The ICE St. Moritz, a concours on the frozen lake
The I.C.E. St. Moritz, the International Concours of Elegance, brings classic and exceptional cars onto the frozen lake each winter. Dates, format, tickets and the lake’s other big weekends, checked against the organisers’ and the resort’s own pages.
The ICE St. Moritz, written The I.C.E. by its organisers and short for International Concours of Elegance, is a two-day car show held on the frozen Lake St. Moritz. The 2027 edition is published for Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2027. Friday is the static concours, with the cars parked on the ice and judged up close; Saturday is the dynamic day, when they are driven on the lake in front of the grandstands. Tickets are sold online only, so buy them before you travel.
It is not a race, and it is not a motor show in the trade-fair sense. Picture a concours d’élégance moved outdoors onto snow-covered ice, with a small lakeside village of pavilions, an exhibition of automotive art, and owners who drive their cars in front of the crowd rather than standing beside them behind a rope. The organisers describe the event as a way to enjoy driving, showing and watching exceptional motor cars on the frozen lake, and the order of those three verbs is a fair summary of the weekend.
This guide covers what happens on each day, how to attend, the risk that comes with any event built on lake ice, the other events on the frozen lake in the same weeks (Snow Polo and White Turf), and how to plan a chalet stay around one or several of these weekends. For the town itself, the journey and what to do between events, our St. Moritz travel guide answers the practical questions.
The event and the lake in six sourced facts
Checked against official sources, so you can plan with confidence.
The 2027 edition of The I.C.E. St. Moritz is scheduled for Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2027 on the frozen Lake St. Moritz.
Source: The I.C.E. St. Moritz, programmeThe first official edition took place in February 2022, after a demonstration edition in 2019. The idea dates back to January 1985, when vintage touring cars were driven on the frozen lake to mark the centenary of the Cresta Run.
Source: The I.C.E. St. Moritz, historyOnce the lake ice reaches a thickness of 27 centimetres, it is tested for safety before cars are allowed onto it.
Source: The I.C.E. St. Moritz, the lakeThe 42nd Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is scheduled for 22 to 24 January 2027 on the frozen lake, where the tournament has been played since 1985.
Source: Snow Polo World Cup St. MoritzWhite Turf 2027 has race days on 7, 14 and 21 February 2027, with flat racing, trotting and Skikjöring on the frozen lake; racing on snow there dates back to 1907.
Source: White Turf St. MoritzBy train, St. Moritz is about three hours from Zurich main station, via the railway lines into the Engadin.
Source: The I.C.E. St. Moritz, how to get thereHow The I.C.E. St. Moritz works, day by day
The weekend is built on a simple split. On Friday the cars stand still and you go to them; on Saturday they move and you watch from the side of the lake. The organisers present Friday as an exclusive preview: there is no parc fermé, so visitors can walk among the cars all day, while the jury inspects each one (bodywork, interior, tyres, instruments) and listens to the owner tell its story. Saturday is the dynamic concours, with the cars driven on the ice, followed by the main awards.
Cars are entered in categories that change from one edition to the next. For 2027 the organisers list three: Barchettas on the Lake (concept cars and one-offs), Racing Legends, and Early Stars (icons on wheels). Around the concours, the programme lists side attractions on the lake such as a curling exhibition, an ice-skating show and a hot-air balloon, and lunch is served in lakeside pavilions.
| Day | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 29 January 2027: static concours | Cars displayed on the ice with no parc fermé; jury inspection; Best in Class and special awards | Photographers, collectors and anyone who wants to see details close up and talk to owners |
| Saturday 30 January 2027: dynamic concours | Cars driven on the lake in front of the grandstands; awards including Hero Below Zero, Spirit of St. Moritz and Best in Show | First-timers who want the spectacle, the sound and the movement |
| Both days | The I.C.E. Village and The I.C.E. Art Show open at 9am, the concours starts at 9.30am, lake activities end at 4.30pm and the Art Show stays open until 8pm | Weekend ticket holders and families who want to come and go |
Times as published by the organisers for 2027; they state that the programme may be subject to change.
Tickets, travel and timing: attending the St. Moritz car show
- Check the official programme first
Dates, categories and times come from the organisers’ site, theicestmoritz.ch, which also flags any change. Check it again in the week before you travel: on a frozen lake, the weather has the final word.
- Choose your day
Public tickets are sold for Friday, for Saturday or for the whole weekend, with grandstand seats subject to availability. Above them sit a VIP ticket and an all-inclusive hospitality package, which were already sold out when we checked. Prices are on the official website.
- Buy online, before you leave
The ticket page states that there are no ticket counters on site. According to the same page, children aged 10 and under accompanied by an adult with a public ticket do not need one of their own.
- Plan the journey
The organisers recommend the train: about three hours from Zurich main station. By road from Zurich or the west, the route runs via Chur and Thusis, then over the Julier Pass to Silvaplana; check winter road conditions before setting off. Private flights land at Engadin Airport in Samedan. If you are crossing Switzerland by rail anyway, the Glacier Express from Zermatt is the scenic way in.
- Dress for a day on the ice
You will spend hours standing on packed snow over a frozen lake. Wear layers, insulated boots with real grip, gloves you can use a phone in, and sunglasses: the light off the snow is fierce on a clear day.
- If you cannot be there
The organisers broadcast the event as a live stream, linked from their home page.
When the lake decides: ice, snow and cancellations
Everything on Lake St. Moritz in winter depends on ice that nature makes and no one can order. The ice is tested for safety once it reaches 27 centimetres, so thin ice is rarely what stops an event. Snow is the bigger threat: the organisers’ own site carries a notice of an edition cancelled outright for safety reasons after more than 60 centimetres of fresh snow fell in 16 hours, despite crews working on the lake since 5am.
That does not make the trip a gamble if you plan it well. Build the stay so that it is worth making even if the lake is closed for a day: St. Moritz has the Corviglia ski area above the town, winter walks around the lake and a busy calendar of other events.
- Read the ticket terms on the official website before buying, so you know what happens if a day is cancelled.
- Arrive the day before your event day, not the morning of it: a heavy snowfall can slow the passes and the roads into the valley.
- Keep a second plan for the cancelled-day scenario: a morning on the slopes, an afternoon in the chalet’s spa, a dinner reserved in town.
- If you are travelling for one event only, a stay that also covers a neighbouring weekend gives you a second chance on the lake.
Snow Polo, The I.C.E. and White Turf: events on Lake St. Moritz, Switzerland
The I.C.E. is not the only event on the frozen lake, and in 2027 the three best known fall on neighbouring weekends: polo in late January, the concours a week later, then three Sundays of horse racing in February. Skikjöring, the most unusual of the White Turf disciplines, sees skiers towed at speed by horses across the snow. All three events are ticketed, with prices on their official websites.
| Event | 2027 dates | What it is | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz | 22 to 24 January 2027, 10.30am to 4.30pm each day | High-goal polo tournament on snow, played on the lake since 1985; 42nd edition | snowpolo-stmoritz.com |
| The I.C.E. St. Moritz | 29 and 30 January 2027 | International Concours of Elegance: static day, then dynamic day on the ice | theicestmoritz.ch |
| White Turf | Race days on Sundays 7, 14 and 21 February 2027; Family Days on Saturdays 6, 13 and 20 February | Flat racing, trotting and Skikjöring on the frozen lake; racing on snow since 1907, 120 years in 2027 | whiteturf.ch |
Snow Polo times from the St. Moritz tourist office listing (stmoritz.com). Always confirm on each organiser’s site before booking travel.
A chalet for an event weekend
Event weekends are when St. Moritz is at its fullest, and a private chalet changes the experience in two ways. First, logistics: at Chalet Azelia a private chauffeur is available daily from 8am to 11pm, and at Chalet Gus, St. Moritz and Chalet Avalon from 8.30am to 11pm, so the group reaches the lake and comes back to change for dinner without anyone driving. Chalet Gus is also described as within easy reach of the town centre, Corviglia and the lake itself. Second, recovery: after six hours on the ice, an indoor pool, a hammam and a fire are worth more than any hotel bar, and all of our St. Moritz chalets have an indoor pool.
For groups who want the evenings handled too, our catered chalets in St. Moritz come with a private chef and a team; Chalet Nore, by contrast, is let self-catered with daily housekeeping and a four-car garage, with a chef and chauffeur available on request. The full range is on our page of luxury chalets in St. Moritz. Some residences are available without being published online, and on the busiest weekends that is often where the right house is found.
| Your plan | Suggested stay | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| The I.C.E. only, a long weekend | Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 January 2027 | Friday static day, Saturday dynamic day, a morning on the slopes before you leave |
| Snow Polo and The I.C.E. | Friday 22 to Sunday 31 January 2027 | Two lake weekends with a full week of skiing in between |
| The I.C.E. and the first White Turf Sunday | Thursday 28 January to Monday 8 February 2027 | The concours, a ski week, then the first race day on 7 February |
| The whole lake season | Late January to late February 2027 | All three events, with a fallback weekend if one day is lost to snow |
Arrival days and length of stay are agreed residence by residence with your advisor.
Our St. Moritz chalets for the lake weekends
Houses in St. Moritz, each visited by our team, from a restored 18th-century residence to contemporary chalets with large wellness floors.
The residences side by side
Guests, bedrooms, bathrooms, space and wellness at a glance, before you ask us about availability for your weekend.
| Residence | Guests | Bedrooms | Bathrooms | Living area | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalet GusSt. Moritz | 20 | 9 | 9 | 930 m² | Indoor Pool, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
| Chalet AzeliaSt. Moritz | 14 | 6 | 7 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Massage Room, Jacuzzi |
| Chalet AvalonSt. Moritz | 20 | 7 | 7 | 1,000 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Wine Cellar, Hammam, Sauna |
| Chalet NoreSt. Moritz | 15 | 6 | 7 | 467 m² | Indoor Pool, Cinema Room, Hammam, Sauna, Massage Room |
| Chalet CalistaSt. Moritz | 20 | 7 | 8 | 744 m² | Indoor Pool |
Rates are on request and depend on dates and services. Your advisor confirms availability and the final details of every residence.
What we handle around the event
An event weekend is a stay with a fixed point in the middle of it. Our job is to make everything around that point run on time.
Event and restaurant bookings
Restaurant, event and activity reservations are part of the concierge service, so dinner after the dynamic day is booked before you arrive.
Transport on lake days
Three of our St. Moritz chalets offer a private chauffeur every day; for the others, chauffeur service and airport transfers can be arranged on request.
Houses we know
Every residence is visited by the team, so we can tell you which ones are closest to the town and the lake, and which suit a group with children.
A plan for snow days
If the lake is closed for a day, private ski instructors, lift passes and spa treatments at the residence can be arranged so the day is not wasted.
The ICE St. Moritz: your questions
Anything else? Our team in Paris answers personally, usually within the day.
Ask our teamWhen is The ICE St. Moritz 2027?
The organisers have published Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2027, and the St. Moritz tourist office lists the same dates. Friday is the static concours, Saturday the dynamic day on the ice. The village and the art show open at 9am, the concours starts at 9.30am and lake activities end at 4.30pm, with the programme subject to change.
What is The I.C.E. in St. Moritz?
The I.C.E. stands for International Concours of Elegance. It is a two-day show of classic and exceptional cars on the frozen Lake St. Moritz, judged by a jury and driven on the ice. The first official edition took place in February 2022, after a demonstration edition in 2019, and the idea goes back to vintage cars driven on the lake in 1985.
How do you get tickets for The ICE St. Moritz?
Only online, through the ticket page of the official website, theicestmoritz.ch: there are no ticket counters on site. You can choose Friday, Saturday or the weekend, with grandstand seats subject to availability, or one of the hospitality tiers, which sell out early. Prices are on the official website.
When was The ICE St. Moritz 2026?
The 2026 edition was listed for 30 and 31 January 2026 by the regional tourist board, on the same pattern of a static Friday followed by a dynamic Saturday. The next edition, in 2027, follows the same rhythm on 29 and 30 January.
Can The I.C.E. be cancelled because of the weather?
Yes. The ice is tested once it reaches 27 centimetres, but heavy snow can still stop the event: the organisers have cancelled an edition for safety reasons after more than 60 centimetres of fresh snow in 16 hours. Read the ticket terms before buying and arrive the day before your event day.
What else happens on Lake St. Moritz in winter?
In 2027, the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz runs from 22 to 24 January, a week before The I.C.E., and White Turf holds horse races, trotting and Skikjöring on the lake on 7, 14 and 21 February. When the lake is not hosting an event, it is a place for winter walks below the town.
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Plan The I.C.E. weekend with us
Tell us which lake weekend you have in mind and how many of you are travelling. Nathalie Nguyen and Adam Haddad will come back within the day with the chalets available, published or not. Prices on request. WhatsApp +33 7 80 98 05 43 or contact@lutetia-group.com.