Bikaner Camel Festival
Where camels dance and the desert sings
Significance
Organised by Rajasthan Tourism to celebrate the dying culture of camel rearing in the Thar. The Rathore royal family of Bikaner traditionally led the region's camel corps.
The Ship of the Desert takes centre stage — camel races, dance contests, best-decorated camel competitions, and a fur-cutting art display where shaved patterns become living sculptures.
First-time visitor
Arrive for the opening parade, follow the races, stay for the evening folk music under open skies.
What to see
- Camel beauty pageant
- Fire dance by Langa & Manganiar folk singers
- Camel polo & tug-of-war
Festival foods
Best for
Travel tips
- 1January is cold at night — pack a jacket
- 2The Junagarh Fort sound & light show pairs beautifully
Never miss a festival
Want to hear about every event in Rajasthan?
Subscribe to Rajasthan or to the full Cultural category — we'll nudge you at 90, 30, 7 and 1 days before each begins. Tune it off anytime from the bell in the header.
Explore Further
Linked places, stories and categories
Linked destination
Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Quila)
Rajasthan
One of the world's only 'living forts' — a 12th-century golden-sandstone citadel rising from the Thar Desert where 3,000 people still live, cook and run guesthouses inside the original fortifications built by the Bhati Rajputs.
Visit pageMore festivals
Festival calendar — Rajasthan
Every cultural event we track in Rajasthan, sorted by date.
Browse by statePlaces
All destinations in Rajasthan
Curated places, rituals and hidden gems across the state.
Explore RajasthanCategory
More cultural festivals
Every cultural event across India in one list.
See all CulturalFrom the YatraJunction journal
Rajasthan · 12 min read
Jaipur: The Living Museum of Rajputana Royalty
Pink walls, blue pottery, peacock gates and astronomical clocks hewn from stone — the capital of Rajasthan is not a city you visit. It is a court you enter.
Rajasthan · 10 min read
The Tigers of Ranthambore: Tracking Jungle Kings in a Mughal Fort
India’s most famous tiger reserve sits inside a 1,000-year-old fortress — where Bengal tigers nap on Mughal ramparts and a single tigress named Machli became the most photographed big cat in history.
Rajasthan · 10 min read
Udaipur: The Mewar City of Lakes, Where Rajput Kings Built on Water
Seven lakes, eleven palaces and the last unbroken royal line in India — a slow three-day route through the city the Rajputs built when Akbar's armies came too close.
Questions & Answers
About Bikaner Camel Festival
Bikaner Camel Festival 2027 is scheduled for 9–10 Jan 2027. That's 260 days from today.
You may also like
More festivals in Rajasthan
