Festivals
Sporting festivals and regional melas
Pakistan's largest regional gatherings mix sport, livestock and trade. The Shandur Polo Festival is played each July on a ground at about 3,700 metres, the highest polo ground in the world; the Cholistan Jeep Rally runs each February near Derawar Fort; and the Sibi Mela in Balochistan has been held annually since the 19th century.
Quick facts
- Shandur ground
- About 3,700 m
- Shandur festival
- Every July
- Cholistan Jeep Rally
- February, about 500 km course
- Sibi Mela
- Held annually since the 19th century
Background
Shandur is contested between Chitral and Gilgit teams under free-style rules with no umpire stoppages. The Cholistan rally is the largest motorsport event in Pakistan, with a desert course of about 500 kilometres. Sibi Mela combines a cattle and camel show with horse and tent-pegging events, and remains an important trading occasion for Balochistan's livestock economy.
Key entries
- Shandur Polo Festival
Chitral against Gilgit on the highest polo ground.
- Cholistan Jeep Rally
Pakistan's largest motorsport event.
- Sibi Mela
Livestock, horse and tent-pegging festival in Balochistan.
- Kabaddi and tent pegging
Village sports contested at rural melas.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is the highest polo ground in the world?
- At Shandur Pass in Pakistan, at about 3,700 metres, used for the July polo festival.
- When is the Cholistan Jeep Rally?
- Every February, near Derawar Fort in southern Punjab.