Austria Tirol House Hosts Tyrolean evening with US star rapper and luge Olympic medalists

On Friday, February 13th, of all days, Tirol Werbung, together with eight Tyrolean tourism regions, celebrated their evening – a truly good omen. A spontaneous performance by US rapper Flavor Flav together with the Tyrol Music Project, the medal ceremony for the successful Austrian luge team, and the media-savvy staging of the opening tee-off for the 2026 Austrian Alpine Open in Kitzbühel, one of Europe's largest golf tournaments, all bathed the evening in a flurry of flashbulbs.

And suddenly he was there, adding a touch of international flair to the Tyrolean evening celebrating the Olympic Games in Cortina: US rapper Flavor Flav, formerly of the world-renowned hip-hop group "Public Enemy." The evening at the Austria Tirol House so captivated the musician that he spontaneously decided to perform. The energy was contagious, transforming the Austria Tirol House into a concert hall and generating further excitement on this evening, which showcased the Tyrolean holiday region not only as a popular winter sports destination on the Olympic stage, but also as a hotspot in the summer.

The evening began with a media-savvy kickoff under the glare of numerous cameras, marking the start of one of Europe's most prestigious golf tournaments – the Austrian Alpine Open 2026, part of the DP World Tour, which will take place at the end of May in Kitzbühel. The festivities continued with high spirits in front of the Austria Tirol House, where sports celebrities celebrated the sport of golf in the snow. During the high-profile "Golf Talk" in the gala hall, Reinhard Eberl (President of the Tyrolean Golf Association), Guido Hinterseer (Manager of the Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith golf course), and Italian golf star Silvio Grappasonni, among others , discussed the development of golf, the role of the Austrian Alpine Open 2026 in Kitzbühel, and Tyrol's innovative tourism sector.

Austria's Olympic luge team, which had won four medals in Cortina, also made sure to visit the Austria Tirol House. The athletes, led by Markus Prock, received a correspondingly enthusiastic welcome at the Tyrol Evening. This event also marked the start of three exclusive Tyrol Days in Cortina, during which the "Austria House" transforms into the "Austria Tirol House" and the region presents itself as an innovative "Heart of the Alps."

Amidst the Olympic festivities, the Tyrol Evening event looked back on past Olympic appearances while also offering insights into upcoming sporting highlights such as the Luge World Championships in Innsbruck-Igls in 2027 and other regional events throughout the year. As the evening progressed, it became clear that this wasn't Tyrol's first foray into the Olympic stage: Tyrol had already demonstrated the success of international destination marketing at the 1964 and 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, as well as with the Austria Houses in London and Paris. With the strong partners Innsbruck Tourism, TVB Kaiserwinkl, Kitzbühel Tourism, TVB Kufsteinerland, TVB Paznaun-Ischgl, TVB Silberregion Karwendel, TVB St. Anton am Arlberg and TVB Tiroler Oberland-Kaunertal, it was also demonstrated in Cortina how valuable a joint appearance on the international stage is in order to position Tyrol as a leading alpine year-round destination.

Tyrol's Minister for Economic Affairs and Tourism, Mario Gerber, emphasized the strategic importance of such major events: "International sporting events not only shape the image of our country and inspire many people in and outside of Tyrol, but with their long-term effects are also a strong engine for the entire region."

Tyrol has long used major sporting events to generate sustainable economic growth in the regions, emphasized Karin Seiler , Managing Director of Tirol Werbung: “The Italian market is of particular importance to Tyrol. With numerous initiatives, such as our successful presence here in Cortina or a recent research trip to Tyrol with Italian journalists and travel partners, we are strengthening exchange and cooperation. The Olympics provide the perfect platform for this!”