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Melburnians, consider this your official permission slip to ditch the annual pilgrimage to the slopes. A wildly impressive new snow park is about to open into the city’s west – and it’s promising an endless snow day, no lift pass required. The world-leading snow park brand Snowtunnel has locked in a site for its global headquarters – and it's right here in Melbs, just 11 kilometres from the CBD. Best of all, the huge new park will feature a giant, rotating tunnel filled with real snow.
Set to open in late 2026, the facility marks a big leap from concept to concrete for the Aussie-born brand, which recently unveiled its patented “Endless Mountain” tech to the world. The headline act? A hulking Snowtunnel structure standing 12.5 metres tall (that’s about four storeys high) and stretching 16 metres long. Inside, you’ll find more than 600 square metres of perfectly groomed snow – continuously rotating to create the illusion of an infinite downhill run. In other words: fresh tracks, forever.
If this all sounds a bit sci-fi, think of it as snow sports’ answer to Urbnsurf – bringing what was once a destination experience right into the city. And much like its wave-riding cousin, Snowtunnel is gunning for mass appeal. Whether you’re a first-timer still figuring out which way to point your board, or a seasoned shredder chasing off-season laps, the space is designed to meet you where you’re at.
Beyond the headline tunnel, the site will double as a full-blown alpine playground. Expect a snow play zone for families, daily fresh powder, and a team of instructors ready to guide everyone from wobbly beginners to confident carvers. There’ll also be on-site gear hire, so you can rock up empty-handed and still live out your ski lodge fantasy for a few hours.
With snow seasons growing shorter and less predictable (thanks, climate change), and more than half the world lacking access to ski fields altogether, Snowtunnel is pitching itself as a year-round, climate-proof alternative. The numbers back it up, too – reportedly, 95 per cent of people have never tried snow sports, and this epic new set-up could change that.
The Melbourne site will also act as a global shopfront for the tech, with international partners and investors invited to see (and ski) it in action ahead of a broader rollout. The company has already inked a deal to expand into the UK, with more locations reportedly in the pipeline.
So, will Melbourne become the unlikely capital of urban snow sports? If Snowtunnel pulls this off, you might be swapping your après-ski schnapps in the mountains for a tram ride home. And honestly, that sounds like a pretty good trade.
You can learn more and keep tabs on the project over here.
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