The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships is leaning hard into the idea that a polo match should not end when the last mallet swing does. The 15th annual event will feature electronic music duo Phantoms as part of its entertainment lineup this fall, with the duo set to headline the DJ lineup from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road in Scottsdale.

Phantoms, featuring Kyle Kaplan and Vinnie Pergola, launched in 2016 and have built a sound that blends house, indie dance and alternative electronica. Their song "Just a Feeling," featuring Vérité, spent four consecutive weeks at No. 1 on U.S. Dance Radio and set a record on SiriusXM BPM’s Top 20 countdown. They later released the 2019 "Disconnect" EP, which included the dance-chart single "Say It." In other words, this is not a group booked to politely fill space between polo chukkers.

Local duo Alaskan Franks, featuring Ladell Ransom and Frank Terry, is also on the bill, according to a press release. And because one stage apparently is never enough, the music will continue after the final polo match when Walter Productions brings its mobile sound stage, Kalliope, to the event’s Sunset After-Party.

Walter Productions has built a presence in Arizona’s entertainment industry through its music venues, production and fabrication work, and art cars. Since 2009, the company has participated in festivals and events across the country. Kirk Strawn of Walter Productions said the company is proud to be part of the 15th annual Polo Championships and called the event one of the Valley’s more eclectic and innovative cultural gatherings. That is the kind of sentence people say when they know the crowd is already sold.

The polo side of the schedule is not exactly taking a back seat. This year’s event will feature a matchup between England’s Select and Dark Horse Dallas, marking the first time the teams have faced one another in Scottsdale. Additional polo matches include The Arizona Polo Club against the New Orleans Polo Club and the Army vs. Navy contest in the Semper Fi Heating and Cooling Military Matchup ahead of Veterans Day.

There is also a long list of extras: Best of the West: The Inaugural Arizona State Acoustic Guitar Championships, a rugby match between the Scottsdale Blues Rugby Team and the San Diego Old Aztecs, an Arizona wine-tasting experience, a sports bar and cigar lounge featuring Million Dollar Mingle, and the Scottsdale Polo Party’s inaugural Western Pleasure Competition in partnership with the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

The message is pretty clear: if you came for polo, you will not be bored, and if you came for the party, the polo is still there pretending to be the main event. As ever in Scottsdale, the after-party may be the most honest part of the whole thing.

— Bill Farr