World first for designer chairlifts in Ischgl ski resort

Ischgl, already famous for staging major pop and rock concerts at the start (in late November) and end (in early May) of each season, is making sure it’s season long operation on the slopes continues to stay ahead of the competition. Among the increasingly long list of stars who have appeared here are Elton John, Peter Gabriel, Diana Ross, Kylie Minogue and Rihanna.

Musical superstar Alicia Keys was the big attraction at this year’s Top of the Mountain concert at the leading Austrian party ski resort of Ischgl, which completed its long winter season at the weekend. 15,000 fans, most of them skiers and boarders enjoying their final weekend on Ischgl’s snow for the Tirolean resort’s 2009–10 season.

Almost all of the runs in the giant Silvretta Arena ski area on the Swiss-Austrian border remain open, and the region has reported 25cm (10 inches) of new snow in the past 24 hours. 220km of the region’s 235km of piste are open, one of the largest ski areas in the world open at present. 38 of the 40 lifts which connect the runs between Samnaun in Switzerland and Ischgl in Austria are currently operating.

Alicia Keys will be topping off Ischgl’s 2009/2010 winter season with a performance at the Top Of The Mountain Concert on 1 May 2010, starting at 1 pm. Beautiful, sexy and intelligent, Alicia knows how to rock the stage and bring out goose bumps with her astounding voice.

Almost all of Austria’s best known resorts will be open from this weekend onwards as the 2009–10 ski season gets properly underway. Austria enjoyed some record-breaking October snow conditions, leading to very early openings of resorts like Kitzbuhel and Schladming as well as great conditions on the country’s half-dozen glacier ski areas including Kaprun, Solden and Hintertux.