As the cold snap saw thermometers read as low as -14ºc and the snow kept falling, the first events of the Pirineos Sur Winter Festival got temperatures rising.

Inside the giant marquee DJs Samba de Praça, Wagner Pa and English-American jazz-rap group US3  kicked off the month-long festival which sees 21 acts coming to the resort in the Spanish Pyrenees.

The culmination of the festival will be the weekend of 26 and 27 February when Belgian duo 2ManyDJs and The Requesters play on the Friday night. On the Saturday Spanish rapstar, Rap’Susklei and reggae artist Swan Fyahbwoy will be entertaining the crowds.

Other acts coming to Spain’s largest resort include Brazilian Carlinhos Brown, and the Rumanian group Shantel with their Balkan Beat.

The Pirineos Sur Summer Festival of World Music has been going for 18 years and the organisers felt it was time to expand and include some urban sounds, so they created the Pirineos Sur Winter festival and this year’s looks set to be the first of many.

For more information about the Pirineos Sur Winter Festival in Formigal visit www.pirineos-sur.es

To find out more about the great offers available on lift passes and ski hire contact Crystal, Neilson, First Choice, Thomson, Igluski.com, Ifyouski.com, Ski World, Ski Tracer, Zenith Holidays and J2Ski.com. Flights to Formigal from London Gatwick can be booked through Satellite Travel.