Winter Pride Sölden, welcome to the peak of diversity !
- Dunas Map
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Established in 2023, Winter Pride Sölden is a different Gay Ski Week located in the Austrian Alps and offering sporting activities in the snow and unforgettable parties under the motto “The Peak of Diversity”. Founder and event director, Alfred Holzknecht, introduces us to his passion project and tells us more about the event and who it’s aimed at.
Alfred is a genuine Austrian guy, born and raised in Tyrol. This 42-year-old businessman has worked in the tourism industry for a long time. While he was a student, he completed a Bachelor’s program in International Tourism Management and later, a Masters in Tourism Entrepreneurship. He founded his own agency in 2012, and in 2018 he started operating Rainbow Travel – Austria’s First LGBTQ+ Travel Agency. Later in 2023, he decided to organize the first Winter Pride in Sölden. And now the event is celebrating its fourth year in March 2026. It’s a very personal project for Alfred because Sölden is his childhood home, and he wanted to organize an event in these familiar and nostalgic surroundings for the community. This is a dream come true for Alfred and one that he is very proud of.
Winter Pride Sölden is the highest altitude ski week in Europe. In this resort, ski slopes cascade down from over 3,200 metres above sea level. It is also the only Pride event in Austria that lasts for an entire week. Rainbow Travel is the company behind the organization and the proud organizer and host of the event.
- Tell us more about Winter Pride Sölden, how did it start ?
« The first edition of the Winter Pride Sölden took place in 2023. Until 2019, Sölden was home of the Gay Snow Happening. After Covid, we decided to bring a community event back to Sölden. With the creation of the Winter Pride, we wanted to open the event up for the entire community – reunited in Pride.
Winter Pride Sölden was specifically created for Sölden and will always be held in this destination. It will never move to any other part of Austria nor abroad; this is just not an option. It is Sölden born and bred !
The first edition was quite challenging because we changed the existing concept of the previous event, Gay Snow Happening, completely, and guests and suppliers had to adjust to our new event, Winter Pride Sölden. Our hard work, and fantastic relationships we have developed with suppliers and guests have paid off, and now we are in the planning phase of our fourth year. Everything runs effortlessly, and we have increasing visitor numbers for the 4th consecutive year. »
- Who works with you, and what kind of crowd can one expect to find there ?
« I am the lead organizer, and therefore I take care of most of the organizational duties; however, our project managers and assistants from Rainbow Travel support me too. Also, our host, drag queen Sindy Sinful, plays an important role in the organization, especially when it comes to the lineup of artists and, in particular, drag queens. During the event we work with freelancers and volunteers who want to give something back to the community. I am very proud of my team. In total (with the artists) we are about 15 people.
Pride should unite the entire community, so we want the full “letters” of the LGBTQ+ community to join us in Sölden. Until now we have managed to increase the female participants to about 10% of the total crowd over the week. The majority are gay men. For 2026, we are expecting just over 400 guests spread over the different events. Pride is not just for the community – so neither is Winter Pride Sölden. We are open to everyone and are happy if friends and allies join us.
In general I do think it is important to create more opportunities and safe spaces for the community outside of the typical gay travel destinations. Our gay ski week is an example of this, and we are working on future projects in and around Austria already.
Visibility is our aim – creating awareness and showing how colourful life can be. That’s the purpose for us to create events such as the Winter Pride Sölden. »
- You offer numerous sporting and festive activities throughout the week. Can you tell us how is a typical day at Winter Pride Sölden ?
« The majority of the guests hit the slopes after breakfast, either with our guides or on their own. We have organized lunch stops to catch up with the others and usually a meeting point for the Après Ski of the day. At night different events are on offer. Everyone is free to choose whether they want to join the organized program or not. Winter Pride Sölden is meant to be very flexible in terms of choosing the amount of organized program one would like to have.
Sports and skiing (or non-skiing) together is one of the major focus of Winter Pride Sölden. Therefore our treasure hunt activity, our fun race, and also our guided ski days are the most popular sporting activities. But Winter Pride Sölden also offers many culinary highlights and entertainment at a high level. So you see–there is no typical day at the peak of diversity. »
- What about the accommodations, day passes, and prices ?
« There is something for everyone in Sölden. Hotels and accommodations are spread over this beautiful place. Some of the guests look for 5-star luxury properties, some prefer B&Bs. With Rainbow Travel, we have a broad spectrum of different types of accommodations, and that works out quite well to cater to everyone’s preferences.
Our event passes are based on the program. When guests purchase an event pass, they have access to all the events that take place over the week. Most of the participants stay 7 nights with us. Some more regional guests also join us for 3 or 4 nights, hence the different passes.
Our 7-day event pass this year is 219 € – so quite reasonable compared to other weekly events in Switzerland or France. 4-day passes are 179 €, and 3-day passes are 149 €. In addition to the event passes, guests can also purchase ‘Add-On’ events in order to make their stay with us even more memorable, or if they don’t want an event pass at all, they can also purchase single tickets for some of the ongoing events during the week. Winter Pride Sölden offers an option for everyone, and we look forward to seeing you on the slopes in 2026. »
Comments