Polo & Royal Rajasthan

The polo season, from Delhi to the palace cities

Royal cups in Delhi, Jaipur and Jodhpur, in a season that includes five windows. Where the FY 2026–27 calendar goes, and what is still to be announced.

The Velvet Key Journal · 19 October 2026 · 2 min read

The cream and pink tiers of the Chandra Mahal at the City Palace, Jaipur, against a clear blue sky — The Chandra Mahal at the City Palace, Jaipur, shown for the host city; it is not a polo ground. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized.

When is the polo season in India in 2026–27?

From October to April, the season includes five windows: Delhi from 12 October to 22 November, Jaipur from 16 November to 13 December, Jodhpur from 4 to 31 December, Jaipur again from 18 January to 28 February, and Delhi from 1 March to 7 April. Jodhpur has announced its cup dates; elsewhere, individual cup dates and grounds are to be confirmed.

Indian polo keeps a royal calendar. The 2026–27 season includes five windows across three cities, and the cups within them carry the names of the princely states that shaped the game in India.

The five windows

Delhi: 12 October to 22 November.
Jaipur: 16 November to 13 December.
Jodhpur: 4 to 31 December.
Jaipur: 18 January to 28 February.
Delhi, spring: 1 March to 7 April.

Outside Jodhpur, every individual cup date below is to be confirmed in the published calendar, and so is each cup's ground.

A polo pony by a fence, with saddles and mallets on the grass — Tack and ponies at the pony lines (photographed in Buenos Aires). Photo: Jorge Royan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped and resized.

Jaipur in November

The first Jaipur window carries a run of historic trophies: the Kashmir Challenge Cup, the Kota Cup, HH The Maharaja of Mysore Cup, the Gwalior Cup and the Rao Raja Hanut Singh Cup.

Jodhpur in December

Jodhpur's month is built around the HH Maharaja of Jodhpur Cup, the Rajputana & Central India Cup and the HH Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup. The city pairs naturally with a stay among its havelis and heritage hotels.

Jaipur in January and February

The second Jaipur window carries the names most associated with the city: the Rajmata Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup, the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Polo Cup, the Sirmour Cup, the Jaipur Open for the Brig HH Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh, MVC Cup, and the SMS Gold Vase. The window opens on 18 January, the final day of the Jaipur Literature Festival (14 to 18 January 2027), so one trip can take in both.

Delhi in spring

The season returns to Delhi from 1 March and closes with the Indian Open Polo Championship and the Northern India Polo Championship.

How we plan it

Choose the window first.
Hold a heritage-hotel stay in the host city.
Confirm the match day and ground once the club publishes them. Spectator arrangements differ by club and by cup.