Art on Ice 2025 is over: our five highlights and fails – a rollercoaster of emotions
Highlight video Art on Ice 2025
But let’s start at the beginning. Everything actually went really smoothly on stage (and on the ice). The show was on point from the very first second, without any technical glitches. It could almost have been boring – if it hadn’t been for the focus on the emotional theme of our show, which touched everyone in the hall.
Our composer, Adriano Donatelli (Patrizio Ratto), battled with his inner demons and suddenly finds himself caught between his conscious and unconscious self, the theme being “Who am I? And how many?” which catapulted the audience straight into the world of the subconscious. It was all there – from sad moments where you get trapped in the scenes that play out in your head, to those where everything is right with the world. This year’s show was a whirlwind of emotions with many highlights and a few unexpected (and for us entertaining) mishaps that we don’t want to hide from you.
1. Stress, with an emotional, profound speech that got under the skin
The performances were haunting and emotive, especially Stress’s performance of his song “Elle”, and the reading from his book brought tears not only to the audience’s eyes, but to many backstage too. Stress said: “At the light at the end of the tunnel, my mum or a friend was waiting for me and put me back on the right track.” It was emotional; each of us had once reached a point when we couldn’t go on. “You should sit your inner demons down at the table, give them a drink. They will go away again by themselves…” said Stress, as he closed the book and began to sing “Elle”. It was important for Stress and for us to address mental health. Some people might think that’s a risky idea for an entertainment show, but it’s a hugely important issue that affects us all. Maybe not directly, but certainly in our environment. So maybe we have made a small contribution to de-stigmatising it and giving people a bit of courage.
2. Lukas Britschgi's accident
On Saturday morning, shortly before the show, our European Champion 2025, Lukas Britschgi, had an accident on the ice when he injured his buttocks with his blade. The wound had to be stitched and was closely monitored by the doctor. His decision to go through with almost the entire tour anyway (always in consultation with his doctor) ended with him having to undergo emergency surgery in hospital instead of appearing at the last show in Davos. We wish you a speedy recovery, dear Lukas! You’re great!
3. The divisive ice dance pair Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell
Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell’s performance caused a veritable firework display of emotions and a media response that we had not expected. Media attention focussed solely on the two figure skaters. Interview after interview followed in quick succession, and a lively discussion broke out on social media about their performance. The comments ranged from critical voices to a flood of enthusiastic feedback. We don’t think a same-sex performance takes anything away from anyone, on the contrary, it only adds something – a beautiful, aesthetic dance by two women on the ice with an important message: what if true harmony is created within us when we learn to accept every nuance of ourselves – as part of the melody that we are? Like a dance with ourselves. Powerful, honest and beautiful.
4. Picking up the "shoe" by Paloma Faith
The orange high heels with the many buckles looked fancy but turned out to be extremely impractical. In the hustle and bustle of a quick costume change, the shoes were not fully closed and just as Paloma Faith was getting into the swing of things with her dance number, the shoes came apart. The entertainer cleverly turned the mishap into part of her show. She staged the broken shoes as a symbol of liberation from negative thoughts. After the show, we were allowed to pick up the broken pieces – in the spirit of Paloma Faith’s song ‘Picking Up the Pieces’. Well? Did you notice the blunder?
5. The ice-skating ninja and his run-in with the stage car at the after-show party
Yes, we know it’s far from easy to skate on ice like the pros. However, one of our guests turned out to be a real ice-skating ninja – albeit in the “best fall” rather than the “elegant pirouette” category. At the after-show party he hit the stage-car bumper and accidentally broke it into pieces. Fortunately, we had a replacement – and a couple of funny pictures from the surveillance camera. Whoever you were, we hope you didn’t hurt yourself!
Take a look in the right-hand corner.
And even more highlights that made Art on Ice 2025 special for us
Even before the interval, Stress created an incredible atmosphere and received a standing ovation! Birdy enchanted the audience with her clear, powerful voice, playing the piano to accompany songs “Skinny Love” and “Wings”, among others, to create unforgettable, spine-tingling moments. Stress and Marius Bear accompanied our Art on Ice young talents with their song “God knows”, which was enthusiastically received by the audience. Paloma Faith delivered a top-class finale. Sitting was no longer an option: she got everyone dancing and got the party started with her hit “Changing” . Catchy tunes were definitely guaranteed this year!
Art on Ice young talents
European pairs skating champions Minerva Fabienne Hase & Nikita Volodin showed us why they brought home European Championship gold. Another highlight was Alexia Paganini taking to the air. She presented a captivating combination of figure skating and aerial acrobatics that made our hearts beat faster to the song “People Help the People”. The Turbo Trio (Turbo Twins and Martin Barrau) took the audience’s breath away with a great action interlude.
How the pros fall over: Turbo Trio
To sum up
Art on Ice 2025 was not just a show, it was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, a testament to the resilience of our artists and a reminder that we should also provide space for our negative feelings, be they sadness, fear, grief or anger, and let them in. They will come and go again.
From tears to cheers and standing ovations – this was an Art on Ice experience that we will remember for a long time to come! What were your favourite moments?
Margrith Scherrer is Marketing Manager and makes sure the world knows when it’s time for Art on Ice! She is an outdoor sports enthusiast in the summer and thanks to Art on Ice she has the perfect excuse not to go skiing in the winter.
30 years of art on ice
From 26 February to 7 March 2026, Art on Ice celebrates its 30th anniversary with a unique show never seen before! Book your favourite seat now!