Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz: The Complete Guide
A polo tournament on a frozen lake, three days of matches, a mountain village in deep winter: how to approach a weekend that rewards early preparation.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 5 min read
The Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is an international snow polo tournament, played every late January on the frozen lake of St. Moritz, in the Engadine (Switzerland). Organised by Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG, it brings six high-goal teams together over three days. The 42nd edition takes place from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 January 2027, after a day of practice matches on Thursday 21 January. Play runs through the day, from late morning to mid-afternoon; the organiser sells general admission, grandstand seats, VIP tickets with tent and lunch, and tickets for Saturday's gala dinner. Everything else — hotel or chalet, arrival, chauffeur, tables, private dinners — is composed around it, and booked early.
What is the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz?
It is the tournament that turned polo into a winter sport. On 26 January 1985, at the initiative of Reto Gaudenzi, players from Munich, Paris and Geneva contested the world's first snow polo tournament on the lake at St. Moritz; the night before, a storm had buried the ground under nearly a metre of snow, and it had to be cleared before dawn. The tournament has carried its current name since 2015 and is still organised by Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG.
The game keeps the essence of polo — short periods, ponies changed as the match goes on — on a ground of packed snow laid out on the surface of the frozen lake. Six teams take part, at what is known as high-goal level, meaning high combined handicaps. Around the ground, the organiser sets up a village of tents, grandstands and places to eat.
The tournament belongs to a long history: alpine winter tourism was born in St. Moritz, with the wager made in 1864 by the hotelier Johannes Badrutt to English guests invited to come back in winter. The village still lives this month of January at its own pace: ice rinks, pistes, a white lake, and evenings that unfold in the salons of the grand hotels.
The 2027 programme
The programme published by the organiser sets a simple rhythm. Matches are played during the day; the evenings belong to the hotels, the chalets and the tables of the village. On Saturday afternoon, the Schlitteda — a traditional procession of horse-drawn sleighs — passes through the site.
Times may shift with the weather and the state of the ice: we confirm them as the dates approach, and the stay's itinerary adjusts accordingly.
| Day | On the lake | In the evening |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 21 January | Practice matches, free entry to the grandstand | Players' presentation and fondue dinner, by invitation |
| Friday 22 January | Village from 10:30, VIP tent from 11:00; three matches at 11:00, 12:15 and 14:30 | Partners' dinners, by invitation |
| Saturday 23 January | Three matches; Schlitteda at 13:30 | Cocktails and black-tie gala dinner, ticketed; after-party by invitation |
| Sunday 24 January | Final at 14:30, prize-giving | Farewell evening at 19:00 |
Watching the matches: the organiser's options
The organiser offers several options. General admission opens the public area — entertainment, exhibitors' tents, food à la carte — and remains free for under-sixteens. Grandstand seats add an unreserved seat, a blanket and a glass of champagne. VIP tickets open the heated tent, a seated lunch and a reserved grandstand. Saturday's gala dinner is held on a separate ticket, which does not include the matches.
We resell no tickets. When you entrust us with your stay, we source on request the seats that suit your programme, subject to availability, with their origin and conditions confirmed before any commitment. Our guide How to Attend the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz? compares each option.
Preparing your stay: accommodation, arrival, budget
Accommodation first. The village has a handful of houses with a long history — the Kulm Hotel, Badrutt's Palace, the Carlton, Suvretta House, the Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, cited for illustration — and staffed chalets in St. Moritz, Champfèr or Celerina. On the tournament weekend, minimum stays are common and the finer addresses go early. Our guide Where to Stay for the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz? compares them.
Then the arrival. Engadin Airport, in Samedan, receives business aviation a few kilometres from the village; Zurich is linked by train, with a change at Chur and the Albula line, or by road over the passes. Our guide How to Get to the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz? details each option, weather included.
Finally the budget: it is composed item by item — suite or chalet, number of nights, mode of arrival, chauffeur, seats, dinners — and prepared on quotation. We explain what makes it vary rather than publish a rate card.
Living the tournament: dress, days, evenings
A day by the lake is spent outdoors, in dry cold, often under bright sunshine. What you wear matters: a long coat, snow boots, sunglasses, and a wardrobe planned for moving between the tent and the ground. Our guide What Is the Dress Code at the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz? sets out the customs, from the lake to the gala dinner.
In the evening, the village changes tempo. The tables in demand are booked weeks ahead; private dinners at the chalet let you host without depending on a reservation. The tournament's invitation-only evenings cannot be bought — we say so plainly, and compose the evenings around them.
Key points
The Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz is played from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 January 2027 on the frozen lake, after a day of practice matches on Thursday 21 January; six teams, matches during the day, a ticketed gala dinner on Saturday. Seats are bought from the organiser or sourced on request; invitation-only evenings are not for sale. TGZ Conciergerie, an independent house with no affiliation to Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG and no official status, composes the complete stay — hotel or chalet, arrival, chauffeur, seats, tables — on quotation, with availability and conditions confirmed before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
From Friday 22 to Sunday 24 January 2027, on the frozen lake of St. Moritz, according to the programme published by the organiser. Practice matches take place the day before, on Thursday 21 January, with free entry to the grandstand.
Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG, a company based in St. Moritz. The tournament was created in 1985 at the initiative of Reto Gaudenzi; it has carried the name Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz since 2015.
Six teams, at what is known as high-goal level. After the first day, a ranking determines the teams that qualify for the semi-finals; the final is played on Sunday afternoon.
Yes, from the age of sixteen: general admission gives access to the public area, and the organiser also sells grandstand seats and VIP tickets. Under-sixteens enter free of charge. Thursday's practice matches are free to attend.
The tournament depends on the state of the lake and on the weather: the organiser may adjust the schedule. We follow its announcements and adapt the stay's itinerary; the cancellation terms of each service are set out to you before any commitment.
Early: for January 2027, the autumn is the right window. Suites in the grand hotels, staffed chalets and slots at Samedan airport are the first to go. A quotation can be prepared at any time, subject to availability on the day.
No. TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, with no affiliation to Evviva Polo St. Moritz AG, nor to the tournament's teams or partners, and no official status whatsoever. We compose stays and source seats on request, without ever reselling a ticket or selling an invitation.
Take it further
Your weekend in St. Moritz starts now
Tell us how you would like to experience the tournament — by the lake, in the tent, at the dinner — and we compose the complete stay: palace or chalet, arrival at Samedan or by train, chauffeur, seats sourced on request, tables. A single point of contact, a quotation item by item.