This three-day festival, which takes place until Sunday (February 6) and coincides with the legendary Air & Style Innsbruck Tyrol 2011 contest, is set to provide a taste of next year's inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games which will be staged in Innsbruck and Seefeld.

An Innsbruck 2012 statement says: "The festival weekend is primarily about introducing the 15 Winter Olympic sporting disciplines that will feature at the 2012 Youth Olympics.

"Innsbruck's city centre has been turned into a giant sporting arena for the festival during which everyone will have the chance to discover and try out all the Olympic sports."

As well as a bobsleigh simulator, there will be a snow ramp built especially for the festival and an ice rink at Sparkassenplatz square where visitors will have the opportunity to test their skills at curling, figure skating, ice hockey and all the other Olympic disciplines conducted on ice.

All visitors of the festival will also be able to collect stamps by competing at the different sports stations.

By claiming four stamps on their card, they have the chance to participate in the big contest at the festival with the main prize being a weekend for two at the London 2012 Olympic Games, including tickets to the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium.

The Youth Olympic Games Snow Festival gets underway this evening at Maria-Theresien-Straße with a ballot determining the starting order for the riders at the Air & Style Innsbruck Tirol 2011 contest tomorrow.

While this takes place, visitors can look forward to two live concerts featuring bands Superpursuitmode and Blumentopf.

Superpursuitmode are a multifaceted band from Innsbruck who during concert switch unexpectedly from one genre to another and delivering catchy hooks.

The band won the Jes European Music Award in November 2010 in Germany's most highly remunerated band contest.

Meanwhile Blumentopf are now established as a constant in the German-speaking music scene, easily crossing antiquated genre boundaries.

Apart from countless shows as headliners at renowned festivals, sold-out club concerts and tours, they are well known for their prime-time raports.

Innsbruck have hosted the Winter Olympics twice, having also previously held it in 1964.

The Innsbruck 20122 Youth Olympics are set to take place from January 13 – 22 next year and will involve athletes aged between 14 and 18.

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