Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2026 and Rann Utsav Dates

Western India’s two great desert festivals come close together this winter. Jaisalmer’s Desert Festival, known locally as the Maru Mahotsav, returns at the turn of January and February, while Gujarat’s Rann Utsav is in the last weeks of its long season on the White Rann of Kutch. If you are planning to see either, or both, here is what has been announced and what to check before you travel.

All dates below are as announced by the organisers and reported in the press at the time of writing. Programmes can change at short notice, so always confirm with the official tourism websites before booking.

Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2026

Dates: 30 January to 1 February 2026, according to Rajasthan Tourism’s announcements and press reports. Local reporting also describes cultural programmes at Pokaran on 29 January, the day before the main festival opens.
Edition and theme: reported as the 47th edition, with the theme “Beats of the Thar”.
Where: events are spread across Jaisalmer city and the surrounding area, with the dune programme traditionally held at the Sam Sand Dunes west of the city. Local planning meetings also mentioned venues around Khuri, Kuldhara and other nearby areas.
When it falls: the festival is traditionally timed around the full moon of the Hindu month of Magh. In 2026 that full moon falls on 1 February, the festival’s final day.

What usually happens

The Desert Festival is a showcase of the Thar’s folk culture. In previous years the programme has typically included a procession through the city, folk music and dance from across western Rajasthan, competitions such as turban tying and the much-photographed moustache contest, camel events and a closing evening on the dunes. Exact events and timings are published by the organisers closer to the date, so treat that list as a guide to the festival’s spirit rather than a timetable.

Planning notes

Rooms in and around the fort and at the dune camps fill quickly for festival weekend. Book early and check cancellation terms.
Getting between the city venues and Sam takes time on festival days. Build in slack.
Nights are cold in late January and early February. Pack warm layers even if the days are sunny.
For a slower way to see the city, read Jaisalmer When the Fort Is Still a Neighbourhood.

Rann Utsav 2025–26

Festival period: Gujarat Tourism lists Rann Utsav as running from 23 November 2025 to 20 February 2026.
Tent city: the Rann Utsav tent city at Dhordo, run with a private operator, opened earlier and has been advertised as running from 23 October 2025 to 4 March 2026, so stays remain available after the main festival period ends.
New this season: press reports say the 2025–26 season expanded to include a tent city near Dholavira, the Harappan UNESCO World Heritage Site in eastern Kutch.
Permit: visitors to the White Rann at Dhordo need an entry permit. Gujarat’s official online permit portal is rannpermit.gujarat.gov.in; permits can also be processed at check-posts. Check current rules and fees before you go.

The full moon question

Rann Utsav makes much of full moon nights, when the White Rann glows silver. Within the festival window, the February full moon falls on 1 February 2026, the same day as the Desert Festival’s last day. The next full moon, on 3 March 2026, falls after the main festival period but while the tent city is still advertised as open. Moonlit nights are beautiful but busy. Dawn, a few days either side, is quieter; we make the case in The Hour the White Desert Is Empty.

Planning notes

Bhuj is the main gateway town; the White Rann is a long drive north, so many people stay at Dhordo or in nearby villages.
Use the mornings for craft villages and the evenings for the salt.
Read The Rann at the Edge of the Tent City for ideas beyond the festival programme.

Can you do both?

Yes, if you accept a long travel day. Jaisalmer and Bhuj are a full day apart by road. One way to combine them in 2026:

29 or 30 January: arrive in Jaisalmer for the festival opening.
31 January to 1 February: festival programme in the city and on the dunes.
2 February: long drive south to Kutch.
3 to 4 February: White Rann, craft villages, then onward from Bhuj.

That puts you in Kutch after the full moon but well within the Rann Utsav period. Our three-night itinerary sets out a shorter version.

Other desert dates to watch

The western desert has other winter events, including camel-themed festivals elsewhere in Rajasthan and local fairs in Kutch villages. Dates for these vary year by year and are often announced late, so check state tourism calendars and the Ministry of Tourism’s festival listings before planning a trip around them.

Why these festivals exist

Both festivals were created, in their modern form, partly to bring visitors to remote regions in the cool season, and both have grown into major events. That brings income to performers, artisans, drivers and homestay families who depend on a few good months each year. It also brings pressure: crowds, waste and noise in fragile landscapes. Travellers can help by staying longer in fewer places, buying crafts directly from makers, carrying refillable water bottles, taking rubbish back with them and keeping vehicles off the dunes and salt flats where they are not meant to be.

Getting there

Jaisalmer has rail links from Jodhpur and other cities in Rajasthan, and a small airport whose winter flight schedules vary by season. Bhuj is reachable by rail and road from Ahmedabad and has an airport with limited connections. In festival weeks, trains and flights fill early, so book transport at the same time as your room.

Before you book

Confirm dates on the official Rajasthan Tourism and Gujarat Tourism websites.
Read the latest cancellation policies for camps and tents.
Check weather and road advisories close to travel.
Keep ID and permit printouts handy.

Desert festivals are a joyful, crowded, sometimes chaotic way to meet two remarkable landscapes. Plan the basics, leave room for surprises, and you will come home with sand in your shoes and music in your head.