The 2026 Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup runs December 3 through 13. Organizers call it the largest festival in the event's history, with seven World Cup races across back-to-back weekends. That is more races than any previous Birds of Prey since the course first hosted the World Cup in 1997. The men's side looks the same as last year. All of the growth is on the women's side, and it turns the second week of December into a festival of its own.
For anyone who lives in or owns in Beaver Creek, this changes the shape of December. Last year's race festival took up one weekend. This year the music, tastings and racing come back for a second run of five days, with a quiet gap in between.
How the Race Count Got to Seven
The last three editions show where the growth came from.
Year | Men's races | Women's races | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 3: downhill, super-G, giant slalom | 2: downhill, super-G | 5 |
2025 | 4: two downhills, super-G, giant slalom | 0 | 4 |
2026 | 4: two downhills, super-G, giant slalom | 3: two downhills, super-G | 7 |
The 2025 event was a single men's weekend. Vail Daily reported that a second men's downhill was added that year to give racers a chance at Olympic qualification points before Milano Cortina 2026. The men's program carries over to 2026 unchanged. The women return with three races, one more than in 2024, after a second women's downhill was announced in May.
Women have raced at Beaver Creek before, with World Cup races in 2011 and 2013. The 2024 festival was the first time they raced the Birds of Prey downhill course itself. In the Birds of Prey announcement, Sarah Franke, senior vice president of operations for the Vail Valley Foundation, called seven races "a reflection of how far this festival has come and where it's headed." Beaver Creek COO Bobby Murphy said the expansion "reflects the growth of the sport, our commitment to elevating women's racing, and the continued evolution of Birds of Prey."
Before the Racers Arrive
The village gets a warm-up first. Beaver Creek plans to open for the season November 25, weather permitting. Opening day brings a Cookie Competition and DJ Pippen. The Tree Lighting & Ice Spectacular follows Friday, November 27, with skating, Santa, crafts, a performance, fireworks and the tree lighting. The Retro Skate Party is Saturday, November 28. That leaves a few days before the men's downhill on December 3.
Weekend One: The Men's Races, December 3–6
The first weekend has the biggest name playing in the village. Nathaniel Rateliff plays back-to-back nights at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on December 5 and 6. Vail Daily reported that both shows are already sold out. The rest of the weekend is still open to plan.
- Thursday, Dec. 3, men's downhill #1: The Hip Snacks, 4 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 4, men's downhill #2: The Great North Special at 2 p.m., The Staples, a Chris Stapleton tribute, at 4 p.m. Warren Miller's 77th film, "Days Off," screens at the Vilar.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, men's super-G: Parton Me, a Dolly Parton tribute, at 2 p.m., and Future Joy at 4:15 p.m. The 11th annual Beers of Prey runs the same day.
- Sunday, Dec. 6, men's giant slalom: The Runaway Grooms, 1:30 p.m.
Friday is the busiest day off the course. The men's team autograph session is at Gorsuch in Beaver Creek Village from 3 to 4 p.m. The men's award ceremony and bib draw follows at 6 p.m. on the CELSIUS Music Stage. Beers of Prey on Saturday runs 2 to 5 p.m. in the village. Tickets are $45 and cover tastings from local and regional breweries. For families, Beaver Creek's avalanche dogs and the snowcats that build the course will be at the Red Tail Stadium bus stop from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 5.
The Two Quiet Days in Between
The published free-music schedule skips Monday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 8. That is the only gap in the ten days. Vail Daily describes the festival's free live music in Beaver Creek Village as running nearly every day, from folk and funk bands to tribute acts.
The women's program starts two days before its first race, which is why the second week runs longer than the first. Wednesday and Thursday are women's downhill training days, and each has an evening show in the village.
Weekend Two: The Women's Races, December 9–13
On the calendar, this week is new since 2025 and runs a day longer than the men's. It has its own debut event and its own headline concert down valley.
Date | On the course | Free in the village | Ticketed or headline |
|---|---|---|---|
Wed., Dec. 9 | Women's downhill training | The Laughing Bones, 5:30 p.m. | |
Thu., Dec. 10 | Women's downhill training | Rumours Colorado, a Fleetwood Mac tribute, 4:30 p.m. | "Mountains of the Moon" at the Vilar, with Grateful Dead music performed live |
Fri., Dec. 11 | Women's downhill #1 | Big Richard, 2 p.m.; The Sam Grisman Project, 4 p.m. | ILLENIUM at Dobson Arena in Vail |
Sat., Dec. 12 | Women's downhill #2 | Rattlesnake Milk, 2 p.m.; MOONLGHT, 4 p.m. | Cheers of Prey debut |
Sun., Dec. 13 | Women's super-G | Scott Rednor Band, 1:30 p.m. |
The Thursday screening of "Mountains of the Moon" is a Bindu Sky Memorial Fund event. On Friday, the evening's big ticket is in Vail. ILLENIUM plays Dobson Arena with special guests St. Mary and Paws, in one of the first performances since the town of Vail's $55.4 million renovation of the arena. Earlier that afternoon, the women's team autograph session is at Gorsuch from 3 to 4 p.m.
Saturday, December 12 is the fullest day of the women's weekend. The avalanche dogs and snowcats return to the Red Tail Stadium bus stop from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The first-ever Cheers of Prey runs 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the village. Tickets are $25, with eight signature cocktail stations from local bartenders, one tasting per station, and zero-proof options. The women's award ceremony and bib draw follows at 6 p.m. on the Beaver Creek Music Stage. Tickets for both tastings and the Vilar shows are sold through bcworldcup.com.
Athlete lineups for both autograph sessions were still pending on the event pages in mid-October, and set times are subject to change.
Getting to the Finish Area on Seven Race Days
Grandstand seating at the John & Karen Arnold Red Tail Stadium finish area is free and first-come, first-served. Vail Daily notes this makes Birds of Prey one of the only stops on the World Cup circuit where spectators can watch at no cost. The race-day guide gives the routine for getting there:
- Park in the Elk or Bear base lots. Race-day parking is free for vehicles carrying five or more people.
- Take the free race shuttle from the Covered Bridge in Beaver Creek Village.
- From the shuttle drop-off, walk about five minutes uphill on snow to the stadium.
- Allow roughly an hour from the Beaver Creek base in total.
Guests coming from elsewhere in the valley are directed to Core Transit routes into Avon. From there, the Vail/Beaver Creek Express or Avon Skier Express runs up to the village.
Skiing in to the races is not settled yet. One page on the official event site says skier and snowboarder access to the venue is "still being finalized." The race-day page says ski-in/ski-out access is "NOT AVAILABLE." Organizers have not published a list of public trail closures for race days. If you plan to ski on December 3 through 13, check the event site again closer to the start date.
Seven race days instead of last year's four also means a second round of shuttle runs and parking-lot mornings, all within about ten days. If you own in Beaver Creek and are hosting guests in early December, or are deciding which weekend to keep for yourself, I'm glad to help you plan around the race calendar. Stephanie Hart knows this village in race week and the rest of the year. Schedule a Consultation, and we can talk about your December.
