International snow sculpture contest

Discover the 45th edition of the International Snow Sculpture Competition! Attend this internationally renowned event!
It's amazing to discover how simple blocks of snow can be transformed into monumental sculptures.

Working in teams of three, the artists will create a diverse range of works that will reach colossal proportions.
For spectators, admiring such imposing and detailed sculptures in a winter setting offers a unique form of entertainment, perfect for the cold season.
A thrilling competition—the only one of its kind in France—that you won’t want to miss!
The site is open to everyone, right in the heart of Valloire on Avenue de la Vallée d’Or, in a pedestrian-only zone.

Teams Participating in the 2026 Edition

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORY

CANADA (SAGUENAY) - THIBAULT Yves / LEVEILLE Patrick / SAVAUGEAU Mélanie - “Écomalàl’âme”
CHINA - WANG Weiliang / LI Liang / WANG Jialin - “Gentle Wave”
SPAIN - RODRIGUEZ VILA Oscar / CHACON Antonio / RODERS Ludo - “Reptil Cell”
ESTONIA - RATTASEPP Andres / KAPLAN Kersti Katerina / TIKHONOVA Anna-Alisa - “DJ Evolution”
FRANCE - BERRY Sylvie / BESSON Aurore / HARZO Mathieu - “All You’ll Get from the Horse Is the Saddle ”
IRAN - Fatemeh MOHAMMADIAN / Ammar ELYASI / Shaho REZAEI - “Inner Heat”
SWEDEN - Magnus Palo MISCH / Jonas PETTERSSON / Jens PETTERSSON - “Crossroads”
CZECH REPUBLIC - LASTOVICKA Jiří / LASTOVICKA Jiří Junior / VANCURA Karel - “Upstream”

NATIONAL CATEGORY

BROSSARD Michel / LOISEL Guillaume / MAGNAN Denis “Union Is Not Twisted but Agile ”
DE BAZELAIRE Laëtitia / PEIGNIER Philippe / BAUDOIN Yvan “In Praise of Slowness”
COURNIL Mickaël / BERNARD Xavier / STEPHANY Ugo “The Bear of the Stars, or the Joy of the Unexpected”
DIEU Sébastien / DIEU Thibault / BRESSON Pierre “There’s No Need to Be Afraid”
DUCRET Maxime / FERMOR Daniel / LAHU Jérôme “The Diabolical Machine”
FARBOTKO Anna / BARREAU Benjamin / MC KENZIE Niki “Perception and Perspective”
LIEVORE Vincent / STOUVENOT Xavier / DEHOUX Frédéric “Sunset”
SAMY Marceline / THOMAS Kevin / MULLER Mathias “Frozen Nostalgia”

2027 CONTEST SCHEDULE:

TUESDAY, JANUARY 19
9:00 a.m.: Contest begins

From TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 to THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

You can watch and cheer on the sculptors throughout the day and into the night.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 – END OF THE COMPETITION (tentative schedule)
12:00 PM: End of the competition
3:00 PM: Jury review – Deliberation
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM: Voting for the Audience Choice Award and the Young Audience Award
5:30 PM: Awards ceremony for the National and International Competitions, followed by fireworks.

JURY MEMBERS
Christian BURGER – Jury Chair and Sculptor
Martine RAPIN – President of Valloire Art Contemporain
Alberte RETORNAZ – Amateur painter
Lénaïck RETORNAZ – City Councilmember
Dominique DAL-BON – Co-organizer of the sculpture competitions for over 40 years
Emmanuelle LACOSTE – Director of Valloire Tourisme and competition organizer

THE 2026 PRIZES
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION:
1ST JURY PRIZE: “Reptil Cell” by Oscar RODRIGUEZ VILA / Antonio CHACON / Ludo RODERS – Spain
2ND JURY PRIZE: “Crossroads” by Magnus Palo MISCH / Jonas PETTERSSON / Jens PETTERSSON – Sweden
3RD JURY PRIZE: “Inner Warmth” by Fatemeh MOHAMMADIAN, Ammar ELYASI SEYED, and Shaho RAZAEI – Iran

ARTISTS’ AWARD – “Inner Heat” by Fatemeh Mohammadi, Ammar Elyasi Seyed, and Shaho Razaei – Iran
AUDIENCE AWARD: “The Diabolical Machine” by DUCRET Maxime, FERMOR Daniel, and LAHU Jerome – France
YOUNG AUDIENCE AWARD: “Ecomalàl’âme” by THIBAULT Yves, LEVEILLE Patrick, and SAVAUGEAU Mélanie – Canada
INTERNET USERS’ AWARD: “Don’t Be Afraid” by Sébastien DIEU, Thibaut DIEU, and Pierre BRESSON

NATIONAL COMPETITION:
1ST JURY PRIZE: “L’engin diabolique” by Maxime Ducret, Daniel Fermor, and Jérôme Lahu – France
2nd JURY PRIZE: “Eloge de la lenteur” by Laëtitia Bazelaire, Philippe Peignier, and Yvan Baudouin – France
3RD JURY PRIZE: “Frozen Nostalgia” by Marceline Samy / Kevin Thomas / Mathias Müller (France)

Pets allowed

Pets not allowed