This weekend, athletes and fans will descend upon Aspen, Colo., to watch one of winter sports’ most anticipated competitions of the year. From January 23 to 25, the X Games returns to Buttermilk Mountain for its 25th year. Skiers, snowboarders, and — for the first time since 2021 — snowmobilers will compete head-to-head for spots on the podium.
This year, all daytime music and competitions will be free to the public. That includes headliners Alesso and Disco Lines. After dark, X Games said its venue will transform into a fully equipped music festival setting, with headliner concerts, more live sports events, art, brand activations, and a new feature it’s calling the “X-Fest Fan Zone.”
Whether you’re watching from afar or attending in person, here is everything you need to know ahead of X Games weekend.
Events & Athletes
More than 150 athletes are competing in the 2026 Aspen X Games. Rising stars and veteran pros will vie for rank and position as the competition heats up. There are five events for both ski and snowboard: Big Air, Superpipe, Knuckle Huck, Freestyle, and Slopestyle, all with women’s and men’s divisions.
Past X Games have featured Snowmobile Snocross, Hillclimbs, and Best Trick competitions. However, this year will have just two snowmobile events: Freestyle and Speed & Style. Since all competitors are male, there is only one division for each.
Big names will compete for medals across all events. Alex Hall, a six-time X Games gold medalist skier and 2022 Olympic Gold Medalist, will be returning to defend his 2025 Knuckle Huck throne. Alex Ferraria, who has won three X Game gold medals in SuperPipe and is on the U.S. Olympic Freeski Team, will be competing with his teammate Aaron Blunk.
Scotty James, an Australian snowboarder with seven X Games gold medals, is on the roster alongside Red Gerard, Taiga Hesegawa, and Zeb Powell — all of whom made the podium many times at previous X Games.
The snowmobile division is the smallest of the bunch, with just 13 athletes listed on the X Games website. Brandon Cormier, Brett Turcotte, and Willie Elam will have to face off with each other, as well as legends like Jackson Strong and Daniel Bodin.
For the full lineup of 2026 Aspen X Games athletes, check the X Games athletes webpage.
How to Watch
Most fans livestream the X Games. So we’re starting here for the folks who can’t make the trip to Aspen but still want to watch the action.
Lucky for you, the X Games makes it very easy to watch the competition remotely. Visit the Watch page on the X Games website. There you’ll find competition livestream links and highlight reels.
The webpage says that viewers can also watch the event on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Twitch, Roku, LinkedIn, and Threads.
The Schedule of Events
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will feature numerous events for both men and women snowboarders, skiers, and snowmobilers. The schedule is as follows. All events will be livestreamed on the X Games Watch webpage and are in Mountain Standard Time (MST).
Friday, January 23
- 12:00 p.m. – Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle (FREE to attend)
- 1:45 p.m. – Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck (FREE to attend)
- 4:45 p.m. – Women’s Snowboard Superpipe
- 6:16 p.m. – Women’s Ski Superpipe
- 7:30 p.m. – Men’s Ski Big Air
- 8:45 p.m. – Snowmobile Freestyle
Saturday, January 24
- 10:30 a.m. – Women’s Ski Slopestyle (FREE to attend)
- 12:45 p.m. – Women’s Ski Big Air (FREE to attend)
- 1:30 p.m. – Women’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck (FREE to attend)
- 4:30 p.m. – Snowmobile Speed & Style Seeding Session
- 5:45 p.m. – Women’s Snowboard Big Air
- 6:45 p.m.- Men’s Snowboard Big Air
- 7:45 p.m. – Men’s Ski Knuckle Huck
- 8:30 p.m.- Men’s Snowboard Superpipe
Sunday, January 25
- 10:30 a.m. – Women’s Ski Slopestyle (FREE to attend)
- 12:00 p.m. – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle (FREE to attend)
- 4:00 p.m. – Snowmobile Speed & Style
- 5:15 p.m. – Men’s Snowboard Knuckle Huck
- 6:00 p.m. – Men’s Ski Superpipe
If You’re Attending
There are both ticketed and unticketed portions of the games for those who can see them live. All music and events will be free to the public before 4 p.m. every day this year. After that, you’ll need tickets to enter the event — which are sold out. If you haven’t already bought yours, you’ll have to wait until next year.
Music Schedule
Live music will take place at the base of Buttermilk Mountain, below the big air jumps and half-pipe. Electronic DJ Disco Lines will headline the stage on Friday night. Saturday’s featured act is dance music artist Alesso.
While both headliners are part of the ticketed portion of the X Games, their openers are free to the public during the day.
Friday’s Music
TESSLA – 2:30 p.m. (FREE to attend)
Disco Lines – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday’s Music
Elliot Sloan – 1:45 p.m. (FREE to attend)
Kendoll – 2:15 p.m. (FREE to attend)
Girlfriends – 3:15 p.m. (FREE to attend)
Alesso – 10:00 p.m.
Other Shows & Aspen Parties
Afterparties at Belly Up
Aspen’s Belly Up venue will be hosting the same headliners as the X Games, just in reverse order. So, if you don’t have a ticket to Alesso or Disco Lines, and desperately want to see them, you might still have a shot. That is, if you’re willing to cough up a couple of hundred dollars for the show.
Alesso plays Belly Up on Friday, January 23, and as of this writing, GA tickets ($222) and reserved tickets ($684.25) are both still available online.
Disco Lines plays Belly Up on Saturday. However, you’ll have to join a waitlist if you don’t already have tickets.
ORNADA: Armada Team Movie
If you’re in Aspen early and want to catch a ski film while you’re in town, the Armada film Ornada will be showing at the Harrison Concert Hall on Thursday, Jan. 22. Tickets are $35, and as of this writing, they are still available.
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