Coffee by the pool while the mountains catch the first sun. A morning on the practice courts, standing a few feet from a player you have only ever watched on television. A third set you cannot walk away from, and the floodlights coming on as the Santa Rosas turn pink behind Stadium 1. Then back to the house, a swim, and dinner on the terrace arguing about the tiebreak.

The BNP Paribas Open 2027 runs Sunday, February 28 to Sunday, March 14 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with the main draw starting Wednesday, March 3. It is the biggest combined men’s and women’s tournament outside the four Grand Slams, it calls itself Tennis Paradise without much argument, and it turns the whole valley into a two-week tennis town. Here is how to pick your days, get the right ticket, and build the rest of the trip around it.

Need your tennis sooner? The season-ending WTA Finals are on these same courts November 8–15, 2026, the only time the championship has come to the desert.

February 28–March 14, 2027BNP Paribas Open · Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Why this tournament is different

Indian Wells is a men’s ATP Masters 1000 and a women’s WTA 1000 at the same time, on the same grounds: full draws on both sides, nearly every top player in the world, and the two singles finals on the same Sunday. It is not a Grand Slam, but it is the one the players most like to talk about.

The setting is most of the reason. The Tennis Garden has nine stadium courts and twenty practice courts. Stadium 1 is the second-largest tennis stadium in the world; the smaller courts put you close enough to hear the players talk. On a busy day you can drift from a big-stadium match to an outer court to the practice courts and back without ever leaving the grounds. The defending champions are Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner; the 2027 entry list comes out closer to the event.

The 2027 schedule at a glance

  • February 28–March 2: qualifying. Gates 9 a.m., play 10 a.m., and tickets are $10.
  • March 3–4: men’s and women’s first rounds. Day and evening sessions start now.
  • March 5–6: second rounds, when the seeds play their first matches.
  • March 7–8: third rounds, and the doubles begin.
  • March 9–10: round of 16.
  • March 11–12: quarterfinals (the women’s can start on the 10th), with both women’s semifinals on the night of Friday, March 12.
  • Saturday, March 13: men’s semifinals and the doubles finals.
  • Sunday, March 14: the women’s final at 11 a.m., then the men’s final, not before 2 p.m.

From March 3, day-session gates open at 10 a.m. with play at 11, and evening gates open at 4:30 p.m. with play at 6. The final weekend is day sessions only. The tournament publishes each day’s order of play the evening before; check it once you are here.

Which days to come

Arrive early: qualifying

Three days of qualifying, February 28 to March 2, for $10 a ticket. Hungry players fighting for a place in the main draw, the stars practicing ahead of their first matches, and the grounds at their most relaxed. If you are curious whether you will love this tournament, this is the cheapest way to find out.

Our first-visit pick: the middle weekend

Friday, March 5 to Sunday, March 7. The seeds are in, every court has a match worth watching, and there are day and night sessions on all three main stadiums. It is busy in the best way, and it still leaves time for a pool morning or a long dinner out.

The big occasion: finals weekend

Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14. Fewer matches, all of them in Stadium 1, all of them for something. Book these as early as you can, and stay Sunday night: nobody wants to watch a championship point while checking the time for a flight.

A tennis ball on a blue hard court beside the baseline, with the net, fan palms and desert mountains behind
Blue courts, fan palms and the Santa Rosas: the view from every seat.

Tickets: choose the stadium, then follow the tennis

Your ticket decides which stadium you have a seat in. Everything else on the grounds is first come, first served.

  • Stadium 1: a reserved seat for the day session, the evening session, or both with a Daily Double. Every Stadium 1 ticket also gets you into the open seating in Stadiums 3–9.
  • Stadium 2: a reserved seat for the whole day, plus open seating in Stadiums 3–9. Stadium 2 is fully reserved, and a Stadium 1 ticket or Grounds Pass does not get you in.
  • Stadium 3: a front-row seat (rows A–D are reserved) for the day, plus Stadiums 4–9.
  • Grounds Pass: open seating in Stadiums 3–9, all the practice courts, and everything on the grounds. No Stadium 1 or 2.
Buy the stadium and session you want, not a player. Draws, injuries and results decide who plays where, and the best match of your trip is often one you did not plan to watch.

An evening ticket lets you in from 4:30 p.m., so it is not a way to spend the morning on the grounds; the day session or a Daily Double is. Tickets are on the official tournament site through AXS, which is also the place for verified resale. Prices depend on the day, stadium and seat, so look up the total for your session there rather than going by an old “from” price. Students, the military and fans 55 and over can get discounted Prime Loge seats through ID.me.

Two things worth knowing before you buy: children three and older need a full-price ticket, and if weather stops play, a session counts as complete once one match or 90 minutes of play is finished, which leaves little room for a rain exchange.

A night match in a packed tennis stadium under floodlights, palms and mountains silhouetted against a pink and purple sky
The evening session: dinner at the house, then Stadium 1 under the lights.

A day at the Tennis Garden

Start at the practice courts

Practice courts 1–20 are on the south side of Stadium 1, and any ticket gets you in. The practice schedule goes up every morning; it is how people end up watching a world No. 1 hit from ten feet away before lunch. The tournament’s app has the schedule, the order of play and your tickets in one place.

Make lunch part of the day

Stadium 2 is home to Nobu and Molé, and there is food all over the grounds. Pick your lunch break before everyone gets hungry, and do not book a tight dinner after the last match: a close third set will win that argument every time.

Day or night?

A day session suits people who like to wander: arrive with a loose plan and let the matches decide. An evening session is the easy one to fit around a vacation: a slow morning, the pool in the afternoon, then the lights and the atmosphere of a full Stadium 1. Bring a layer; March nights cool off quickly.

Getting there

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is at 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, in the middle of the valley rather than in Palm Springs itself.

  • Driving: general parking is free, in the General Lot off Miles Avenue. Allow time for the line in, security and the walk to your court.
  • Uber, Lyft and taxis: all drop-offs and pickups go through Gate 10 off Warner Trail, near the North Gate. Agree where you are meeting before the last match ends.
  • Accessible parking: through Gate 9 on Warner Trail with a valid placard. For accessible seating, call the box office at 800-999-1585, option 2.
  • Cycling: bike racks at the North and East gates, which makes a bike a good idea from a house in Indian Wells.

The tournament’s shuttles are for its partner-hotel packages, so plan on a car or a rideshare from a vacation home. Check the drive from the house you are looking at rather than a valley-wide estimate: in tournament traffic, the right side of town matters. The official getting-here page has the maps.

What to bring

March is the best month for it: afternoons average about 81°F and nights about 54°F. Bring a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses for the day, a light jacket for the evening, and walking shoes. Our weather guide has the live forecast for Indian Wells.

  • A clear bag: one clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches.
  • Your tickets in the app: the BNP Paribas Open or AXS app, signed in with the email you bought them with.
  • A card or your phone: the venue is cashless.
  • Leave at home: outside food, umbrellas, laptops and tablets, cameras with detachable lenses, and your own racquet.

The full list, including the drinks rules, is in the tournament’s know-before-you-go guide.

Where to stay for the BNP Paribas Open

A two-week tournament is made for a house. Sessions run long and the rest of the day is yours: breakfast together, the pool between sessions, a kitchen for the night nobody wants to go out, and everyone under one roof to replay the match.

Indian Wells is the shortest run to the gates. La Quinta and Palm Desert are close on either side, and Palm Desert puts El Paseo’s restaurants on your way home. Palm Springs is the far end of the valley: more nightlife and midcentury architecture, and a longer drive. Our guide to choosing between the desert towns helps you weigh it up.

If watching makes you want to play, our tennis and pickleball homes have courts of their own. Tournament fortnight is one of the busiest of the year in the valley, so book as soon as you know your dates.

Two cream loungers by a pool with a tennis racquet on a towel, olive trees, agave, fan palms and desert mountains beyond
The best seat of the day might be the one by your own pool.

Three ways to plan it

  • The tennis weekend: arrive Thursday, March 4. Make Friday your big Stadium 1 day, roam the outer courts on Saturday, and keep Sunday easy, or stay another night for one more session.
  • The vacation with a match in it: a slow breakfast, the pool or El Paseo in the afternoon, an early dinner, then one evening session. Keep the next morning free.
  • The championship trip: Saturday’s semifinals, Sunday’s finals, and a Monday flight home.

Got a day off from tennis? The Living Desert is a short drive away in Palm Desert, and the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway takes you from palms to pines in ten minutes. For dinner, our restaurant guide has the valley covered.

Your home court for March

Tell us your tournament dates and who is coming, and we will find a house with room for the matches, the pool and everything in between.

Explore Indian Wells homes

Questions people ask

When is the BNP Paribas Open 2027?

Sunday, February 28 to Sunday, March 14, 2027. Qualifying runs February 28 to March 2 and the main draw starts March 3.

Where is it played?

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden, 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, California.

Is it a Grand Slam?

No. It is an ATP Masters 1000 and a WTA 1000, the level just below the four Grand Slams, and the biggest combined tournament outside them.

Does a Grounds Pass get me into Stadium 1 or 2?

No. It covers open seating in Stadiums 3–9 and the practice courts. Stadiums 1 and 2 need a reserved ticket for that stadium.

How much are tickets?

Qualifying is $10 a day. Main-draw prices depend on the day, stadium and seat; the official site shows the total for each session.

Who is playing?

The 2027 entry list was not out at our October 22, 2026 check. Sabalenka and Sinner are the defending champions; the official site publishes the field, then the order of play each evening.

Do children need a ticket?

Children three and older need a full-price ticket. For younger children, check with the box office at 800-999-1585.

Is there any tennis in Indian Wells before March?

Yes: the WTA Finals, the women’s season-ending championship, are at the Tennis Garden November 8–15, 2026.

Where should we stay?

Indian Wells is closest, with La Quinta and Palm Desert a short drive either side. Choose the house for its route to the Tennis Garden and for what your group wants to do between sessions.

Dates, session times, ticket access, policies and directions in this guide were checked on October 22, 2026 against the official competition schedule, the tournament’s 2027 ticket guide and its FAQs. Schedules and prices can change; confirm anything you are making plans around with the tournament.