There’s a licence to thrill in the Austrian Tirol as Kitzbühel prepares for the tenth edition of Fireball
The beautiful Alpine ski resort of Kitzbühel in the Austrian Tirol is set to host the tenth edition of Fireball 13-14 March 2020. The exclusive James Bond event will comprise a specially curated ski competition, themed dining experiences and a programme of exclusive entertainment as the Medieval town becomes a Mecca for all things secret agent. Taking place just two weeks before the new Bond movie No Time to Die hits British cinemas, this year’s edition of Fireball is expected to be the biggest and best yet.
James Bond author Ian Fleming, lived, studied and learned to ski in Kitzbühel during periods in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. It is believed that some of his best characters were modelled on individuals that he met during his time at the Austrian resort, and Fleming`s association with the town is renowned to this day. This March, the tenth edition of Fireball will celebrate the great author with a series of events designed to bring Bond to life in a unique and thrilling way for holidaymakers.
Each year, Fireball is themed around a specific James Bond film, with Live and Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker amongst the movies that have played centre stage previously. The 2020 edition of Fireball will pay homage to the 1971 classic Diamonds are Forever, which saw Sean Connery battle arch nemesis Ernst Blofeld for the last time. During the two-day spectacular, events will include a sophisticated cocktail party, a blackjack tournament at the town’s casino, a themed ski race on the Kitzbüheler Horn and a fabulous gala dinner.
Thousands of skiers will take part in the Fireball race, with many dressed up as secret agents, Russian spies and femme fatales. There will also be a dedicated children’s edition of the race, meaning that anyone with the ability to ski can take part. In addition, huge numbers of visitors will come to watch competitors battle it out and to simply soak up the wonderful James Bond atmosphere. Ticket sales will be realised immediately, with VIP packages set to include race registration, attendance at the gala dinner and access to all the associated events. Much of the programme will be free to attend, with visiting holidaymakers able to take in all the action at their own leisure.
More from Kitzbühel
Awards for Kitzbühel: The seventh edition of the prestigious World Ski Awards recently took place in Kitzbühel, hosted at the magnificent A-ROSA Kitzbühel. The three-day annual event recognises, rewards and celebrates excellence in international ski tourism and brings together industry leaders to exchange local knowledge, innovations and principles of best practise on a global stage. At the gala dinner awards ceremony, Kitzbühel was named Austria’s Best Ski Resort for the seventh year running, while the town’s local lift operator took the accolade of ‘World’s Best Ski Resort Company”.
Dates unveiled for 18th edition of the Kitzbühel Golf Festival: Kitzbuhel is widely regarded as the best golfing destination in the region, with clubs operating from early May to mid-October. Boasting four courses, including three of championship level, and a further 30 courses in the wider area, Kitzbühel caters to both casual and seasoned players and is fast becoming popular with UK golfers in search of an alternative to the more trodden golfing destinations of southern Europe. Each year the Kitzbühel Golf Festival welcomes over 900 players from all corners of the globe, encompassing 12 tournaments across four top-flight golfing venues. The dates for the 2020 edition of the festival have now been announced as 21-28 June, with the GC Eichenheim, GC Kitzbühel Schwarzsee, GC Kitzbühel Kaps and GLC Rasmushof confirmed as the host venues. Considered amongst the finest and most challenging courses in the Alps, each club is within a five-minute drive of Kitzbühel’s town centre. The festival is also well known for its food, with hotels and restaurants throughout the town set to host superb dining events for participants and spectators during the period.
Go to Kitzbühel
A four-night stay in Kitzbühel at the five-star A-ROSA Kitzbühel, arriving 12 March 2020, in a double room is priced from £530 pp based on two people sharing a room and including breakfast. EasyJet offer return flights from London Gatwick to Munich on those dates from £58 pp.
A-ROSA Kitzbühel (www.a-rosa-resorts.de, +43 5356 65660813)
About Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel is set in the heart of the Austrian Alps and is easily accessible from Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich airports. Benefiting from direct flights from London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester, the town is the perfect base for UK holidaymakers wanting to get active in the mountains and for those wanting to explore the entire region at any time of year. Kitzbühel is renowned the world over for its superb winter sports offering, with a ski season lasting more than 200 days from October to April, boasting 57 cable cars and lifts, and 185km of glorious pistes. Although Kitzbühel is less travelled by British holidaymakers outside of the ski season, it has just as much to offer from May to September, with 1,200km of marked biking trails and more than 1,000km of hiking trails set against spectacular Alpine scenery. With a world class golf offering and a rich history dating back to the 12th Century, Kitzbühel enjoys stunning mountain views and a traditional Austrian feel with boutique hotels, independent shops and a cutting-edge gastronomy scene. What’s more, Kitzbühel is home to an enviable year-round events calendar, with just about every taste and budget catered for, think top sporting competitions, high-profile music concerts and fascinating cultural festivals.
To start planning your Kitzbühel ski trip and for more information please visit:
www.kitzbuehel.com
