Top eventsfor this winter
A winter trip to Azerbaijan can take you from the festive stalls of Baku’s Fountains Square to the slopes of Shahdag, where some of the world’s best skiers will compete this season. Here are the dates to build your trip around.
Baku’s festive season gets underway on 27 November 2026 with the return of the Cold Hands, Warm Heart (Soyuq Əllər, İsti Ürək) Charity Fair. Running until 5 January 2027, the fair brings colourful New Year decorations and stalls selling seasonal treats to Fountains Square. It’s a good stop for an evening stroll in the city centre.
On 31 December 2026 and 1 January 2027, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker takes the stage at Heydar Aliyev Palace. The Imperial Russian Ballet will perform with live orchestral accompaniment, joined by students of the Baku Choreography Academy. There’s a New Year’s Eve matinee and an evening performance on New Year’s Day.
The racing calendar at Shahdag Mountain Resort gets underway on 23–24 January 2027 with the Alpine Skiing National Championships. Men and women will compete in slalom, threading their way through a series of closely spaced gates against the clock.
Later on 23 January 2027, boolood brings Avangart Tabldot to Shahdag Main Plaza. The DJ trio takes to the decks at 16:00, giving visitors aged 18 and over a chance to round off a day of skiing or watching the slalom with an après-ski set in the mountains.
On 6–7 February 2027, the FIS Alpine Skiing European Cup brings two women’s slalom races to Shahdag. Watch how the skiers carry their speed from one turn to the next, where a fraction of a second can decide a place on the podium.
From 19 to 21 February 2027, horses take to the snow at Shahdag for the Snow Polo World Cup Azerbaijan. The three-day tournament will bring together Azerbaijan’s Land of Fire team and visiting clubs from Switzerland, Austria and the United States.
Freestyle skiing takes over on 24 February 2027 with the Shahdag Moguls Asian Cup. Skiers tackle a course of closely spaced bumps, combining quick turns with jumps. The Shahdag Dual Moguls Asian Cup Finals follow on 25 February, when two skiers race side by side down parallel courses.
On 5–7 March 2027, Shahdag hosts the FIS Aerials and Moguls World Cup Finals in moguls, dual moguls and aerials. Alongside the head-to-head runs in dual moguls, spectators can watch aerials skiers launch from snow ramps and perform flips and twists before landing. The final Crystal Globes of the season will be decided here.
Shahdag stays in the spotlight from 11 to 18 March 2027 for the ISMF Ski Mountaineering World Championships. Ski mountaineering puts the climb at the heart of the race. The Individual race on 17 March combines ascents and descents, while the Vertical race on 18 March is a straight contest to see who can climb fastest.
Pick the dates that catch your eye and make them part of your Azerbaijan itinerary, whether you’re spending New Year in Baku or heading to Shahdag for the final runs of the season.
