Skardu Winter Festival: Dates, Events and How to Get There

The Skardu Winter Festival is a short, government-backed event held on the frozen ice rink at Hussainabad in January, with ice hockey, skating, folk music, Balti sword dances and food stalls. Skardu's tourism department and local groups organise it, and it is a good reason to see the town in the one season when most visitors stay away. The catch is that dates are announced late and shift from year to year.

This guide covers what the festival actually involves, when to expect it, how to reach Skardu in January and what to pack. It does not cover Skardu in winter in general: for hotels, road closures and weather month by month, see our Skardu in winter guide.

When is the Skardu Winter Festival?

There is no fixed calendar date. The festival is organised by the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department with local communities and NGOs, and it tends to land in the middle or second half of January, once the rink has frozen hard enough.

Here is what the press coverage shows for recent editions:

• January 2023: a three-day winter sports festival opened in Skardu on Tuesday 10 January, one of several winter events held across Gilgit-Baltistan that month (Radio Pakistan).
• January 2025: Dawn reported a two-day festival in Skardu that closed with Balti sword dances and music on the Hussainabad ice rink. It formed part of a seven-day programme called the Frozen Fairytale Winter Feast, which began on 19 January and ran in both Skardu and Hunza.

We could not find a verified report of a January 2026 edition, and nothing has been announced for 2027 as of early October 2026. Treat any specific date you see on a booking site as unconfirmed until the tourism department or a local newspaper says otherwise. The department publishes an events page on its website, and local hotels are usually the first to know.

Unlike Eid or Muharram, this festival does not follow a lunar calendar. It depends on the ice and on the government's plans, so a January visit with a spare day or two is the sensible way to catch it.

What happens at the festival?

Dawn's account of the 2025 closing day gives a clear picture of the format. The action is on the Hussainabad ice rink, and the programme mixes sport with performance.

Ice hockey, skating and curling

Ice hockey is the main sporting event, with local teams drawn from Skardu and the neighbouring districts. In 2025 the final was between two Skardu sides, and Skardu B took the trophy. Ice skating, ice curling and the other games on the programme bring in athletes from Shigar, Ghanche, Kharmang and Skardu, men and women both.

Balti music and sword dances

The closing ceremony in 2025 was built around traditional Balti performances, including sword dances, and folk music by local artists in traditional dress. Young skaters also waved national flags on the ice. For the background on the language, dress and customs behind these performances, read our guide to Balti culture.

Food stalls

Traditional food stalls are part of the setup in both years reported.

How is it different from Mayfung and the Hunza winter events?

Three separate winter events are easy to confuse.

• Mayfung is a Balti festival of fire and light held on the winter solstice night, 21 December, with torches and bonfires. It has older roots in the region and is a community celebration rather than a tourism programme. We cover it in our Mayfung festival guide.
• The Hunza winter festivals are held at Altit, Murtazabad and other villages in the same weeks, with their own hockey and ice sports. See our Hunza winter festival guide.
• The Skardu Winter Festival is the January rink event described here.

Because the tourism department runs several of these in the same fortnight, some years you can see two in one trip, but you would need to confirm the dates and the drive between them. Skardu to Hunza is a long journey in winter.

How to reach Skardu in winter

Skardu is the harder part of the plan. The festival is a small event; the journey is the real task.

By air

PIA flies Islamabad to Skardu, and it is the more dependable option in most winters, but weather can ground flights at short notice. Cancellations and delays caused by cloud, snow and poor visibility are a recurring pattern at Skardu, and they are common enough that you should not book a fixed-date, non-refundable plan around a single morning flight. Keep two spare days at the end of the trip. Our guides to flights to Gilgit and Skardu and what to do when a flight is cancelled cover the practical side.

By road

The road options run through the mountains. Winter journeys are slower and carry a real chance of delay from snow and ice, so a 4x4 and an experienced driver are worth paying for. Our Skardu road condition guide and the Islamabad to Skardu by road guide go through the routes.

The standard road route from Islamabad runs through the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, which the UK advises against (see the safety section below).

What to wear and bring

The festival is outdoors on an ice rink in the middle of winter, and Skardu sits at roughly 2,200 metres. Dress for standing still on ice for hours, not for walking.

• Thermal base layers, a down jacket, a hat and warm gloves
• Insulated, waterproof boots with a grip sole. Ice is slippery and the rink surrounds can be churned and wet
• Sunglasses and sunscreen, since sun reflecting off snow is strong
• A power bank, as cold drains phone batteries fast and power cuts happen in storms
• Cash. Card payments and ATMs are limited, so withdraw in a larger town first

Many hotels close for winter, and those that stay open vary in how well they heat rooms. Book early, check that heating works and read our gas heater safety guide before you switch anything on. Our list of Skardu hotels open in winter is a good starting point.

Etiquette for visitors

This is a local event with visitors, not a show staged for tourists. A few simple habits help.

• Ask before photographing people, particularly women and children, and respect a no.
• Stay behind the barriers during matches. Ice hockey pucks and sticks move fast.
• Dress modestly, in line with local norms, which also happens to be the warmest option.
• Do not walk on lakes or rivers. Natural ice thickness varies.
• Take your rubbish with you.

Is it safe to go?

Gilgit-Baltistan is not among the areas the UK government advises against travelling to, and Pakistani visitors travel to Skardu in winter as they do in other seasons. The UK does advise against all travel to Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas, which the main road route passes through, so many travellers fly to Skardu instead. Overseas visitors should check their own government's advice before booking, because it can affect travel insurance, and everyone should check local news and police advice before setting out. Winter hazards matter as much as security: road closures, flight cancellations and cold.

Our Is Skardu safe? guide goes through the wider picture.

Is it worth planning a trip around it?

If you already want to see Skardu in snow, yes: the festival gives you an event, a crowd and some Balti culture in a place that is otherwise very quiet. If you are travelling only for it, think harder. It lasts two or three days, the dates move, flights are unreliable, and a late announcement can leave you with a booked trip and no festival.

It suits flexible travellers, photographers and families who like cold weather. It does not suit anyone with tight return dates, small children who struggle in the cold, or anyone who wants a polished, ticketed event. For a broader view of what else the region offers, our festivals of Gilgit-Baltistan guide lists the rest of the calendar, and our Skardu and Deosai tour shows how we plan a trip in the warmer months.

Frequently asked questions