The WTA Finals arrive at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Sunday, Nov. 8, and run through Sunday, Nov. 15. The WTA made the announcement on July 1, and by September the city had already amended its municipal code so the event gets the same short-term rental exception that has long applied to the BNP Paribas Open.
That change in the code is the clearest sign of what November is turning into here. Tennis season in Indian Wells used to mean March. Now the city's own rules recognize a second tennis week, smaller and shorter than the spring tournament, landing in the middle of the fall calendar residents already know.
Ordinance 771 Put November on March's Footing
The City Council adopted Ordinance No. 771 on Sept. 3, 2026, and it took effect 30 days later. The ordinance keeps the existing BNP Paribas exception in Section 5.20.220 and adds a parallel subsection for the WTA tournament at the Tennis Garden. The two subsections use nearly identical language. An owner who has registered a property as a short-term residential rental may rent it for at least seven consecutive nights, starting as early as seven days before the tournament and ending three days after it concludes.
The text of Ordinance 771 states that this period counts as an authorized rental period:
"without further action by the City Council."
Applied to the Nov. 8–15 tournament dates, that formula works out to a window of roughly Nov. 1 through Nov. 18. The ordinance itself does not print those dates. They are simply the arithmetic. NBC Palm Springs reported on Sept. 14 that the change lets residents with restricted permits rent during the championship, that a business license and a short-term rental permit are both required, and that applications are available through the city's website. The ordinance names only the two tennis tournaments and adds no general exception for other events.
This summary is general information, not legal or tax advice. Any owner thinking about renting during Finals week should confirm eligibility and requirements with the City of Indian Wells and their own advisors.
For everyone else, the ordinance means the week before Nov. 8 may bring more short-stay guests to some streets than a typical early November would. The city has written that possibility into the code for both tournaments.
One Stadium, Eight Players, Eight Days
November is a smaller event than March. According to the BNP Paribas Open's economic impact report, the March 2026 tournament drew 527,626 attendees and generated an estimated $887 million in Coachella Valley economic impact. Those numbers come from a sprawling two-week draw spread across the grounds.
The Finals work differently. The WTA's Oct. 14 qualification release describes a field of eight singles players and eight doubles teams. According to the WTA's ticket guide, they play round-robin matches before the field narrows to semifinals and the championship matches. The WTA's series package seats every buyer in Stadium 2, and the stadium guide lists Stadium 2's capacity at 8,000.
That makes the Finals a concentrated week. With fewer matches and a single stadium at the center of the ticketing, every session carries standings consequences. The WTA puts it plainly when it says "every match carries significance."
As of the WTA's Oct. 14 announcement, six singles players had qualified: Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, Linda Noskova, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff. Two singles places were still open at that point. Those last two spots, and the doubles field, are the details to watch before choosing a session.
What a Seat Costs, Night by Night
The WTA's July 1 ticket guide sets starting prices that rise as the week moves toward the final. These are advertised starting prices, so actual prices at checkout may differ.
| Date | Stage of the week | Single session from | Mini package from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Nov. 8 & Mon., Nov. 9 | Round Robin 1 | $75 each | $200 |
| Tue., Nov. 10 & Wed., Nov. 11 | Round Robin 2 | $85 each | $220 |
| Thu., Nov. 12 & Fri., Nov. 13 | Round Robin 3 | $100 each | $260 |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Championship Weekend | $115 | $290 for Sat. and Sun. |
| Sun., Nov. 15 | Championship Weekend | $130 | Included above |
The WTA describes the Championship Weekend package as covering the semifinals and championship matches. The series package starts at $900 and covers every session from the same reserved seat in Stadium 2. Groups of 10 or more receive special pricing through a dedicated sales representative, and those packages cannot be bought online.
For a resident with a flexible schedule, the opening Sunday and Monday are the least expensive way in. They also come before the round-robin math starts eliminating anyone. The ticket seller AXS lists doors opening at 10 a.m. on Nov. 8. Daily session times will be posted on the WTA Finals page.
Getting In on March's Playbook
The Tennis Garden's published visitor rules are written for the BNP Paribas Open. Any Finals-specific instructions from the WTA will take priority. For the March tournament, the BNP Paribas Open FAQ lists:
- Free general parking accessed via Miles Avenue, with ADA parking at Gate 9
- Rideshare pickup and drop-off through Gate 10 off Warner Trail, near the North Gate, per the tournament's Getting here page
- Clear bags made of plastic, vinyl or PVC, up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear bag, plus a small clutch or purse
- No outside food, alcohol, umbrellas, glass, hard-sided bags, tablets or laptops
The Tennis Garden's venue page separately directs public parking to Gate 7 off Miles Avenue.
Stadium 2 is also where Nobu Indian Wells sits. The Tennis Garden lists the restaurant as open to the public year-round, with reservations available and a Tanoshi Hour from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. After its seasonal break from Aug. 10 to 31, it reopened Sept. 1. During March, the same stadium also has Molé and Ristorante Mamma Gina, according to the BNP FAQ. The tournament will confirm which of those operate during the Finals. Anyone planning dinner at Nobu Indian Wells during tournament week should check access and hours directly, since the restaurant sits inside the stadium hosting the matches.
The Rest of Town Keeps Its Own Calendar
The Finals fit into an Indian Wells fall that already had plenty on it. Here is how the weeks around the tournament line up, using the city's calendar and Indian Wells Golf Resort's own schedules:
- Oct. 25 to Nov. 12: The Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort is closed for maintenance, according to the resort's October newsletter in the city's published newsletter. That closure covers most of the round-robin week, which runs through Nov. 13.
- Wed., Oct. 28, 7 to 9 p.m.: "A Nightmare Before Christmas" Movie Night on the Green at Indian Wells Golf Resort. No RSVP is required.
- Fri., Oct. 30: Shots in the Night returns from its summer break with Toptracer glow-range play and laser putting.
- Nov. 1: The calculated start of the Ordinance 771 rental window.
- Sun., Nov. 8: The WTA Finals open at the Tennis Garden.
- Wed., Nov. 11, 10 to 11 a.m.: The city's Veterans Day ceremony at City Hall, 44950 Eldorado Drive. No RSVP is required. It falls on a Round Robin 2 day at the Tennis Garden.
- Sun., Nov. 15: The final day of the tournament.
Highway 111 is also changing during this stretch. The city's project list schedules replacement of 35 palms rated "poor" and 195 rated "fair" along the corridor between October and December 2026. So the palm work overlaps the same weeks when Finals visitors are driving through town.
Looking further out, the March event has its 2027 dates set. The BNP Paribas Open runs Feb. 28 to March 14, 2027. That puts the city's two tennis weeks fewer than four months apart, and Ordinance 771 gives both the same seven-days-before, three-days-after rental formula.
If you're weighing what the Finals week could mean for your own property, or just want to compare notes on how the new November calendar is shaping up, Team Armstrong is happy to talk it through from right here in the desert. Contact Us anytime.
