Pas de la Casa Hosts 20th Snow Sculpture Competition After Two-Year Hiatus

The 20th edition of the Snow Sculpture Competition returns to Pas de la Casa this weekend after a two-year absence due to insufficient snow. Around 50 artists and students will take part from Friday 27 February to Sunday 1 March, with organisers urging visitors to head to the parish for walks, local atmosphere, and shopping at businesses and restaurants currently impacted by the closure of the RN20 road.

The event received 48 entries, from which the organising committee selected six pairs per category to emphasise quality over quantity. In a new development, participants will stay in Pas de la Casa hotels, strengthening ties with the community and boosting the local economy.

The professional category features last year's winners, Arnau Pérez Orobitg and Mandarine Stillwagoon. Other teams include Jaume Abad, head of the Higher Vocational Training Cycle in Modelling and Patternmaking at the Pau Gargallo School of Art, paired with Zaira Valera—regular entrants since 2017 who earned the public's special mention in the previous edition. Also competing are Manuel Fontiveros and Miquel Grima, sculpture professors at the University of Barcelona; Mariona Sans and Susana Malagón, from the Spanish team that won the World Snow Festival 2026 in Grindelwald, Switzerland; and Valentina Marotta with Joan Pradell, among others.

Student teams come from several institutions: Judit Sanmartí with Ariadna Verdugo, and Laura Larios with Paula Bianchini from the Ondara School of Art in Tàrrega; Carla Puigderrajols with Sergio Quesada, and Clàudia Portolés with David Delgado from the University of Barcelona's Fine Arts degree; Helena Bigordà and Alba Bernad from Llotja School of Art and Design in Barcelona; and Anna Martí with Sergi Esteban from the Massana School of Art and Design in Barcelona.

This year's theme draws on Iberian mythology, spotlighting the beliefs, symbolic narratives, and deities of pre-Roman peoples on the Iberian Peninsula. Sculptures must be completed by noon on Sunday, when artists will present them briefly to the jury.

Prizes in the professional category are €1,000 for first place, €750 for second, and €500 for third. Students will receive €300, €200, and €100 respectively. Two special mentions will also be awarded: the Andorra Excellence mention from the Comú d'Encamp, and the public's choice via popular vote.