Rock 'n' Tyrol: Snowbombing 2009 preview

We wouldn’t argue with the assertion that festivals should really take place in warm summer sunshine, but nevertheless there’s one exception to this rule: Snowbombing.

The annual Alpine knees-up, which takes place this weekend, is a decade old. And in those ten years it has developed from being a minority interest dance festival into something a lot more important.

It all began a decade ago when a handful of British boarders - sick of the Sloaney, tepid apres-ski nightlife at most European resorts - dreamt up the idea of a week where you could board or ski by day and listen to good music in clubs by night.

Now, Snowbombing has expanded to take over pretty much every venue in the pretty Tyrolian town of Mayrhofen as it offers up DJs and bands over the course of four frosty days.

Scots noiseniks Biffy Clyro headline, with Flashguns, Red Light Company and Dizzee Rascal bringing up the rear.

It's not all a fug of testosterone, though: female singers are well represented in the form of, the Noisettes, Ladyhawke, soul diva Eliza Doolittle and rising electro priestess Charli XCX.

But the festival’s held on to its dance roots too, with parties hosted by the likes of Horsemeat Disco, Bugged Out! and Last.fm. Festival favourites like 2ManyDJs (last-minute replacement for an ailing Fatboy Slim), Krafty Kuts, Grandmaster Flash, High Contrast, Kissy Sell Out, Bang Gang DJs and London Elektricity! all hit the decks in locations as varied as a forest clearing and a club crafted out of ice on the top of a mountain.

DiS will be in Austria to document the goings on and risk bodily injury on the snowboarding slopes as well. A full review will follow next week if no limbs get broken.

Snowbombing takes place Wednesday to Saturday in Mayrhofen, Austria. www.snowbombing.com