To provide a so-called rotary type polishing apparatus having a rotary polishing table and a polishing method, wherein a polishing pad can be automatically changed without stopping a CMP process.

The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table 10 for performing a turning or circulating motion, a top ring 14 which is arranged movable vertically above the polishing table 10, and holds a substrate W so as to mount and dismount it, a pair of rolls 22, 30 which can integrally move together with the polishing table 10 so as to rotate, and a polishing pad 36 which is wound around the one roll 22 and is taken up onto the other roll 30, and moves along the upper surface of the polishing table 10.