The Winter Social Season

Prestige events of the winter social season, with dates, locations and how to attend.

• Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz St. Moritz, Switzerland - Jan 22 - 24, 2027
• Winter Equestrian Festival Wellington, Florida, USA - Early Jan - late Mar 2027 (dates TBC)
• Geilo & Hemsedal Ski Weekend Geilo / Hemsedal, Norway - Feb - Mar 2027
• White Turf St. Moritz St. Moritz, Switzerland - Feb 7, 14 & 21, 2027
• Art Basel Miami Beach Miami Beach, USA - Dec 4 - 6, 2026
• Gstaad Winter Season Gstaad, Switzerland - Mid-Dec 2026 - mid-Mar 2027 (lift dates TBC; festive peak late Dec to early Jan)
• St. Moritz Winter Season St. Moritz, Switzerland - Dec 2026 - Mar 2027 (Snow Polo World Cup Jan 22 - 24; White Turf Feb 7, 14 and 21, 2027)
• Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini Buenos Aires, Argentina - Mid-Dec 2026 (date confirmed by San Isidro later in the year)
• Saudi Cup Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Late Feb 2027 (two-day meeting - confirm on the official site)
• Hong Kong International Races Hong Kong, China - Dec 13, 2026 (approx; second Sunday of December)
• Indian Derby Mumbai, India - Feb 7, 2027 (approx; first Sunday of February)
• CHI Geneva Geneva, Switzerland - Dec 9 - 13, 2026
• Sweden International Horse Show Stockholm, Sweden - Dec 3 - 6, 2026
• President of the UAE Endurance Cup Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Approx. Feb 2027 (160km at Al Wathba; confirm on the UAERF calendar)
• Magic Millions Gold Coast, Australia - Mid-Jan 2027 (approx; the 2026 raceday was Jan 17 - confirm with the Gold Coast Turf Club)
• Sun Met Cape Town, South Africa - Jan 30, 2027 (approx; last Saturday of January - confirm on the official site)
• Australian Open Melbourne, Australia - Jan 11 - 31, 2027
• BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) Indian Wells, USA - Feb 28 - Mar 14, 2027
• Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Dubai, UAE - Mid to late Feb 2027 (2026 ran Feb 15 - 28: women's week then men's week)
• Qatar Open (Doha) Doha, Qatar - Feb 2027, dates to be confirmed (2026: WTA and ATP weeks ran through February)
• Rio Open Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Feb 13 - 21, 2027
• Argentina Open Buenos Aires, Argentina - Feb 2027, dates to be confirmed (2026 edition ran Feb 9 - 15)
• Kooyong Classic Melbourne, Australia - Jan 12 - 14, 2027
• WM Phoenix Open Scottsdale, USA - Feb 11 - 14, 2027 (tournament week Feb 8 - 14)
• AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Pebble Beach, USA - Feb 4 - 7, 2027 (tournament week Feb 1 - 7)
• The Genesis Invitational Los Angeles, USA - Feb 18 - 21, 2027 at Riviera Country Club
• Hero Dubai Desert Classic Dubai, UAE - Mid-Jan 2027 at Emirates Golf Club (exact dates to be confirmed)
• Nedbank Golf Challenge Sun City, South Africa - Dec 3 - 6, 2026
• Investec South African Open Johannesburg, South Africa - Dec 2026 (dates and rotating host venue to be confirmed)
• Magical Kenya Open Nairobi, Kenya - Late Feb 2027 (2026 edition ran Feb 19 - 22; 2027 dates to be confirmed)
• ISPS Handa Australian Open (Capital.com Australian Open) Melbourne, Australia - Dec 3 - 6, 2026 (to be confirmed)
• New Zealand Open Queenstown, New Zealand - Feb 25 - 28, 2027 at Millbrook Resort (the 106th New Zealand Open)
• Latin America Amateur Championship Lima, Peru - Mid-Jan 2027 (host venue and dates to be confirmed)
• Africa Amateur Championship Johannesburg, South Africa - Early Feb 2027 (2026 edition ran Feb 4 - 7; 2027 dates and venue to be confirmed)
• Qatar Masters Doha, Qatar - Feb 2027 (2026 edition ran Feb 12 - 15; 2027 dates to be confirmed)
• Retromobile Paris, France - Early Feb 2027 (typically Wed - Sun at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles)
• Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique Monte Carlo, Monaco - Jan 27 - Feb 3, 2027
• Rolex 24 At Daytona Daytona Beach, United States - Late Jan 2027 (race weekend Jan 28 - 31, with the 24 hours running Jan 30 - 31; confirm on imsa.com)
• Cavallino Classic Boca Raton, United States - Feb 19 - 21, 2027
• Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction Scottsdale, United States - Jan 23 - 31, 2027
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Dec 4 - 6, 2026
• Hankook 24H Dubai Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Jan 8 - 10, 2027 (now titled Michelin 24H Dubai)
• Rally Sweden Umea, Sweden - Mid Feb 2027 (confirm against the WRC calendar published in autumn)
• Grenada Sailing Week St. George's, Grenada - Late Jan - early Feb 2027 (confirm on the official site; the event traditionally runs at the end of January)
• Royal Langkawi International Regatta Langkawi, Malaysia - Jan 18 - 23, 2027
• Phuket King's Cup Regatta Phuket, Thailand - Dec 5 - 12, 2026
• Festival of Sails Geelong, Australia - Jan 22 - 26, 2027 (Australia Day long weekend)
• Bay of Islands Sailing Week Russell, New Zealand - Jan 24 - 28, 2027
• Cape2Rio Yacht Race Cape Town, South Africa - Next edition to be confirmed, likely 2028 or 2029 (the most recent race finished in early 2026)
• Governor's Cup Yacht Race (Cape to St Helena) Cape Town, South Africa - Starts late Dec 2026 (biennial; confirm the exact day on capetosthelena.co.za)
• Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) Berlin, Germany - Feb 10 - 21, 2027 (public Audience Days Feb 20 - 21)
• Sundance Film Festival Boulder, USA - Jan 21 - 31, 2027 (first Boulder, Colorado edition)
• Frieze Los Angeles Los Angeles, USA - Feb 25 - 28, 2027 (Santa Monica Airport)
• Zona Maco Mexico City, Mexico - Feb 3 - 7, 2027
• Hay Festival Cartagena Cartagena, Colombia - Jan 28 - 31, 2027
• Carnival of Barranquilla Barranquilla, Colombia - Feb 6 - 9, 2027
• Sharjah Biennial Sharjah, United Arab Emirates - Jan 21 - Jun 13, 2027 (Sharjah Biennial 17)
• India Art Fair New Delhi, India - Feb 4 - 7, 2027 (18th edition; VIP preview first day)
• Jaipur Literature Festival Jaipur, India - Jan 14 - 18, 2027 (20th edition, Hotel Clarks Amer)
• Kochi-Muziris Biennale Kochi, India - Dec 2027 - Mar 2028 (7th edition; editions traditionally open on Dec 12)
• Hornbill Festival Kohima, India - Dec 1 - 10, 2026
• Singapore Art Week Singapore, Singapore - Jan 21 - 31, 2027 (15th edition; ART SG runs Jan 22 - 24)
• 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Marrakech Marrakech, Morocco - Late Jan - early Feb 2027 (dates TBA; public days at the weekend)
• Investec Cape Town Art Fair Cape Town, South Africa - Feb 19 - 21, 2027 (expected; typically a mid-Feb Fri - Sun with VIP preview)
• Timkat (Timket) - Gondar Gondar, Ethiopia - Jan 19 - 20, 2027 (eve procession Jan 18; dawn ritual at Fasilides' Bath)
• Adelaide Festival Adelaide, Australia - Late Feb - mid Mar 2027 (program launches Oct 2026)
• Sydney Festival Sydney, Australia - Early - late Jan 2027 (approx three weeks; program launches late 2026)
• Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts Wellington, New Zealand - Feb - Mar 2028 (biennial, even years; the 2026 edition ran Feb 24 - Mar 15)
• Goteborg Film Festival Gothenburg, Sweden - Jan 29 - Feb 7, 2027 (expected; typically late Jan - early Feb)
• The Ice - International Concours of Elegance (I.C.E. St. Moritz) St. Moritz, Switzerland - Late Jan 2027 (typically the last weekend of January; confirm on the official site)
• Hahnenkamm Races (Streif) Kitzbühel, Austria - Jan 18 - 24, 2027
• Lauberhorn Races Wengen, Switzerland - Jan 15 - 17, 2027
• Inferno Mürren Mürren, Switzerland - Jan 20 - 23, 2027
• Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad Gstaad, Switzerland - Jan 29 - Feb 6, 2027
• NOMAD St. Moritz St. Moritz, Switzerland - Feb 11 - 14, 2027
• World Economic Forum Annual Meeting Davos, Switzerland - Jan 18 - 22, 2027
• Bendura Bank Snow Polo World Cup Kitzbuhel Kitzbuhel, Austria - Jan 15 - 17, 2027
• X Games Aspen Aspen, USA - Late Jan 2027, to be confirmed (the 2026 edition ran Jan 22 - 24 at Buttermilk)
• Sapporo Snow Festival Sapporo, Japan - Early Feb 2027 (the 2026 edition ran Feb 4 - 11; the festival traditionally runs eight days in the first half of February)
• Madrid Fusion (Madrid Fusion Alimentos de Espana) Madrid, Spain - Feb 1 - 3, 2027
• Menton Lemon Festival (Fete du Citron) Menton, France - Feb 13 - Mar 1, 2027
• Food & Fun Festival Reykjavik, Iceland - Late Feb - early Mar 2027 (dates TBC; 2026 edition ran Feb 25 - Mar 1)
• Sarlat Truffle Festival Sarlat-la-Caneda, France - Mid-Jan 2027 weekend (dates TBC; 2026 edition ran Jan 17 - 18)
• South Beach Wine & Food Festival Miami, USA - Feb 25 - 28, 2027
• Montreal en Lumiere Montreal, Canada - Late Feb - early Mar 2027 (dates TBC; 2026 edition ran Feb 19 - Mar 1)
• Alimentarte Food Festival Bogota, Colombia - Expected two weekends, early-to-mid Feb 2027 (2026 ran Feb 7 - 8 and 14 - 15)
• Taste of Dubai Dubai, UAE - Expected early Feb 2027 (2026 edition ran Feb 6 - 8 at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre)
• National Street Food Festival New Delhi, India - Dec 2026 (expected ~Dec 25 - 27; NASVI confirms December dates yearly)
• EatDrinkFestival Lagos Lagos, Nigeria - Late Dec 2026 (Detty December window; exact dates and venue TBC)
• Nairobi Restaurant Week Nairobi, Kenya - Expected late Jan - early Feb 2027 (2026 edition ran Jan 22 - Feb 1)
• Jokkmokk Winter Market (Jokkmokks marknad) Jokkmokk, Sweden - Feb 4 - 6, 2027 (422nd market, always the first Thu - Sat of February)
• Icehotel Jukkasjärvi (Winter Art Suites) Jukkasjärvi, Sweden - Dec 11, 2026 - Apr 2027 (ICEHOTEL 37); the Icehotel 365 wing stays open year-round
• Kiruna Snow Festival (Snöfestivalen) Kiruna, Sweden - Late Jan 2027 (traditionally the last weekend of January, approx Jan 28 - 31)
• Rørosmartnan (Røros Winter Market) Røros, Norway - Feb 16 - 20, 2027 (always the second-to-last Tuesday of February through Saturday)
• Ice Music Festival Norway Finse, Norway - Feb 2027, timed to the full moon (exact dates and venue announced in autumn)
• Northern Lights Festival (Nordlysfestivalen) Tromsø, Norway - Feb 11 - 20, 2027
• Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) Tromsø, Norway - Jan 18 - 24, 2027
• Skábmagovat Indigenous Peoples' Film Festival Inari, Finland - Late Jan 2027 (dates TBC; 2026 ran Jan 22 - 25)
• SnowCastle of Kemi (LumiLinna) Kemi, Finland - Mid-Jan - Apr 2027 (annual season, rebuilt to a new theme each winter)
• Reykjavík Winter Lights Festival (Vetrarhátíð) Reykjavík, Iceland - Early Feb 2027 (Thu - Sun; 2026 ran Feb 5 - 8)
• Þorrablót Midwinter Feast Reykjavík, Iceland - Jan 22 - Feb 20, 2027 (the old Norse month of Thorri)
• Polarjazz Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway - Feb 4 - 7, 2027
• Rovaniemi Santa Claus Village Christmas Season Rovaniemi, Finland - Nov 2026 - Jan 2027 peak (the village itself is open every day, year-round)
• Art SG Singapore - Jan 22 - 24, 2027 (vernissage Jan 21)
• Sunburn Festival Goa, India - Late Dec 2026, Goa (exact dates and venue TBC)
• Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival Harbin, China - Late Dec 2026 to late Feb 2027 (the flagship opening is traditionally Jan 5)
• Chichibu Night Festival Chichibu, Japan - Dec 2 - 3, 2026 (main night Dec 3)
• Jaisalmer Desert Festival Jaisalmer, India - Late Jan 2027 (three days ending at the Magh full moon; dates set by Rajasthan Tourism)
• Dakar Rally Various, Saudi Arabia - Early to mid Jan 2027 (roughly two weeks; route announced the previous autumn)
• Al Dhafra Festival Madinat Zayed, UAE - Dec 2026 (main Madinat Zayed stage; wider stages run Oct 2026 - Jan 2027)
• King Abdulaziz Camel Festival Rumah, Saudi Arabia - Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 (annual, roughly 40 days; dates set by the Saudi Camel Club)
• Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Abu Dhabi, UAE - Early Feb 2027, dates to be confirmed (2026 edition finished Feb 7)
• Desert X AlUla AlUla, Saudi Arabia - Next edition expected early 2028 (biennial; the 2026 edition ran Jan 16 - Feb 28, 2026)
• Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Next edition expected 2028 (biennial; the 3rd edition ran Jan 30 - May 2, 2026)
• Red Sea International Film Festival Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Dec 3 - 12, 2026
• MDLBEAST Soundstorm Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Dec 3 - 4, 2026
• Sole DXB Dubai, UAE - Dec 2026 (typically a Fri - Sun in early-mid December; dates TBC)
• Winter at Tantora / AlUla Moments AlUla, Saudi Arabia - Dec 2026 - Mar 2027 (season-long program; individual event dates via AlUla Moments)
• Liwa Moreeb Dune Festival Liwa, UAE - Dec 2026 - Jan 2027 (exact dates announced only a few weeks ahead)
• Qatar National Day Doha, Qatar - Dec 18, 2026
• Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (Acapulco) Acapulco, Mexico - Feb 20 - 27, 2027
• Festival Internacional de la Cancion de Vina del Mar Vina del Mar, Chile - Feb 22 - 27, 2027
• Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Feb 5 - 13, 2027
• Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia Mendoza, Argentina - Expected late Feb - early Mar 2027 (2026 edition ran Mar 5 - 9)
• Feria de Cali Cali, Colombia - Dec 25 - 30, 2026
• L'Ormarins King's Plate (formerly Queen's Plate) Cape Town, South Africa - Jan 9, 2027 (166th running)
• Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race Sydney, Australia - Starts Dec 26, 2026 at 13:00 (81st edition)
• ASB Classic Auckland, New Zealand - Jan 4 - 16, 2027 (women's week then men's week)
• Rhythm and Vines Gisborne, New Zealand - Dec 28 - 31, 2026
• Nobel Prize Banquet Stockholm, Sweden - Dec 10, 2026