Two Polo Fixtures Worth Building a Summer Around

European polo has two summer fixtures worth planning around, and in 2026 both delivered.

At Cowdray Park, on Viscount Cowdray's 16,500-acre estate in the South Downs National Park, the British Open for the Cowdray Gold Cup was played as it has been since 1956. The final on 19 July was as close as it gets: Gaston beat Dubai 9-8, with Cruz Heguy facing his cousin Antonio Heguy across the field. The club recorded 430 games over the season. Hospitality for the semi-finals and final sold out.

In Sotogrande, the 55th International Polo Tournament followed in August, with the Bronze Cup from 27 July, the Silver Cup from 3 August and the Gold Cup from 17 to 29 August. Matches were played at the Ayala Polo Club and Los Pinos, and Ayala made every match of the 2026 season free to watch. The full season ran from May to mid-September, with 11 tournaments.

For 2027

Neither club has published 2027 dates, but the calendars have been consistent. The Gold Cup final at Cowdray fell in the third week of July in 2026, and Sotogrande's three cups ran across August in both 2025 and 2026.

• Cowdray: buy final tickets or hospitality as soon as they go on sale. The club lists Gold Cup tickets as limited.
• Sotogrande: aim for the Gold Cup fortnight in late August. Evenings on the field are cooler than the beach at midday.
• Combine them. A July weekend in West Sussex and a late-August week in Cádiz province make a sensible two-part summer.

The best seats at polo are often the cheapest: a rug on the grass at the end of the field.