"Seven World Cup races across two weekends is a reflection of how far this festival has come and where it's headed," Sarah Franke, senior vice president of operations for the Vail Valley Foundation, said in the foundation's May 7 announcement. That release added a second women's downhill to the 2026 Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup. With that addition, December 3 through 13 holds more World Cup races than any Birds of Prey since the course debuted in 1997.
Look at the dates next to the lift schedule. Vail Daily reported that Beaver Creek plans to open Wednesday, November 25, and the resort still lists that date, subject to weather. The first men's downhill starts at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 3. That leaves eight days of ordinary early season. Then the race festival runs straight through to December 13, including the weekdays in the middle.
The festival used to fit in one weekend
Women didn't race the Birds of Prey downhill course until 2024. That year's program had five races: men's downhill, super-G and giant slalom December 6 to 8, then a women's downhill and super-G December 14 and 15. In 2025, the festival went back to a single men's weekend, and weather kept changing it. A planned opening downhill was dropped, the super-G moved up to Friday, and Saturday had no racing. Vail Daily reported that 25 athletes posted times in the super-G and 31 competitors didn't ski as the snow got worse, and Vincent Kriechmayr's run held up for the win.
This year has seven races. The dates aren't preliminary anymore. U.S. Ski & Snowboard published the domestic schedule on June 17 with men's races December 3 to 6 and women's races December 11 to 13. Ski Racing reported the same day that FIS had finalized the calendars.
Two weekends, side by side
All seven races finish at John and Karen Arnold Red Tail Stadium on the Birds of Prey course. The evening programs are built the same way both weekends. Each has a Friday or Saturday bib draw, fireworks right after it, and a ticketed tasting event.
| Men's weekend | Women's weekend | |
|---|---|---|
| Races | Downhill Thu. Dec. 3, 11 a.m.; downhill Fri. Dec. 4, 11 a.m.; super-G Sat. Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m.; giant slalom Sun. Dec. 6, runs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. | Downhill Fri. Dec. 11, 11 a.m.; downhill Sat. Dec. 12, 11 a.m.; super-G Sun. Dec. 13, 11 a.m. |
| Award ceremony and bib draw | Fri. Dec. 4, 6 p.m., CELSIUS Music Stage | Sat. Dec. 12, 6 p.m., Beaver Creek Music Stage |
| Fireworks | Fri. Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m., Birds of Prey Way | Sat. Dec. 12, 6:30 p.m. |
| Athlete signing | Fri. Dec. 4, Birds of Prey Way | Fri. Dec. 11, Birds of Prey Way |
| Tasting event | Beers of Prey, 11th year, Sat. Dec. 5 | Cheers of Prey, first year, Sat. Dec. 12 |
| Headline show | Nathaniel Rateliff, Vilar Performing Arts Center, Dec. 5 and 6 | ILLENIUM, Dobson Arena in Vail, Dec. 11 |
Cheers of Prey is a cocktail and mocktail tasting with drinks from local bartenders. Tickets for it, Beers of Prey and the Vilar shows are sold through bcworldcup.com. Both Rateliff nights at the Vilar are already sold out. ILLENIUM tickets went on sale October 9 through AXS, and St. Mary and Paws are the special guests. The ILLENIUM show will be one of the first performances at Dobson Arena since the Town of Vail's $55.4 million renovation. That puts the women's Friday night in Vail.
The free stage runs almost every day
The organizers say grandstand admission is free, first come, first served, and describe Birds of Prey as one of the only World Cup stops where you can watch the races at no cost. Free concerts in Beaver Creek Village are scheduled on nine of the 11 days. Here is the published set list, and set times may change:
- Thu. Dec. 3: The Hip Snacks, 4 p.m.
- Fri. Dec. 4: The Great North Special, 2 p.m.; The Staples, a Chris Stapleton tribute, 4 p.m.
- Sat. Dec. 5: Parton Me, a Dolly Parton tribute, 2 p.m.; Future Joy, 4:15 p.m.
- Sun. Dec. 6: The Runaway Grooms, 1:30 p.m.
- Wed. Dec. 9: The Laughing Bones, 5:30 p.m.
- Thu. Dec. 10: Rumours Colorado, a Fleetwood Mac tribute, 4:30 p.m.
- Fri. Dec. 11: Big Richard, 2 p.m.; The Sam Grisman Project, 4 p.m.
- Sat. Dec. 12: Rattlesnake Milk, 2 p.m.; MOONLGHT, 4 p.m.
- Sun. Dec. 13: Scott Rednor Band, 1:30 p.m.
The week in the middle
In 2024, a week separated the men's and women's weekends. This year the gap is shorter, and it has its own events:
- Mon. Dec. 7 and Tue. Dec. 8: No races or free concerts are listed. These two days are the closest thing to a normal early-season stretch between opening day and December 13.
- Wed. Dec. 9: Women's downhill training starts, and The Laughing Bones play at 5:30 p.m. in the village.
- Thu. Dec. 10: Training continues, and Rumours Colorado plays at 4:30 p.m. That night the Vilar hosts a Bindu Sky Memorial Fund screening of Mountains of the Moon, with the music of the Grateful Dead performed live.
- Fri. Dec. 11: The first women's downhill, an athlete signing on Birds of Prey Way, and ILLENIUM at Dobson.
The men's weekend has its own film night. Warren Miller's 77th film, Days Off, screens twice at the Vilar on December 4, the same night as the men's bib draw and fireworks.
Getting to the stadium, and where the skiing fits
Skiing to the races is still undecided. The organizers' 2026 page says skier and snowboarder access to the venue is "still being finalized," and they plan to post routes and trail maps closer to the event. In 2024, Vail Daily's race guide described skiing in by Centennial Express, the No. 6 lift, and following signs to the venue between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Skiers left on the Birds of Prey lift, No. 9, or by skiing Dally to the village. The same guide said Golden Eagle, the race course, would stay closed to the public for a while after the races. That was the plan two winters ago. This year's routes haven't been published.
If you arrive on foot or by car, these details are set:
- Parking: Race spectators go to the Elk and Bear lots at the resort base. Cars with five or more people park free on race days. The resort's standard winter rate for those lots is $13 before 1 p.m. and free after 1 p.m.
- Shuttles: Free race shuttles leave regularly from the Covered Bridge in Beaver Creek Village. After the drop-off, it's a five-minute uphill walk on snow to Red Tail Stadium.
- Timing: Organizers say to allow about an hour from the base of the resort to the stadium.
- At the venue: Concessions and restrooms are available at the stadium.
The terrain open by early December depends on the snow, and the last two seasons went very differently. In 2024, Vail Daily reported 16 trails and 300 acres on opening day, while Talons and resort crews prepared for the two race weekends. In 2025, low snow and warm temperatures pushed opening back to November 30. That day had Gold Dust off Centennial Express, the Haymeadow Express Gondola and the Snowflake Carpet. If this November brings a delay like last year's, the gap between opening day and the first downhill gets shorter than eight days.
The crews behind it
The Vail Valley Foundation is the nonprofit local organizing committee. It works with FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company and Beaver Creek Resort. Two volunteer teams do the work on the ground. The Talon Crew builds, maintains and slips the course. For 2026, those volunteers must be at least 18, ski at an expert level and commit to at least four shifts. The Raptor Crew handles the volunteer work off the course. If you want to work the event, sign-up details are on the Talon Crew page.
Owning a home near the village in a December with seven World Cup races changes how the place feels and how it's seen. Ben Finn has skied this valley as an instructor and sells homes here. If you want to know where your Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch or Arrowhead property stands this season, ask Ben Finn for a Complimentary Home Valuation.
