Alpe d'Huez Comedy Film Festival 2027: the 30th edition

Every third week of January, one resort in the Oisans swaps its skis for a red carpet: in Alpe d’Huez, the International Comedy Film Festival turns the resort’s screening rooms into national premieres, belly laughs and encounters with the casts and crews. In 2027 the event blows out 30 candles — an anniversary edition chaired by Philippe Lacheau, from 18 to 24 January 2027. And the best news, for anyone wanting to enjoy it as a group: the vast majority of screenings are free and open to everyone, during one of the most affordable January weeks of the winter. Here’s how to live the festival — and why to set up base camp in Oz-en-Oisans, somewhere calm, on the very same ski area.

30 years of comedy: what’s confirmed for 2027

Created in 1997, the Alpe d’Huez festival took over from the Chamrousse comedy film festival (1976-1996) and has, season after season, established itself as the meeting point of French comedy cinema. The formula hasn’t changed: in the third week of January, around ten feature films in competition — plus short films, out-of-competition premieres and special screenings — are judged by a jury, in a resort atmosphere far more relaxed than the big spring festivals.

For this 30th anniversary edition, two things are already confirmed: the dates, 18 to 24 January 2027, and the jury chaired by Philippe Lacheau, a household name of French popular comedy and a familiar face here. The rest — the full jury line-up, the official selection, the guest list — is traditionally revealed in the weeks leading up to the event.

Each year the festival’s prize list honours several films and performers: Grand Prix, Audience Award, Jury prizes, best actress and best actor, best short film… awards that often act as a launchpad. At the last edition, the 29th (19 to 25 January 2026, chaired by Audrey Lamy), the Grand Prix went to C’est quoi l’amour? by Fabien Gorgeart, while De la Comédie-Française swept several prizes including the Audience Award. A neat illustration of what’s at stake here: you see films before everyone else.

Catch a future hit before anyone else

That’s the magic of the place. Many comedies that became cult classics passed through Alpe d’Huez before triumphing in cinemas. Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (2008), Intouchables (2011), Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu? (2014) and Le Sens de la fête (2017) were all presented or awarded here. Attending a screening, then, can mean discovering in national premiere next year’s hit — often with the director and actors present to introduce the film and chat with the audience.

That closeness to the teams, in the setting of a mountain resort, gives the festival its distinctive feel: at once popular and easygoing. No intimidating red carpet, no elitist selection — just comedy, laughter, and approachable stars you might cross on the slopes or on a sunny terrace between screenings.

How to attend: free, no ticket, no booking

This is the point that always surprises newcomers: the Alpe d’Huez festival is open to the general public, and the great majority of screenings are entirely free. For most of the programme, no accreditation, no invitation and no ticket need be collected — you just turn up at the venue door, subject to available seats. Only the gala nights (opening, closing, prize-giving) are the exception and require dedicated access.

In practice, screenings run each day, typically from 10am to 9pm, across several venues in the resort (the main hall of the Palais des Sports et des Congrès, plus the festival’s other rooms). As there’s no booking, seats go on a first-come, first-served basis.

1. Get the programme. It's published on the festival's official website and handed out in the resort during the event. Pick the films and times that appeal.
2. Turn up early. Allow 30 to 45 minutes before the screening starts, more for the most anticipated films and evening slots.
3. Play as a team. As a group, split across the queues of different venues: everyone holds seats, then you all meet up.
4. Stay flexible. If one room is full, another screening usually starts shortly after elsewhere. The festival is also the art of bouncing from room to room.

Off-peak January: the clever week (and the cheapest)

Here’s the argument few people make. The third week of January falls outside the French school holidays: it’s one of the cheapest and quietest periods of the entire winter. The slopes are clear, lift queues are short, ski lessons easy to book — and rental rates at their lowest.

For the chalet, the gap is striking. Where a February half-term week goes at peak-season rates (around €7,000 with us, i.e. ~€437 per person for 16), festival week, in off-peak January, comes to about €3,760 — roughly €235 per person for seven nights split between 16. So you enjoy the festival and the skiing during one of the most affordable weeks of the year. We unpack this “clever January” logic in our tour of the Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine from Oz, and compare the two resorts in Oz-en-Oisans or Alpe d’Huez: where to stay to ski?.

See the rates for festival week (18-24 January 2027)

Why stay in Oz rather than Alpe d’Huez

Alpe d’Huez is the heart of the festival’s buzz — that’s where the venues and the parties are. But it’s also where accommodation is priciest, densest and quickest to sell out during event week. Oz-en-Oisans offers the ideal alternative: a village-resort at 1,350 m, linked to the same Grand Domaine, about ten minutes from the venues by lift.

The principle is the same as for any big resort event: you go where the atmosphere is, and you come back down to sleep somewhere calm. From Oz, the gondolas whisk you up into the ski area; you ski in the morning, head over to Alpe d’Huez for the afternoon screenings, and return in the evening to a peaceful village, well away from the crush. It’s exactly the strategy we describe for the resort’s big events, as in our guide to Tomorrowland Winter at Alpe d’Huez: intensity by day, silence by night.

On access, Oz has another asset: you can leave the car at the bottom and ride up by gondola, or reach the village by road from Grenoble in about an hour. Every route, journey time and car-free option is gathered in our guide to getting to Oz-en-Oisans.

A whole chalet: the best HQ for a group of festival-goers

The festival is best experienced together. A band of film-loving friends, a family across three generations, a group mixing skiers and non-skiers: comedy brings everyone together, and a whole chalet is the perfect rallying point. After a day split between the slopes and darkened rooms, you gather round a big table to relitigate the films, quietly vote for your own “audience award”, and plan tomorrow’s programme.

Our Ozalp’ Cottage chalet sleeps up to 16 people in 7 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, with a large living room and a fully equipped kitchen — precious when you’d rather have a quiet dinner before a 9pm screening than chase a table in the resort. The non-skiers enjoy the festival while the others rack up runs; everyone reunites in the evening. It’s the same “base camp” spirit as for a family reunion or celebration in the mountains, tuned for a week of cinema.

• One place, one price, divided by the number of heads: unbeatable against resort hotel rooms.
• Kitchen and big living room: dine at your own pace between screenings, carry on the evening in the warm.
• 7 bedrooms so skiers, film buffs and night owls coexist without getting in each other's way.
• The calm of Oz to recover, ten minutes from the buzz of Alpe d'Huez.
• The cheapest week of the winter: off-peak January, festival included.

Planning your festival stay, calmly

In all honesty, as ever: at this stage, only the dates (18-24 January 2027) and the jury president (Philippe Lacheau) are officially known. The film selection, the full jury and the detailed programme will be revealed later — so lean then on the official sources: the Alpe d’Huez Festival website and the Alpe d’Huez tourist office page.

What won’t change: the week of 18 January 2027 will remain one of the winter’s most pleasant for coming as a group — calm, affordable, and set to the beat of one of France’s most joyful festivals. So the smart move is simple: lock in the chalet week first, then let the programme carry you once it’s published.

When you’re ready to set up base camp for the 30th edition, discover the Ozalp’ Cottage chalet, check our rates and availability and send us your booking enquiry: we’ll call you back to arrange everything, from choosing rooms to the best way to reach the venues. And to build the rest of your mountain winter, our winter section gathers all our stay ideas.

Book your chalet for the 2027 festival