UK & Irish Racing Festivals
Every major flat and jumps festival in one place. Tap a flag on the map or pick a festival below for our previews, tips, results and reviews.
Killarney July Racing Festival
Five days of summer evening racing beside the Killarney National Park: Flat cards Monday to Wednesday, jumps on Thursday and Friday, and an afternoon Ladies Day to finish. The Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes is the feature.
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All festivals (soonest first)
Killarney July Racing Festival
Five days of summer evening racing beside the Killarney National Park: Flat cards Monday to Wednesday, jumps on Thursday and Friday, and an afternoon Ladies Day to finish. The Listed Cairn Rouge Stakes is the feature.
Galway Races Summer Festival
Seven days of racing and carnival on the edge of Galway city, one of Ireland's biggest sporting and social occasions. The Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle are the midweek highlights.
Qatar Goodwood Festival
Five days on the Sussex Downs. The Sussex Stakes — the 'Mile of the Year' — features Wednesday; the Goodwood Cup and Nassau also Group 1s. Generally one of the most stylish meetings in the British calendar with summer ground and championship-class fields.
Ebor Festival, York
Four days at York's Knavesmire. The Juddmonte International, the Yorkshire Oaks and the Nunthorpe are all Group 1s; the Ebor itself is the biggest flat handicap in Europe by prize money. Often the most-bet flat festival of the late summer.
St Leger Festival
Four days at Doncaster culminating in the St Leger — the world's oldest Classic and the final leg of the British Triple Crown. Saturday's race tests stamina at 1m6f132y on the long, fair Doncaster straight.
Irish Champions Festival
The climax of the Irish Flat season: two days across two courses, with the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday and the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Sunday. Six Group 1s and over EUR5 million across the weekend.
Listowel Harvest Festival
Seven days on the Island beside the River Feale, Ireland's joint-longest race meeting and the last big festival of the Irish summer. The EUR200,000 Guinness Kerry National is the Wednesday centrepiece, and nearly 100,000 came through the gates in 2025.
British Champions Day
The biggest single day's prize money in British flat racing. Six championship races including four Group 1s — the Champion Stakes, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, the Sprint and the Fillies & Mares — closing the British Champions Series.
Leopardstown Christmas Festival
Four days from St Stephen's Day at Leopardstown, Ireland's premier Christmas jumps meeting. Seven Grade 1s across the week, headed by the Savills Chase, with four-day crowds above 60,000.
Dublin Racing Festival
Two days at Leopardstown in early February packing in eight Grade 1 races, a key staging post on the road to Cheltenham, headed by the Irish Gold Cup and the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Cheltenham Festival
Four days of championship National Hunt racing. The Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers' Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup are the four feature races, one per day. The biggest jumps festival in the calendar.
Fairyhouse Easter Festival
Three days over the Easter weekend built around the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday — a 3m5f handicap chase over twenty-four fences, Ireland's most celebrated steeplechase.
Aintree Grand National Festival
The world's most famous steeplechase. Three days at Aintree with the Aintree Hurdle (Thursday), the Melling Chase (Friday) and the Randox Grand National (Saturday) — 30 fences, 4 1/4 miles, the biggest betting race of the year by turnover.
Punchestown Festival
Five days that close the Irish jumps season, often called Ireland's answer to the Cheltenham Festival. Twelve Grade 1 races across the week, headed by the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Guineas Festival, Newmarket
The first British Classics of the season. Saturday's 2,000 Guineas (3yo colts) and Sunday's 1,000 Guineas (3yo fillies) on the Rowley Mile — the season's first Group 1s and the first decisive read on the new generation of milers and Classic types.
Chester May Festival
Three days on the Roodee — Britain's oldest and tightest track. The Boodles Chester Vase (a key Derby trial), the Cheshire Oaks (an Epsom Oaks trial), the Ormonde Stakes, the upgraded Group 2 Huxley Stakes and the famous Chester Cup Heritage Handicap.
Dante Festival, York
Three days at York including the Dante Stakes — the most important Derby trial of the season — plus the Musidora (Oaks trial), the Yorkshire Cup (Gold Cup pipeline) and the rebranded Minster Stakes (formerly Duke of York Stakes).
Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival
The weekend that opens the Irish Classic season at the Curragh: the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday, then the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Tattersalls Gold Cup on Sunday, three Group 1s in two days.
Epsom Derby Festival
The most prestigious flat race in the world. Friday's Epsom Oaks (G1, fillies) and Saturday's Betfred Derby (G1, colts) — plus the Group 1 Coronation Cup for older horses on Friday.
Royal Ascot
Five days, eight Group 1s, the largest betting festival of the British flat season. The Queen Anne Stakes opens Tuesday; the Gold Cup is the centrepiece of Ladies' Day; the Diamond Jubilee closes Saturday. Dress code, royal carriages, and serious championship racing.
Irish Derby Festival
The Curragh's showpiece weekend, headlined by the Group 1 Irish Derby over a mile and a half — the Irish counterpart to Epsom and the oldest of Ireland's five Classics, first run in 1866.