The 2026 horse racing calendar contains major festivals throughout the year, from the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National meeting during the spring to Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, the Ebor Festival and British Champions Day during the Flat season.
British racing does not have one single festival season. Major Jump meetings dominate the winter and early spring, while the biggest Flat festivals run from Newmarket’s Guineas meeting in May through to British Champions Day at Ascot in October.
This page brings together the major UK horse racing festivals in calendar order, with confirmed 2026 dates, racecourses, principal races and links to our more detailed race and meeting guides.
For every individual meeting across the year, see our complete horse racing fixtures 2026 calendar.
Major Horse Racing Festivals 2026
| Festival | Racecourse | 2026 Dates | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin Racing Festival | Leopardstown | 31 January–1 February | Jump |
| Cheltenham Festival | Cheltenham | 10–13 March | Jump |
| Grand National Festival | Aintree | 9–11 April | Jump |
| Punchestown Festival | Punchestown | 28 April–2 May | Jump |
| Guineas Festival | Newmarket | 1–3 May | Flat |
| Chester May Festival | Chester | 6–8 May | Flat |
| Dante Festival | York | 13–15 May | Flat |
| Derby Festival | Epsom Downs | 5–6 June | Flat |
| Royal Ascot | Ascot | 16–20 June | Flat |
| July Festival | Newmarket | 9–11 July | Flat |
| King George Weekend | Ascot | July | Flat |
| Qatar Goodwood Festival | Goodwood | 28 July–1 August | Flat |
| Galway Festival | Galway | 27 July–2 August | Mixed |
| Ebor Festival | York | 19–22 August | Flat |
| St Leger Festival | Doncaster | 10–13 September | Flat |
| Ayr Gold Cup Festival | Ayr | September | Flat |
| Dubai Future Champions Festival | Newmarket | 9–10 October | Flat |
| British Champions Day | Ascot | 17 October | Flat |
| November Meeting | Cheltenham | November | Jump |
| Christmas Festival | Kempton | 26–27 December | Jump |
Dates can change, particularly for meetings further ahead, so check the individual racecourse before booking travel or accommodation.
Horse Racing Festivals by Month
The major British and Irish festivals are spread across the calendar.
January and February bring the Dublin Racing Festival and important preparation for Cheltenham.
March is dominated by the Cheltenham Festival.
April features the Grand National Festival at Aintree before Punchestown brings the Irish Jump season towards its conclusion.
May marks the transition into the heart of the Flat season with Newmarket’s Guineas, Chester’s May Festival and York’s Dante Festival.
June contains the Derby Festival and Royal Ascot.
July and August form the busiest part of the summer festival programme, including Newmarket’s July Festival, Glorious Goodwood, Galway and York’s Ebor Festival.
September brings the St Leger Festival and Ayr Gold Cup meeting.
October features Newmarket’s Future Champions Festival and British Champions Day at Ascot.
The major Jump meetings then build again through November and December.
Dublin Racing Festival
The Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown is one of Ireland’s most important National Hunt meetings and a major early-season indicator for Cheltenham.
The two-day festival takes place around the beginning of February and contains several Grade 1 races.
Leading Irish trainers frequently use Leopardstown to prepare their strongest horses for the Cheltenham Festival.
The meeting is therefore valuable for more than its own results. Performances can reshape the markets for the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup, novice hurdles and novice chases a few weeks later.
Our Leopardstown Racecourse coverage provides more information about the track, while readers following Irish racing throughout the season can use our Irish racecourses section.
Cheltenham Festival 2026
The Cheltenham Festival took place from Tuesday 10 March to Friday 13 March 2026.
Cheltenham is the defining four days of the British National Hunt season.
Twenty-eight races are staged across the meeting, with seven races on each day.
The four headline championship races are:
- Champion Hurdle
- Queen Mother Champion Chase
- Ryanair Chase
- Cheltenham Gold Cup
The Champion Hurdle is the feature on Tuesday, while the Queen Mother Champion Chase is one of Wednesday’s principal races.
The meeting culminates with the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
Cheltenham’s undulating configuration, stiff finish and large fields make previous course experience particularly relevant in many Festival races.
British and Irish form converges at the meeting, which means results from Leopardstown, Kempton, Newbury, Ascot, Haydock and other leading Jump courses often feed directly into the Festival markets.
Our Cheltenham Racecourse guide covers the track itself, while our Cheltenham betting tips concentrate on race analysis and selections.
Grand National Festival 2026
The 2026 Grand National Festival took place at Aintree Racecourse from Thursday 9 April to Saturday 11 April.
Aintree stages three days of high-class Jump racing.
The meeting includes several Grade 1 contests, but the Grand National on Saturday remains its defining race.
The National is different from a conventional steeplechase.
Its distinctive fences, large field and extended distance create a test that requires jumping ability, stamina and the ability to cope with a crowded race.
The Festival also gives horses that competed at Cheltenham another opportunity at the highest level.
That short turnaround is worth considering when analysing Aintree form. Some horses arrive after hard races at Cheltenham, while others bypass Cheltenham specifically to arrive fresher at Aintree.
Our Grand National tips and Aintree tipping pages provide more detailed coverage around the meeting.
Punchestown Festival 2026
The Punchestown Festival is one of the biggest meetings in Irish Jump racing.
Held at Punchestown Racecourse, the five-day meeting traditionally brings together many of the leading horses seen at Cheltenham and Aintree.
Punchestown therefore provides a fascinating late-season comparison between established champions, horses returning from British festivals and runners that have been kept fresher for the Irish meeting.
The Punchestown Gold Cup, Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and major novice events form part of the programme.
For racing followers who concentrate heavily on Cheltenham, Punchestown is particularly useful because it shows which Festival performances hold up several weeks later.
Guineas Festival 2026
Newmarket’s 2026 Guineas Festival ran from Friday 1 May to Sunday 3 May on the Rowley Mile.
The meeting contains the first two British Classics of the season.
The 2,000 Guineas is for three-year-old colts and fillies, although it is predominantly contested by colts.
The 1,000 Guineas is restricted to three-year-old fillies.
Both are run over the straight mile at Newmarket Racecourse.
The Guineas provide the first major indication of how the previous season’s leading two-year-olds have developed.
They also begin to shape the Derby and Oaks markets.
Some Guineas runners remain at a mile throughout their careers. Others step up substantially in distance at Epsom.
That makes pedigree, running style and stamina potential particularly important when assessing horses moving from Newmarket towards the Derby Festival.
Chester May Festival 2026
The Chester May Festival took place from Wednesday 6 May to Friday 8 May 2026.
The three-day meeting is the centrepiece of the season at Chester Racecourse.
Its best-known race is the Chester Cup, but the meeting is also significant because it stages important trials for Epsom.
The Cheshire Oaks provides an Oaks trial, while the Chester Vase can identify Derby contenders.
Chester’s track is very different from Epsom.
It is tight, left-handed and places a premium on position.
Draw can consequently matter significantly over some distances.
Anyone betting during the meeting should assess the stall position alongside the likely pace rather than simply treating the best historical draw as an automatic selection.
Dante Festival 2026
York’s Dante Festival ran from Wednesday 13 May to Friday 15 May 2026.
The three-day meeting contains important early-season Flat races including the Musidora Stakes, Dante Stakes and Yorkshire Cup.
The Dante is one of Britain’s most significant Derby trials.
Several top-class middle-distance horses have used the race before travelling to Epsom.
The Musidora plays a similar role for potential Oaks runners.
York Racecourse provides a very different test from Epsom. York is a broad, galloping track, while Epsom’s gradients and turns present a more unusual challenge.
A strong Dante performance therefore establishes ability but does not automatically prove that a horse will handle Epsom.
Derby Festival 2026
The Derby Festival was staged at Epsom Downs on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June 2026.
Friday is centred around the Oaks, while Saturday features the Derby.
The Epsom Oaks is the fillies’ Classic over a mile and a half.
The Derby is the equivalent Classic open to three-year-old colts and fillies, although colts dominate participation.
Epsom is one of Britain’s most distinctive Flat courses.
The track rises and falls, turns sharply around Tattenham Corner and requires horses to remain balanced while travelling at speed.
That is why a Derby contender needs more than a high rating.
A horse must also handle the course and stay the mile-and-a-half distance.
The Coronation Cup is another major race during the meeting, giving older middle-distance horses a Group 1 target.
Royal Ascot 2026
Royal Ascot took place from Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June 2026.
The five-day meeting is the centrepiece of Ascot’s Flat season and one of the strongest international racing festivals staged in Britain.
Races range from five-furlong sprints to the long-distance Gold Cup.
Major contests include:
- Queen Anne Stakes
- King Charles III Stakes
- Prince of Wales’s Stakes
- Gold Cup
- Commonwealth Cup
- Coronation Stakes
- Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
The meeting also contains major handicaps such as the Royal Hunt Cup, Britannia Stakes and Wokingham.
These large-field races present a different analytical problem from the Group races.
On Ascot’s straight course, draw, pace and where groups form across the track can all influence the result.
Our Ascot betting tips page looks specifically at those course factors, while the main Ascot Racecourse guide covers the track and visitor information.
Newmarket July Festival 2026
Newmarket’s July Festival took place from Thursday 9 July to Saturday 11 July 2026.
Unlike the Guineas meeting, which takes place on the Rowley Mile, this summer meeting uses the July Course.
The feature is the July Cup, one of Britain’s leading sprint races.
It gives established sprinters and improving three-year-olds an opportunity to compete over six furlongs.
The meeting also includes high-quality two-year-old racing and the Falmouth Stakes.
The difference between Newmarket’s two courses is worth understanding. A horse having previous Newmarket form has not necessarily raced over exactly the same configuration.
Our Newmarket Racecourse guide explains the Rowley Mile and July Course in greater detail.
King George Weekend
Ascot’s King George meeting is one of the major mid-summer Flat fixtures.
The centrepiece is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The race is important because it allows the leading three-year-old middle-distance horses to compete against older horses.
That produces one of the first major direct tests between generations.
Weight-for-age allowances become relevant, while proven ability over Ascot’s stiff mile and a half can be important.
The meeting sits between Royal Ascot and the major late-summer festivals, giving it a distinctive position in the season.
Qatar Goodwood Festival 2026
The Qatar Goodwood Festival, widely known as Glorious Goodwood, took place from Tuesday 28 July to Saturday 1 August 2026.
Five days of racing are staged at Goodwood Racecourse.
The three Group 1 races are:
- Goodwood Cup
- Sussex Stakes
- Nassau Stakes
The Goodwood Cup is a major staying contest.
The Sussex Stakes brings leading milers together, while the Nassau Stakes is a major race for fillies and mares.
Goodwood’s configuration makes course position particularly interesting.
The track contains turns, undulations and downhill sections, while the draw can become important in large fields over particular distances.
That makes Goodwood a meeting where understanding the course can add considerably more value than simply reading finishing positions.
Galway Festival
The Galway Festival is one of the major events in the Irish racing calendar.
It differs from most festivals on this page because it combines Flat and National Hunt racing across the same week.
The Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle are among the best-known races.
Galway’s tight course and distinctive atmosphere make the meeting different from the major British summer festivals.
Large handicaps feature prominently, so bettors should pay close attention to draw, weight, course form and the likely race shape.
Our wider Irish racecourses section covers racing throughout Ireland.
Ebor Festival 2026
The Ebor Festival took place at York from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August 2026.
The four-day meeting is one of the strongest parts of the late-summer Flat calendar.
Each day has a distinct headline race.
Wednesday features the Juddmonte International.
Thursday includes the Yorkshire Oaks.
Friday is headed by the Nunthorpe Stakes.
Saturday contains the Ebor Handicap.
This combination gives the meeting considerable variety.
The Juddmonte International tests elite middle-distance horses, the Yorkshire Oaks focuses on leading fillies and mares, the Nunthorpe brings together specialist sprinters and the Ebor is one of Britain’s major staying handicaps.
Our York Racecourse guide covers the track, while the dedicated Ebor Festival content provides more detail around the meeting.
St Leger Festival 2026
The St Leger Festival took place at Doncaster Racecourse from Thursday 10 September to Sunday 13 September 2026.
The 2026 meeting was particularly significant because it marked the 250th running of the St Leger.
First run in 1776, the St Leger is the oldest of Britain’s five Classics.
It is also the final Classic of the season.
The race tests three-year-olds over a longer distance than the Derby and can attract horses stepping up in trip after competing over a mile and a half earlier in the year.
Doncaster is a broad, galloping course, so the race presents a very different test from Epsom.
The festival also contains other important Flat races before culminating with its headline Classic.
Ayr Gold Cup Festival
The Ayr Gold Cup Festival is one of Scotland’s most important Flat meetings.
Its centrepiece is the Ayr Gold Cup, a major sprint handicap.
Large-field sprint handicaps require particular attention to draw and pace.
The stall occupied by a horse tells only part of the story.
Bettors should also identify where the recognised front-runners are positioned because a horse can have a statistically favourable draw but find itself in the wrong group.
Our Ayr Racecourse guide provides more information about racing at the Scottish track.
Dubai Future Champions Festival 2026
The Dubai Future Champions Festival takes place at Newmarket on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October 2026.
The Rowley Mile meeting focuses heavily on leading two-year-olds.
Friday includes the Fillies’ Mile, while Saturday features the Dewhurst Stakes.
These races can have a major effect on the following year’s Classic markets.
A leading juvenile at Newmarket can enter the winter as a prominent candidate for the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas or even the Derby.
This makes the meeting particularly interesting for racing followers who track horses across seasons rather than treating each year’s Flat campaign in isolation.
British Champions Day 2026
British Champions Day takes place at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday 17 October 2026.
The meeting brings many of the leading Flat horses together towards the end of the British season.
Its championship races cover several divisions, including sprinting, staying, a mile and middle distances.
The Champion Stakes is one of the principal races.
The timing of the meeting creates a distinctive betting challenge.
Some horses arrive after long campaigns that began in spring.
Others have been prepared specifically for an autumn target.
Ground conditions can also be substantially different from those experienced at Royal Ascot in June.
Current form, freshness and ability on softer ground can therefore become more important than during the summer.
Cheltenham November Meeting
The November Meeting is one of the first major landmarks of the new British Jump season.
Held over three days at Cheltenham, it gives established handicappers, novice hurdlers and novice chasers an opportunity to compete at the course that will stage the Festival the following March.
That does not mean November winners should automatically be backed for Festival races.
Conditions, distances and handicap marks can all change considerably before March.
The meeting is valuable because it provides early evidence of which horses handle Cheltenham’s unusual track.
Kempton Christmas Festival 2026
The Christmas Festival at Kempton Park takes place on Boxing Day and 27 December.
Its defining race is the King George VI Chase.
The King George is one of Britain’s most important staying chases outside the Cheltenham Festival.
Kempton is a sharper track than Cheltenham, so the two races do not present identical tests.
The Christmas Hurdle is another major race on Boxing Day.
Kempton’s Christmas meeting also begins to shape the markets for the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup and other major spring targets.
What Are the Biggest Jump Racing Festivals?
The British and Irish Jump season contains several major multi-day festivals.
The most important include:
- Cheltenham Festival
- Grand National Festival
- Dublin Racing Festival
- Punchestown Festival
- Cheltenham November Meeting
- Kempton Christmas Festival
Cheltenham has the greatest concentration of championship races, while Aintree is centred around the Grand National alongside several Grade 1 events.
Dublin and Punchestown are central to the Irish Jump season.
For readers learning the difference between the two codes, our Flat racing vs Jump racing guide explains the main distinctions.
What Are the Biggest Flat Racing Festivals?
The British Flat season contains major festivals from spring through to autumn.
The principal meetings include:
- Guineas Festival
- Chester May Festival
- Dante Festival
- Derby Festival
- Royal Ascot
- July Festival
- Glorious Goodwood
- Ebor Festival
- St Leger Festival
- British Champions Day
Each serves a different purpose.
The Guineas and Derby meetings revolve around the Classics.
Royal Ascot brings together elite horses across multiple distances and age groups.
Goodwood and York dominate the late summer.
The St Leger completes the British Classic programme, while Champions Day brings the leading divisions together at Ascot in October.
The Five British Classics
Five races hold Classic status in British Flat racing.
They are:
- 2,000 Guineas
- 1,000 Guineas
- The Oaks
- The Derby
- St Leger
The Guineas races take place at Newmarket.
The Oaks and Derby are staged at Epsom.
The St Leger is run at Doncaster.
All five are restricted to three-year-olds, with the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks specifically for fillies.
The increasing distances across the season mean the same horse is not necessarily suited to every Classic.
Which Horse Racing Festival Should You Visit?
The right festival depends on the type of racing and raceday experience you want.
For elite Jump racing: Cheltenham provides four days of championship-level National Hunt racing.
For a famous single race: Aintree’s Grand National meeting centres around Britain’s best-known steeplechase.
For top-level Flat racing across five days: Royal Ascot offers the widest variety.
For the Derby: Epsom is unique because of the race and the unusual course.
For summer racing: Goodwood combines Group racing with one of Britain’s most distinctive racecourse settings.
For high-quality late-summer racing: York’s Ebor Festival covers middle-distance racing, fillies and mares, sprinting and a major handicap.
For racing history: Doncaster’s St Leger Festival stages Britain’s oldest Classic.
Do not assume the biggest festival is automatically the best choice for every racegoer.
Someone attending racing for the first time may prefer a quieter day at a major course before tackling the crowds at Cheltenham, Aintree or Royal Ascot.
Our first-time racegoer guide explains what to expect before attending.
Planning a Trip to a Racing Festival
Major racing festivals need more preparation than an ordinary weekday meeting.
Tickets for popular days can sell well in advance.
Hotels close to the course can also become significantly more expensive during major meetings.
Before travelling, check:
- Confirmed Festival Dates
- Ticket And Enclosure
- Dress Code
- Racecourse Opening Time
- First And Last Race
- Train Times
- Parking Arrangements
- Return Transport
- Accommodation
- Weather Forecast
- Accessibility Requirements
Our guide to planning a day at the races covers the practical side of attending a meeting.
For visitors building an overnight trip around racing, our racecourse weekend breaks page provides further ideas.
Getting to Major Racing Festivals by Train
Rail travel can be one of the simplest ways to reach a major festival, but the final part of the journey varies considerably by racecourse.
Ascot has a station close to the course.
York station is in the city centre, with onward travel required to the Knavesmire.
Cheltenham Spa is not next to Cheltenham Racecourse, so racegoers need to plan the onward journey.
Epsom has several nearby stations, while Newmarket has its own rail connection but can require more planning depending on the starting point.
Festival days also create much heavier demand than ordinary fixtures.
Check the final train home before travelling.
Our guide to UK racecourses accessible by train can help when comparing venues.
What Should You Wear to a Horse Racing Festival?
Dress codes differ between racecourses and enclosures.
Royal Ascot has some of the best-known formal dress requirements in British racing, particularly within its more formal enclosures.
Other festivals are considerably more relaxed.
Never assume that a dress code applying to one enclosure applies to the entire racecourse.
Check the official conditions attached to your ticket.
Weather also matters.
A smart outfit that works at Royal Ascot in June may be completely unsuitable for Cheltenham in March or Kempton on Boxing Day.
Horse Racing Festival Betting
Major festivals generate much larger betting markets than ordinary racing days.
This creates advantages and disadvantages.
More attention can produce deeper markets and extensive price comparison.
It also creates a huge volume of tips, promotions and opinions.
The basic principles should remain unchanged.
Analyse the race first.
Consider the available odds second.
Then decide whether a bet represents value.
Do not increase stakes simply because the race is part of a major festival.
Our horse racing betting odds guide explains how prices translate into implied probabilities.
Using Several Bookmakers During Festivals
Major meetings often produce differences in price, each-way places and promotional terms.
A horse might be 8/1 with one bookmaker and 10/1 with another.
The underlying horse has exactly the same chance of winning, but the potential return is different.
This is one reason regular racing bettors compare several operators rather than placing every bet through one account.
Our guide to using multiple bookmakers for horse racing explains the principle, while our horse racing betting sites comparison looks specifically at bookmakers from a racing perspective.
Each-Way Betting at Racing Festivals
Large festival handicaps frequently attract each-way betting.
Examples include the Grand National, Royal Hunt Cup, Wokingham and Ebor.
The headline number of places should not be considered alone.
Compare:
- Win Price
- Place Fraction
- Number Of Places
- Number Of Runners
- Non-Runners
- Total Stake
A bookmaker offering more places can quote a shorter win price.
Our each-way betting tips page explains how the two parts of an each-way bet work.
Watching Horse Racing Festivals on TV
Most of Britain’s biggest festivals receive extensive television coverage.
ITV Racing covers many of the leading British meetings on free-to-air television, while dedicated racing broadcasters provide wider daily coverage.
The exact channel can depend on the race and day.
Our ITV Racing guide explains its current coverage, while our live horse racing streaming page looks at the wider viewing options.
Finding Racecards for Festivals
Racecards become increasingly useful once declarations are confirmed.
A racecard allows you to compare the runners, weights, jockeys, trainers, draw, form and other basic information.
Festival races still require context.
A string of finishing positions does not explain the strength of the opposition, race pace, going or whether the horse was suited by the course.
Use our today’s racecards when the meeting is taking place and our tomorrow’s racecards once the following day’s cards are available.
Our guide to reading horse racing form provides a deeper explanation of how to assess the runners.
UK Flat Racing Festivals
Britain’s major Flat festivals run primarily from May through October.
The season begins earlier, but the Guineas Festival at Newmarket is where the Classic programme starts.
The Derby Festival follows in June before Royal Ascot brings five consecutive days of top-level racing.
Newmarket, Goodwood and York dominate much of the high-summer programme.
Doncaster’s St Leger Festival then stages the final Classic before Newmarket and Ascot host major autumn championship races.
Flat racing also continues outside these headline meetings.
Our UK racecourses section covers courses across England, Scotland and Wales rather than only the major festival venues.
Irish Horse Racing Festivals
Ireland has a major festival programme of its own.
Important meetings include:
- Dublin Racing Festival
- Punchestown Festival
- Irish Guineas Festival
- Irish Derby Festival
- Galway Festival
- Irish Champions Festival
The balance between Flat and Jump racing makes Ireland particularly important to British racing followers.
Irish-trained horses compete extensively at Cheltenham, Aintree, Newmarket, Epsom, Royal Ascot and other British meetings.
The reverse also occurs, particularly during the Irish Flat season.
Our Irish horse racing fixtures and Irish racecourses pages provide the wider calendar and course information.
Horse Racing Festivals FAQs
What are the biggest horse racing festivals in the UK?
The biggest British meetings include the Cheltenham Festival, Grand National Festival, Derby Festival, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, Ebor Festival and St Leger Festival. British Champions Day is a single-day championship meeting rather than a multi-day festival.
When was the Cheltenham Festival in 2026?
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival took place from Tuesday 10 March to Friday 13 March.
When was the Grand National Festival in 2026?
The Grand National Festival at Aintree ran from Thursday 9 April to Saturday 11 April 2026.
When was Royal Ascot 2026?
Royal Ascot took place from Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June 2026.
When was Glorious Goodwood 2026?
The Qatar Goodwood Festival ran from Tuesday 28 July to Saturday 1 August 2026.
When was the Ebor Festival 2026?
York’s Ebor Festival took place from Wednesday 19 August to Saturday 22 August 2026.
When was the St Leger Festival 2026?
The St Leger Festival at Doncaster ran from Thursday 10 September to Sunday 13 September 2026.
When is British Champions Day 2026?
British Champions Day takes place at Ascot on Saturday 17 October 2026.
What is the biggest Jump racing festival?
The Cheltenham Festival is Britain’s principal four-day championship meeting for National Hunt racing. It contains the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup among its major races.
What is the biggest Flat racing festival?
Royal Ascot is one of Britain’s principal Flat racing festivals and contains five days of Group races, handicaps and international competition across a wide range of distances.
Which festival has the Grand National?
The Grand National is staged on the final day of the three-day Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
Which festival has the Derby?
The Derby is the headline race on the Saturday of the two-day Derby Festival at Epsom Downs.
Which festival has the St Leger?
The St Leger Festival takes place at Doncaster Racecourse and contains the St Leger, the oldest of Britain’s five Classics.
Which festival has the Ebor Handicap?
The Ebor Handicap is run on the Saturday of York’s four-day Ebor Festival.
Is British Champions Day a festival?
British Champions Day is a major championship raceday rather than a multi-day festival. It takes place at Ascot in October and brings together leading horses from several Flat racing divisions.
What are the five British Classic races?
The five Classics are the 2,000 Guineas, 1,000 Guineas, Oaks, Derby and St Leger.
Are there horse racing festivals in Ireland?
Yes. Major Irish meetings include the Dublin Racing Festival, Punchestown Festival, Irish Guineas Festival, Irish Derby Festival, Galway Festival and Irish Champions Festival.
Are all racing festivals televised?
The largest British festivals receive extensive television coverage, but individual races and days can appear on different channels. Check the current broadcast schedule before the meeting.
Where can I find every UK racing fixture?
Our 2026 horse racing fixtures page lists the wider British fixture calendar rather than only the major festivals.
Summary
The British and Irish racing calendar provides major festivals throughout the year.
Jump racing dominates the early months, with the Dublin Racing Festival, Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown forming the main spring sequence.
The focus then switches towards the Flat.
Newmarket stages the first Classics at the Guineas Festival before Chester and York provide major Derby and Oaks trials. Epsom stages the Derby Festival in June, followed by five days of Royal Ascot.
The summer continues through Newmarket, Goodwood, Galway and York before the St Leger Festival at Doncaster brings the British Classic programme to a close.
Newmarket’s Future Champions Festival and British Champions Day at Ascot then provide two of the major autumn Flat meetings.
For every meeting rather than only the headline festivals, use the full 2026 UK horse racing fixtures calendar and our British racecourses directory.
