Polo meets party as Sandbanks hosts UK’s most unique summer event
Thousands of people are expected to flood to Sandbanks for the World biggest beach polo event
One of the UK’s most unique sporting and social events returns to the golden shores of Sandbanks today as SANDPOLO returns for its 18th year.
Firmly established as a highlight of the British summer calendar, Sandpolo is the world’s largest beach polo events and offers two days of high-octane polo, dazzling entertainment and unrivalled glamour.
Event organiser, Jonny Wheeler told us: “It's not a champagne event, it is for everybody, but people generally do like to dress up and make a real occasion of it.
“The success of this event is all down to the people that come year in year out and even those enjoying it for the first time, they make the atmosphere.”
Blending world-class beach polo with a vibrant festival atmosphere, the event continues to grow in both reputation and pageant.
This year, there will be music from Heatwave, Jazzie B, Damage Wonderband and Brandon Block- all performing a variety of genres from smooth R&B and soulful classic to up-tempo DJ sets.
On the Saturday, JLS’ Aston Merrygold will perform live followed by the headliner of “boogie of the beach”, renowned DJ, Gok Wan.
Mr Wheeler said: “From year one, we had a good party once the polo was over and the sun had set over the old harry rocks here.
“The late night beach party makes it an enjoyable for anyone and everyone because it's not just about the sport, it's about them having a good time after the sport is finished.”
The main event is the thrilling 3-a-side polo matches, where top international players battle it out in the polo arena metres from the grandstands in a fast-paced, full contact format.
Over two days each match is preceded by the DAOU Horse Stunt Riding Show, where elite stunt riders perform gravity-defying routines on specially trained horses, bringing adrenaline-fuelled entertainment to the beachfront arena.
Back by popular demand is the favourite pony showdown, pitting polo pony against pony, all in support of the Alzheimer’s Society charity.
Mr Wheeler shares how the idea came to be all those years ago: “I was at a very amateur polo player and I was visiting sandbanks and saw that the beach was wide enough to build on.
“The Council were then keen for me to host a relatively small beach polo event here, and it has grown a lot since then and is now the largest beach polo event in the world.”