This study aims to advance ongoing debates on the effects of mega events by exploring the socio-spatial dynamics of the Winter Olympic Games (WOG) in the Alps, how these areas react to these events and the challenges they will face in the post-Olympic scenario. The research is set in the Boite Valley, a mountain community in the Italian Alps that will host the 2026 WOG. Data was collected through interviews, photography and document analysis. Lefebvre’s spatial triad was used as a critical lens to analyse these dynamics. The research understands mega-events as a magnifying glass of already existing local dynamics while accelerating and reproducing global dynamics such as rapid urbanization, commercialization and capital-led development. The study revealed the ‘extraordinary’ transformation of the mega-events overlapping with the ‘ordinary’ transformation of mountain areas. The paper shows that the redevelopment projects required to host the Olympics mismatch the needs of the hosting communities and overlook potentially more effective efforts that address present needs for these areas.