9 am on the 9th January in St. Vigil and at 9 am on the 14th January in Innichen at the offices of the Tourist Board.
• The sculptures in St. Vigil must be completed by 7 pm on 11th January and in Innichen by 7 pm on Wednesday 16th January. The closing ceremony will be held in in Innichen on the evening of the 16th January.

Imposing in the clear winter air, bizarre in the evening illumination, thats how the sculptures will change the atmosphere of the village next january. The imaginative creations, the sculptures, forms and bodies of snow will dominate in the village on behalf of the Snow Sculpture Festival in Innichen.
The rules are very simple and very attractive for the spectators: fresh snow from the surroundings will be pressed together in 3x3x3m blocks which will be located in different areas.
On this blocks the 10 teams can play with the wealth of their ideas. The result of the work should be an imaginative sculpture. Apart from the tools the sculptors can use only water – water which will be soon ice regarding the freezing winter temperatures of the area.
The works have to be finished within 3 days, then they are going to be inspected and voted by the guests in the various tourist resorts and the local residents.

The Snow Sculpture Festival will be held from the 9th to the 11th of January 2019 in San Vigilio, and in Innichen from the 14th to the 16th of January. Hopefully the low winter temperatures will contribute to give the sculptures a long last, so they can be admired till the first mild days even in the evenings as they are going to be illuminated.