Ruka-Kuusamo will host a major international winter sports event in April 2027. From 9 to 11 April, Ruka Ski Resort will stage the championship finals of the inaugural winter season of the new MoonPay X Games League.
For the destination, the timing is particularly interesting. The event will bring international attention to Finnish Lapland at a point when the traditional peak winter season is already coming to an end.
The first X Games League winter season will feature three events. Aspen opens the series from 29 to 31 January, followed by Calgary from 19 to 21 February, before the championship concludes in Ruka from 9 to 11 April.
Athletes in Finland will compete in Superpipe, Big Air, Slopestyle and Knuckle Huck, with competitions in both freeskiing and snowboarding for women and men.
A total of 40 athletes across five teams are expected to compete during the winter season. The draft pool includes prominent Nordic and Baltic names such as Henrik Harlaut, Jesper Tjäder, Birk Ruud, Marcus Kleveland and Kelly Sildaru, alongside several Finnish athletes.
More than USD 2 million in prize money will be awarded across the winter series.
For Ruka-Kuusamo, the championship offers more than sporting exposure. Live music will accompany the competitions, positioning the weekend as a wider event experience.
The April timing also makes the event noteworthy from a tourism perspective. While many European destinations are already moving into spring, northern Finland can still offer winter sports conditions.
Major international events can therefore provide an additional reason to travel beyond the core winter months while introducing the destination to audiences who may not otherwise have considered a Lapland holiday.
For tour operators with Finnish Lapland and winter sports programmes, the dates are worth considering early in 2027 planning, particularly in terms of accommodation availability and opportunities to combine the event with existing Lapland products.
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