Perisher Valley, NSW, Saturday 19 September 2026: Perisher celebrated the 2026 season with the inaugural Splash & Dash Perisher Tube Slide Challenge, bringing together competitors, costumes and plenty of crowd-pleasing action on the snow. 

The event saw participants take on a timed snow-obstacle course before launching into a tube ride down the slope and skimming across the water, with participants racing to stick the landing and sprint to the finish. 

The challenge brought a festive atmosphere to the resort, with party shirts, costumes and bold spring outfits adding colour to the day. 

Combining end-of-season fun with community impact, participant entry fees raised over $1,300 for Jindabyne Trail Stewardship, contributing to the improvement and maintenance of the local mountain bike trail network. 

“The inaugural Splash & Dash was a highlight of our spring events calendar, a fun way to celebrate the season with our community and support a local cause,” said Emily Smith, Senior Manager Brand and Experience – Perisher & Australia. “The season isn’t over just yet; there’s still time to get up here and enjoy the last days of the 2026 season.”  

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This year the Peak Festival Art Show returns after it’s inception and addition in 2025 to the very successful and popular Peak Music Festival at Perisher.

Exhibition Dates: June 5–7, 2026
Official Opening: Saturday 6th, 4pm
Daily Hours: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Perisher Ski Tube Building

This year’s theme encourages artists to interpret the ever-changing beauty of Australia’s alpine landscape — from sweeping snowlines and rugged textures to shifting light, atmosphere, and mountain forms. Whether inspired by nature, movement, community, or the spirit of the snow season, we welcome creative works that capture the essence of the high country.

Everyone is warmly invited to attend the Official Opening Ceremony on Saturday June 6 at 4:00pm. Join fellow artists, friends, family, and festival guests for an afternoon celebrating creativity in the heart of the snowfields.

Below is a selection of works by Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor who will exhibiting.

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Australia’s leading ski resorts of Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham are kicking off the countdown to winter with lift passes, lessons and rentals on sale now, giving snow lovers the chance to lock in great value ahead of the 2026 snow season. 

“This will be a fantastic year to learn skiing or snowboarding and we hope to see more ‘bucket-list beginners’ trying the sport for the first time,” said Emily Smith, Senior Manager – Brand & Experience for Vail Resorts Australia. “Whether guests are stepping on snow for the very first time or returning with renewed aspirations, instructors at our resorts will be able to help them achieve their dreams – big or small.” 

Many of the resort’s snowsports instructors and rental teams work at Vail Resorts’ international resorts, such as Canada’s Whistler Blackcomb, over the summer months in Australia – chasing winter year-round. They bring skills back with them to ensure highly qualified instruction for Australian guests and the benefit of year-round employment keeping their teaching techniques fresh.

“You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy the mountains,” said Emily. “Whether it’s fresh air and a short break from the city, or a more regular ritual to visit and find joy in the winter months, there’s never been a better time to take a mental reset in the mountains, from First Tracks to beginner bundles and après moments, there’s something for everyone.”

Perisher: Australia’s largest ski resort has plenty of space and terrain for all abilities, so every skier and snowboarder can benefit from a lesson – book here. 

Falls Creek: With 450ha of skiable terrain to discover, you can explore picturesque Falls Creek at any skill level – book here. 
Hotham:  Adventure further at Hotham, from first turns to building confidence on Australia’s most exhilarating terrain – book here. 

Looking for the best deal on lift access?         

Save big compared to lift tickets at Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham this winter with Epic Australia Passes. 

• Epic Australia Pass – Unlock unlimited laps at Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham this winter with the Pass that pays for itself in 5 days. Then explore 80+ world class resorts overseas including Whistler Blackcomb in Canada, Hakuba in Japan and more! 
• Epic Australia 4-Day Pass – ski or ride any 4 days this season for $158/day*. 

Pass holders also enjoy exclusive discounts like 20% off lessons and rentals. 

For more information, please visit www.perisher.com.au, www.skifalls.com.au, www.hotham.com.au or www.epicaustraliapass.com.au.  

*(Prices are correct as of the date of publishing and are subject to change) 

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PEAK Music Festival 2025: Free Entry, 3 Days of Live Music, Family Fun & Snowy Mountain Magic at Perisher Valley

Perisher Valley, NSW – June 6–9, 2025 – The Snowy Mountains’ coolest winter celebration returns as PEAK Music Festival 2025 transforms Perisher Valley into a vibrant alpine playground. From June 6 to 9, experience three days of live music across seven stages, family-friendly activities, and the exhilarating start of the ski season—all with free entry.

Kick Off the Ski Season

PEAK Festival marks the official start of the ski season. Enjoy early snowfalls and Perisher’s extensive snowmaking facilities to be among the first to hit the slopes.

2025 Artist Lineup

This year’s festival features a dynamic mix of local legends and national acts:

• Nathan Cavaleri – Renowned Australian blues-rock guitarist and singer.
• Fat Picnic – Brisbane’s premier high-energy soul-ska ensemble.
• Shantan Wantan Ichiban – Eclectic DJ known for genre-blending sets.
• Hussy Hicks – Award-winning folk-rock duo with soulful harmonies.
• Fleetwood Max – Australia’s most authentic Fleetwood Mac tribute band.
• The Steel Syndicate – Funk-infused Brisbane band delivering infectious grooves.
• Kesha Neve – Jindabyne’s own rising star with captivating vocals.

For the full lineup and performance schedule, visit the 2025 Lineup.

Village Tours & Art Show

Immerse yourself in the local culture with guided village tours showcasing Perisher’s unique alpine charm 3pm daily. Meet in the Perisher Ski Tube building. Don’t miss the Art Show featuring works from regional artists, capturing the essence of mountain life.

Youth Stage & Kids’ Activities

The Youth Stage returns, spotlighting emerging young talents in a supportive environment. Family-friendly fun includes

• Free face painting
• Magic shows
• Balloon animals
• Classic kids’ games(

These activities ensure entertainment for all ages throughout the festival weekend

Kick Off the Ski Season

PEAK Festival marks the official start of the ski season. Enjoy Perisher’s extensive snowmaking facilities and be among the first to hit the slopes.

Where to Stay During PEAK Festival

With the Perisher Valley buzzing all weekend, securing accommodation is essential. Staying in the valley means you’re just steps from the live music stages, village events, and the slopes — no commuting, just pure alpine immersion. Many lodges offer package deals for the festival weekend, so you can wake up to mountain views and step straight into the festivities. For a full list of options, check out the accomodation guide.

 Festival Details

• Dates: June 6–9, 2025
• Location: Perisher Valley, NSW
• Entry: Free
• Stages: Seven live music stages across the resort

For more information, visit the official festival website.(Peak Festival)

Stay Connected

Follow PEAK Music Festival on Facebook and Instagram for updates, artist spotlights, and behind-the-scenes content

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Mountain Planning Manager (Vail Resorts Australia) Sophie Ballinger was on the chair during the test run and reflects on the project: “There’s been lots of steps in the process, from that first construction certificate to now, and working with lots of different people within Perisher and Doppelmayr Australia has been just great.”

The construction period stretched more than 18 months, with Perisher and Doppelmayr Australia teams facing hot summer working conditions in high altitude, to frozen muddy work areas, and everything in between, to complete the project.

“We’re all working really hard towards the goal. Nothing’s too hard, or too small – we’ve all been on board to work together,” said Doppelmayr Australia GM Shaun Turner, who also jumped on the test run. “It was pretty special getting up there for the test run on such a nice day, having a look out at the view and everything that Mt Perisher offers has been amazing.”

The project is a significant investment in the guest experience at Perisher and highlights the commitment from Vail Resorts to the Australian Snowsports Industry.

“A big thank you to everyone involved in this project,” said Michael Fearnside, Perisher’s Operations Director. “There’s so much work involved and it’s truly a team effort. It’s been quite the challenge, and quite the result.”

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by Pete ‘The Frog’ Taylor

I was lucky enough to be taken on a tour of the current build site of the brand new state of the art 6 seater chairlift on Mt.Perisher. Once completed this will be the highest lifted point in Australia at 2042m (5m higher than the current Karels lift at Thredbo). I’m assured this was not the reason for the new lift, as it was in the original pre 2000 Perisher Master Plan for a new lift on Mt Perisher.

The shear magnitude of this build cannot be understated, it’s been in planning for years and once all relevant documents were lodged it took another 2 years for approval to be given to begin. Being well within the Kosciouszko National Park, as expected there have been many environmental issues to deal with, and the resort along with their build partner Doppelmayer (based in Jindabyne), have met every concern. It’s been a build project over two off seasons, and last Summer we saw the old double chair removed and the chairs auctioned off raising well over $300,000 for local community organisations and charities. The new chair is expected to be ready sometime in April.

Currently the top station is already well and truly looking like it’s not far off completion and the bottom station footprint is well underway. The view from the top is truly magnificant and as well as looking across the entire Perisher Valley, you can now see the top of the Ridge Chair at Blue Cow and the Freedom Chair at Guthega. The top tower of the Eyre T-bar has been moved a little further up the hill to allow easier access both above and below the lift when alighting the new chair. Being higher you can now easily access the Mt.Perisher T-bars which many probably don’t even realise are there, with them being tucked around the corner along the resort boundary. Much more terrain will now be accessible as a result.

The lift will be much faster with better wind performance. The chair can be slowed in stronger wind conditions and operate in stronger winds than were previously possible, which should result in less time lost due to wind hold. The state of the art Doppelmayer chair has a wider rope guage and can monitor any movement to the mm any movement and improve user safety. A trip to the top will take 5.6-minute, which is much faster than the previous 10minute ride and a 60% increase in chairlift capacity on Mt Perisher and a 22% increase in overall lifted capacity in the Mt Perisher precinct . The chairs will have comfortable padded seating and foot rests, will be detachable so can be automatically stored overnight at the bottom station so we won’t see ice on the chairs after overnight snow. Another plus is that the lift is planned to open from 8:30am during peak times. There will also be alternative access tracks from the bottom of the Mt Perisher Triple to the Leichhardt Chair. The removal of the double and triple chair towers and the new lift only need 6 external towers will mean there will be skiable area on the Towers run.

Food and beverage will be improved at the bottom of Mt Perisher. Currently the Powder Inn Restaurant serves food and drinks, but is not so easy to access, due to it’s small size. A temporary outside kiosk will be added for this coming season. The now vacant concrete slab where the double chair loaded will now be an outdoor seating area with chairs and tables as well as ski racks. You will now be able to grab a coffee, go to the toilet and easily slide back into the lift line without even needing to head inside. For those wondering why there isn’t any new restaurant or amenity built, that’s not off the cards for the future. Visitor numbers will be closely monitored and we may see additions if there is a genuine need.

All we need now is to find a name for the new Chairlift and will Perisher try to match or out-do Thredbo’s current bell which is probably the most instagramable spot in the mountains. Got any ideas?

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The snowfalls are about to begin on what will be a major dump in the resorts over the next few days. Snowatch will collect images of the snowfalls and post them here as they come in.

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