This winter season, Aspen Snowmass will celebrate its 80th anniversary, commemorating eight decades of skiing, community, and a history that has made the destination one of the world's most iconic mountain resorts. On January 11, 1947, Aspen Mountain opened its doors with the debut of Lift 1, which at the time was the longest gondola lift in the world.

Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to open on November 26, 2026. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are scheduled to begin operations on December 12. The season closing date is scheduled for April 4, 2027, at Buttermilk, April 11 at Aspen Highlands and Snowmass, and April 18 at Aspen Mountain, subject to weather and snow conditions.

One of the season's biggest new additions at Aspen Mountain is the new Nell Bell Gondola, a high-speed quad chairlift that replaces the iconic Bell Mountain (1957) and Little Nell (1986) gondolas. It offers direct access to the summit of Bell Mountain from Gondola Plaza, with a vertical drop of 809 meters. Nell Bell will provide unprecedented, rapid access to the heart of Aspen Mountain and some of its best terrain from the base.

At Snowmass, the beloved Ullrhof mountain restaurant will reopen this winter season after a comprehensive two-year transformation and a $42 million investment. The new 2,400-square-meter restaurant will have a capacity of over 600 people and will integrate four dining concepts under one roof: a pub, a food court, a full-service café, and the outdoor Ullr Grill.

Since 1951, Wintersköl has been one of Aspen's signature winter celebrations. From December 10-13, the festival will come alive with snow activities, spectacular ice sculptures, a soup contest, a beer festival, live music, a bonfire, the traditional torchlight descent, and fireworks.

The X Games will be held for the 26th time in Buttermilk, from January 29-31, 2027. This edition will also mark the inaugural season of the XGL Winter League, which will introduce a new team format in which regional clubs of selected athletes will compete for points and for the season championship.

Aspen Snowmass will host the final stage of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix circuit on February 27-28, 2027, with slopestyle and halfpipe competitions in Buttermilk. The event will be one of three Grand Prix stops in Colorado this season, along with Breckenridge and Copper Mountain, and is part of a record 13 FIS World Cup national events in 2026-27, the most in U.S. Ski & Snowboard history.

The Snow League will return to Buttermilk for Stage 1 of its second season, January 7-9, 2027. It will be Aspen Snowmass' third consecutive year hosting the snowboard and freeski halfpipe league created by Shaun White.