Hannibal live performance
You have never experienced theater like this before
The natural backdrop of Rettenbach Glacier at almost 3,000 meters as a stage, with up to 500 performers in front of and behind the scenes. Hannibal - The Glacier Spectacle brings the Carthaginian general's historic crossing of the Alps to the wild mountain world of Sölden. A unique performance featuring dancers and thundering avalanches, snow groomers, airplanes and helicopters, extreme athletes and skiers. In short: the greatest show in the Alps!
Glacier Stage
The wild glacier world of Rettenbach Glacier (2,675 - 3,250 m) with its surrounding mountain peaks and ice fields serves as a 6 cubic kilometer open-air stage for this outstanding performance. A gigantic snow pyramid is the focal point of the "stage set", while avalanches thunder down the snow-covered slopes to the left and right, helicopters, airplanes and paragliders buzz through the air and extreme athletes zip around on skis, motocross bikes or snowmobiles.
Actors, actresses & performing crew
More than 300 female and male performers, dancers and crew members on stage plus another 200 people behind the scenes. The Glacier Spectacle is a complexly choreographed, site-specific performance that demands a great deal from everyone involved!
Directed by Hubert Lepka and Lawine Torrèn artistic network, the historical material is transformed into a modern parable about the pursuit of power and intrigue - not least thanks to the Flying Bulls and their historic fleet of aircraft. The renowned Tirolean actor Harald Krassnitzer acts as narrator while the music composed by Peter Valentin combines the narrative magic of Joey Wimplinger's text to create a vivid and compelling performance.
The story
Hannibal who? Never heard of one of the greatest military commanders of antiquity? Then here is a quick refresher: in 218 BC, Hannibal - accompanied by an army of 60,000 Africans, Celts, Spaniards, thousands of horses and 37 elephants - crossed the main Alpine ridge in just ten days and took the Romans by surprise in Italy. Despite his decisive superiority, Hannibal refrained from conquering Rome. A decision with severe consequences: this hesitation led to the downfall of the North African metropolis of Carthage.
25 years of Hannibal in Sölden
The glacier spectacle celebrated its premiere at Rettenbach Glacier on 18 April 2001. Originally planned as a one-off event, the performance became a regular fixture in Sölden's event calendar due to the great success of the premiere and now takes place every two years. The next performance will be held on 10 April 2026 at 19:30.
