With several innovations, the FIL Alpine Luge World Cup is set to launch into the 2025/2026 season. The International Luge Federation (FIL) has approved the race calendar, with the highlight being the 31st European Championships in mid-January 2026 in Laas/Lasa (ITA).

The 2025/2026 race calendar

Berchtesgaden (FIL/15.08.2025) – The first season under the new name FIL Alpine Luge World Cup (formerly Natural Track Luge) will begin in Winterleiten (AUT) shortly before Christmas and conclude in mid-February with the World Cup Final in Jaufental/Val di Giovo (ITA). A total of seven races are once again on the programme – six World Cups and one Eliminator – in the categories Women’s Singles, Men’s Singles, and Doubles.

Following two weeks of international training in Kühtai (AUT) and Winterleiten, the first World Cup points will be awarded at the double World Cup in Winterleiten from December 18th to 21st. The season opener takes place just before Christmas in Winterleiten (AUT) with a double World Cup from December 20th to 22nd.
The year 2026 kicks off with a “South Tyrol block”: immediately after New Year, from January 2nd to 4th, 2026, the third World Cup will be held in Passeier/Val Passiria (ITA). This marks the return of the legendary Bergkristall track to the World Cup after a five-year break. The series then moves on to Deutschnofen/Nova Ponente (ITA) from January 16th to 18th, before the battle for medals at the European Championships in Laas/Lasa (ITA) from January 23rd to 25th.

New European Champions to be Crowned

For the marble village of Laas, these will be the second European Championships after 2022, when Alex Gruber (ITA) and Evelin Lanthaler (ITA) took the titles. Both have since retired from the sport, as has defending champion Patrick Pigneter (ITA), who, like Lanthaler, was crowned European Champion in 2024 in Jaufental. This means there will be new champions in the singles events, while in the doubles, defending champions Maximilian Pichler/Nico Edlinger (AUT) will be among the favourites.

World Cup and Youth Games Together

An especially intense racing weekend awaits the athletes from February 5th to 8th Umhausen (AUT). On the 2021 World Championship track, the fifth World Cup will be contested, followed on Sunday by the only Eliminator of the season. In parallel with the World Cup, the FIL Youth Games 2026 will be held on the Grantau track. The World Cup Final will take place from February 19th to 21st on the 2023 European Championship track in Jaufental/Val di Giovo. For the first time, the finale will be staged on the Tonnerboden track.

“After the high-profile retirements at the end of last season, the cards in Alpine Luge will definitely be reshuffled – a new era is beginning. While in the men’s field, Daniel Gruber and Fabian Brunner (both ITA) have already claimed World Cup victories as part of the new generation, there is no women’s World Cup winner in the starting line-up. This makes the situation even more exciting,” says Andreas Castiglioni, FIL Director for Sport and Technology in Alpine Luge.

Junior World Championships in Mariazell

The Alpine Luge Junior World Cup will get underway at the end of December in Winterleiten. After the stages in Passeier/Val Passiria (ITA) and Umhausen (AUT) in early January, the 2026 Junior World Championships will take place in Mariazell (AUT) from January 29th to February 1st. The final will be held from February 13th to 15th in Latsch/Laces (ITA).

Test Race in Bavaria

The development of the new sports equipment continues, and another test race with the new Alpine Luge will be held this coming winter. At the end of February, various race formats and equipment set-ups will be tested under competition conditions in the Jenner ski area in Berchtesgaden (GER).