X Games Aspen is changing in 2027, and honestly, this is the part that finally made the new league format click for me.
Eileen Gu just went No. 1 overall in the first MoonPay X Games League Winter Draft, Mark McMorris went No. 2, and the four winter clubs are now locked for a season that starts right here in Colorado.
The first stop is January 29–31, 2027 at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen. And unlike the old “show up, compete, medals, done” setup, these results are going to follow the athletes all season.
X Games Aspen 2027 is the first stop of the new winter league
The new X Games League turns winter X Games into a three-stop season. Aspen opens it January 29–31, followed by Calgary February 19–21 and the championship in Ruka, Finland April 9–11.
Athletes are competing for four clubs: XC Golden State, XC New York, XC Park City and XC Whistler. Each club has 10 athletes — five men and five women — and their results count toward the season standings.
So yes, Aspen still has the individual ski and snowboard competitions people actually care about. But now there is also a reason to care what happens after Aspen.
Eileen Gu went No. 1 overall
Eileen Gu was the first overall pick, going to XC Golden State. Mark McMorris went second to XC New York, Yiming Su went third to XC Park City, and Megan Oldham became XC Whistler’s first-ever draft pick.
The full draft put 40 ski and snowboard athletes from 14 countries onto the four winter teams.
That means Aspen is basically the first real test of the rosters everybody just built.
If you want to go to X Games Aspen, daytime admission is free
This part is important because “X Games tickets” makes it sound like you need to buy your way onto the mountain all day.
You do not.
According to X Games, daily access is free until 4 p.m. Evening competitions and concerts require a ticket.
The 2027 event is back at Buttermilk for the 26th consecutive year. Ski and snowboard events include Superpipe, Big Air, Slopestyle and Knuckle Huck.
And yes, there are concerts
ZHU is scheduled for Friday night, January 29, and Marshmello is scheduled for Saturday night, January 30. Those evening performances are part of the ticketed portion of the event.
If you are mostly going for daytime competition, though, you can still build a full X Games day without buying an evening ticket.
Do not drive to Buttermilk expecting to park there
X Games says there is no public parking at Buttermilk. Park-and-ride and bus options operate throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, and shuttle service is available from Ruby Park in Aspen.
This is one of those details that matters way more than it sounds like it will when you are cold, carrying too much stuff, and wondering why every car around you seems to know something you do not.
The part I am watching now
The draft makes Aspen 2027 more interesting than a normal annual event update because we now know who is arriving with team stakes attached.
Gu, McMorris, Scotty James, Zeb Powell, Alex Hall and other major names are already listed among the athletes to watch for Aspen.
I’ll keep updating this as X Games releases the final competition schedule, broadcast details and any additional fan information.
Sources: X Games’ official Winter Draft announcement and Aspen 2027 event page. No firsthand event attendance or athlete interviews are claimed in this article.
