Mount Hotham to Close for the 2026 Season on Sunday, September 6

We knew when we saw the pics on Instagram of Hotham setting up the Bird Bath Pond Skim near the summit chair that it only meant one thing: the season at one of Victoria's major ski resorts was rapidly coming to a close

Hotham will close for the 2026 winter season this Sunday, 6 September. It's a fitting, if slightly deflating, bookend to a season that's been tough right across the country. I only got two days of skiing in all year, and both of them were at Falls Creek.

Hotham's closure now puts it alongside Mt Baw Baw and Selwyn, both of which have already shut up shop for another year - and between the three of them, it's hard to avoid the feeling that this has been the worst Australian season I've seen in the last decade.

Hotham confirmed the closure in a press release and social media post, with senior manager of skier services Chris saying the mountain's teams had done everything they could to keep lifts running.

"Our teams have given it all that they have to keep us skiing and riding as long as we can, but Mother Nature had other plans for us this season, and with some tough conditions in the forecast, our final day of skiing and boarding for winter will be Sunday 6 September," Chris said.

A final weekend of events before the lifts stop

Hotham is closing out the season with a run of events. On Monday, 31 August, the resort held its annual Bird Bath Pond Skim. The final weekend features two more: Hotham Retro Day on Saturday, 5 September, where guests are encouraged to dig out their best old-school ski gear before heading to The Bird for après with DJ Eddy from 3 to 6pm, followed by the resort's annual Father's Day Après event on Sunday, 6 September, with live music, drinks and giveaways from midday to 3pm. Sunday's closing day also falls on Father's Day in Australia. Hotham is encouraging skiers and riders to get in their final laps before winter operations wrap up.

End-of-season sales and closing logistics

The resort is running end-of-season retail sales through its final days, with OneTree Sports, Board Box and Pinnacle open from 8am to 5pm daily. Selected items are discounted by up to 50%, with Epic Australia Pass holders receiving a further 15% off.

In a statement, Hotham thanked its staff, guests and wider community for their support through the season:

"To our staff, guests, and the whole Hotham community - thank you for showing up and making this season special."

Not the only resort calling it early this year

Hotham's closure caps off a run of early finishes across the country. Mt Baw Baw, Victoria's low-altitude resort closest to Melbourne, wrapped up its own season on 23-24 August after 57 days of operation, with its slopes reduced to little more than thin strips of snow on machine-made terrain by the time it closed. Selwyn Snow Resort in New South Wales called its season a few days before that, on 21 August, closing eight days earlier than planned and around two weeks ahead of where it finished in 2025.

Selwyn's general manager Abi Spackman described it as one of the resort's most challenging seasons in recent memory, with rain and a lack of snowmaking temperatures ultimately proving decisive.

With Hotham's closure, the Australian ski season moves into its final stretch, with the country's remaining higher-altitude resorts, including Perisher and Thredbo, aiming to push on toward the traditional October long weekend finish, conditions permitting.