Jaisalmer Desert Festival
Three days of camels, music & the Thar dunes
Significance
Organised by Rajasthan Tourism to revive and showcase the vanishing culture of the Thar — its music, crafts, camel-breeding and folklore.
Sam Sand Dunes come alive with turban-tying contests, Mr. Desert pageants, longest-moustache competitions, camel polo and fire-dancing under a full moon. Folk singers from the Manganiar and Langa communities perform at night.
First-time visitor
Day 1 in Jaisalmer city, Days 2–3 at Sam Sand Dunes for camel polo and the full-moon concerts.
What to see
- Opening parade through the Sonar Quila
- Mr. Desert / Turban-tying contests
- Camel polo and camel dance
- Moonlit folk concerts at Sam Dunes
Festival foods
Best for
Travel tips
- 1Book a Sam Dunes luxury camp for the final evening
- 2Nights are cold — 5°C possible
- 3Jaisalmer station is 280 km from Jodhpur airport
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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.
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Questions & Answers
About Jaisalmer Desert Festival
Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2027 is scheduled for 22–24 Jan 2027. That's 273 days from today.
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