Paco Rassat / GEPA pictures
Madonna di Campiglio’s famous night slalom will return in December with a new lighting system designed to give athletes more consistent conditions and improve the experience for spectators and television audiences.
The 3Tre organizing committee has begun a major summer upgrade along the Canalone Miramonti, according to information published by Snowsports News.
Organizers expect the system to be operational for the 73rd edition of the men’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom on Dec. 23, 2026. The race will return to a pre-Christmas position on the World Cup calendar.
New lighting system doubles power
The project will replace the slope’s existing illumination network with an ALO3 system featuring 290 energy-efficient LED floodlights.
Workers will install the lights along the full race corridor to provide clearer and more uniform illumination from the start to the finish. The new system will deliver twice the power of the previous installation, according to Snowsports News.
The stadium area will also receive 30 programmable projectors. Organizers can adjust their color and intensity for athlete introductions, ceremonies and other evening entertainment.
Digital power supplies will connect the system to a central control room, allowing technicians to make real-time adjustments. The upgrade will also help the venue meet current high-definition television standards.
More consistent conditions for every racer
Better lighting carries an important competitive benefit during a night slalom.
Shadows and uneven illumination can affect how athletes see changes in terrain and judge the timing of their turns. As the evening progresses, those differences can create changing conditions between early and late starters.
The new system aims to provide a more consistent visual environment throughout both runs, giving every athlete a fairer opportunity to attack the course.
FIS officials reviewed the plans during the federation’s annual summer technical inspection on July 8. The delegation included FIS men’s World Cup Chief Race Director Markus Waldner, Technical Discipline Race Director Janez Hladnik and Massimo Rinaldi of the Italian Winter Sports Federation.
“The new lighting project will make the races on the Canalone Miramonti even more competitive and exciting,” Waldner said, according to Snowsports News. “The relamping project will ensure increasingly consistent racing conditions for all athletes, while also further increasing safety standards.”
3Tre continues long-term investment
3Tre Committee President Lorenzo Conci said the project reflects the organizers’ commitment to maintaining the event’s international standing.
“The Canalone Miramonti relamping project is highly ambitious and demonstrates our desire to continue investing in the event, always aiming for excellent quality standards,” Conci said.
The Municipality of Pinzolo, the Funivie Madonna di Campiglio cable car company and the local tourism board are supporting the project through long-term funding commitments.
A historic World Cup venue
Mountaineer Bruno Detassis designed the Canalone Miramonti in 1940. Known as the “Lord of the Brenta,” Detassis also directed Madonna di Campiglio’s first ski school.
The slope hosted Italy’s first men’s World Cup race in 1967 and has become closely associated with the 3Tre, which began in 1948.
The course drops 180 meters over 470 meters. The start sits at 1,725 meters, while the finish rests at 1,545 meters. The slope has a maximum gradient of 60% and an average gradient of 27%.
Its steep pitches and sharp changes in terrain have challenged generations of the world’s best slalom racers.
Lightning Jersey links past and present
The 2026 race will also continue the revival of the Maglia Fulmine, or Lightning Jersey.
In the late 1950s, organizers awarded the yellow jersey to the best overall athlete across slalom, giant slalom and downhill. Madonna di Campiglio and Italian clothing company Falconeri later reintroduced the jersey after more than 60 years.
The tradition connects the modern World Cup race with the 3Tre’s early history while giving the winner another distinctive honor.
The Dec. 23 slalom is scheduled to begin with the first run at 5:45 p.m. CET, followed by the second run at 8:45 p.m. CET. Advance ticket sales are scheduled to open Sept. 1 through the event’s official digital platform.
Information for this article came from reporting published by Snowsports News.
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