Courmayeur’s event calendar splits neatly between winter and summer, with two flagship festivals that each draw thousands of visitors. The town also hosts regular weekly markets, outdoor cinema screenings, and mountain sports competitions throughout the year. Here are the key dates to know before you book. See our weather by month for more details. Check our best time to visit guide for more details.
Courmayeur Winter Events and Festivals
Courmayeur Noir in Festival (Early December)
This is Italy’s premier film-noir and crime literature festival, held annually for 5 days in early December (typically December 3-8). The programme includes film screenings at the Courmayeur Cinema, author readings, panel discussions with crime writers from across Europe, and the prestigious Raymond Chandler Award. Screenings are mostly in Italian with English subtitles for international features. Day passes cost roughly EUR 15, full festival passes EUR 50. The town fills up, with roughly 15,000 attendees over the 5 days. Book accommodation by October if attending. The festival atmosphere transforms Courmayeur’s quiet early-December into a lively cultural hub. Website: noirfest.com Check our things to do in Courmayeur for more details.
Courmayeur Christmas Market (Early December to January 6)
The Christmas market runs along Via Roma and Piazza Brocherel from roughly December 5 to January 6. Roughly 30 wooden stalls sell Aosta Valley crafts (woodcarving, lace, woollen goods), local foods (Fontina DOP cheese, mocetta cured meat, honey from Valle d’Aosta beekeepers), and mulled wine (vin brulé, EUR 4). There is an ice skating rink in Piazza Brocherel (EUR 8 including skate rental). The market is open daily from 10:00 to 19:30, staying open until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Santa visits on weekends at 15:00. The New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31 includes a torchlit ski descent on the Checrouit piste at 18:00 and fireworks at midnight. Check our neighborhoods guide for more details.
Ski Season Opening and Closing Events
The ski season typically opens with the Courmayeur Opening Weekend on the last weekend of November or first weekend of December. This includes ski testing (free demo gear from brands like Rossignol and Salomon), live music in the pedestrian area, and discounted lift passes (roughly 30% off). The season closing weekend in mid-April features the Courmayeur Beach Party on the Checrouit pistes at 2,200m: deck chairs, DJ sets, and skiing in t-shirts. The closing weekend is one of the most social events of the winter calendar. Check our where to stay guide for more details.
Courmayeur Summer Events and Festivals
Celtica (Early July)
Celtica is a 4-day Celtic music and culture festival held in the Peuterey forest near Entrèves, usually the first weekend of July (Thursday to Sunday). It draws roughly 30,000 visitors and features Celtic, folk, and world music acts on three stages, plus workshops on Celtic crafts, storytelling, and traditional cooking. Day tickets cost EUR 18-25, 4-day passes EUR 60-70. The festival is free for children under 12. There is a free shuttle bus from Courmayeur centre to the festival site. Accommodation in Courmayeur sells out months in advance for Celtica weekend, and even hotels in Aosta and Chamonix fill up. Book by March if you are attending. Check our travel tips and FAQ for more details.
Tor des Géants (Mid-September)
The Tor des Géants is a 330km ultra-trail endurance race through the Aosta Valley with 24,000 metres of cumulative elevation gain. Courmayeur serves as a major life base (checkpoint) roughly 100km into the course. The race starts and finishes in Courmayeur over roughly 7-10 days in mid-September, drawing roughly 800 runners and several thousand supporters. The town buzzes with the race atmosphere for a week, and several restaurants extend their hours to accommodate the 24-hour flow of runners passing through. Accommodation books up 6 months in advance around the race dates. If you are not racing, it is still a great spectator event with a festival atmosphere at the Courmayeur Sport Centre.
Courmayeur Outdoor Cinema (July-August)
Every Tuesday evening in July and August, the Piazza Brocherel transforms into an open-air cinema screening Italian and international films (original language with Italian subtitles). Screenings start at 21:30. Entry is free. Bring a jacket as temperatures drop to 10-12°C by the end of the film. The programme is published on the Courmayeur tourism website (courmayeur.net) in June.
Courmayeur Weekly Markets and Regular Events
Courmayeur Weekly Market (Thursdays)
The weekly market sets up along Via Roma and Piazza Brocherel every Thursday morning (08:00-13:00) year-round. Stalls sell local produce (Fontina cheese, honey, cured meats), clothing, leather goods, and household items. It doubles in size during July and August with roughly 60 stalls. Prices for Aosta Valley food specialties are typically 15-20% lower than in the permanent shops along Via Roma.
Mountain Guide Talks (Weekly in Summer and Winter)
The Courmayeur Alpine Guides Society holds free weekly talks at the Guides’ House (Strada Villair 2) on Wednesday evenings at 18:00 during peak summer (July-August) and winter (December-March) seasons. Topics cover mountain safety, local climbing history, and current route conditions. These are in Italian but guides typically speak English and French and can answer questions afterwards. An excellent resource for planning backcountry routes.
