A Day Out at Tramore Racecourse

Tramore Racecourse is at Graun Hill, above the town of Tramore in County Waterford, about 12km from Waterford city. It is well signposted once you are near the town, and however you arrive the last stretch takes you up onto the hilltop site above Tramore Bay.

By road

For most visitors the car is the simplest option. Tramore is roughly a fifteen-minute drive from Waterford city, and the route is well signposted, with the racecourse sitting at Graun Hill above the town. There is ample free parking on site, with stewards on hand to help direct traffic on the busier fixtures. Designated accessible spaces are provided near the main entrances.

By rail

Tramore has no railway station of its own. The nearest is Plunkett Station in Waterford, which is served by daily Irish Rail trains from Dublin Heuston. From Waterford it is about a twenty-minute taxi ride out to the course. If you would rather not take a taxi, the 360 bus runs roughly every thirty minutes from Waterford Bus Station out to Tramore.

By bus

Bus Éireann runs frequent services between Waterford city and Tramore, roughly every twenty minutes, which makes the bus a realistic way in if you are staying in the city. During the August Festival the course also runs a free shuttle bus before and after racing on the first three days, on top of the scheduled Bus Éireann services, so it is worth checking the festival details if you are visiting on one of the evening cards.

By air

The nearest airport is Waterford Airport, about 10km from the racecourse. As with any single detail here, it is worth confirming current routes, timetables and the festival shuttle arrangements with the course before you travel, as services can vary from fixture to fixture.

Tramore is a small, hilltop course, and finding your way around it is refreshingly simple. The stands, the tarmacked enclosures and the main viewing areas all sit up on Graun Hill, arranged so that the racing plays out below you with Tramore Strand and the bay as the backdrop. The parade area and the hospitality suites overlook both the track and the coastline, so wherever you settle you are rarely far from a view of the horses and the sea at the same time.

The track itself is a tight, right-handed, roughly round circuit of about seven furlongs, with a short uphill home straight of only around one furlong. Because everything is compact, the runners are never far away, and you get a real sense of the climbs and turns that make the place such a test. That is worth knowing when you choose where to stand: the finish comes quickly after the home turn, so a spot with a clear view of that short straight rewards you on every race.

The hard detail of exact stand names and a room-by-room floor plan is not something the course publishes in full, so rather than guess at it, the best move on the day is to pick up the course's own map at the entrance or check the official website before you travel. What is clear is that the whole enclosure is walkable in a few minutes, the tarmacked surfaces make it easy underfoot, and the panoramic aspect over the strand is the same wherever you plant yourself.

Tramore keeps its admission simple. Rather than the rigid multiple enclosures you find at some larger tracks, it runs a straightforward general admission that gives you the run of the tarmacked enclosures, the stands and the viewing areas up on the hill. All of the prices below are indicative and vary from fixture to fixture, so treat them as a guide and confirm the current rates with the course before you go.

General admission

General admission has been around €15 for adults and about €10 for concessions, which covers students and OAPs. Children under 16 go free when accompanied by a paying adult, which makes Tramore an easy one for a family afternoon.

Value deals

Where Tramore is genuinely good value is in its group and package deals, which are worth a look if you are coming with friends:

• The Deise Deal has been about €19.95 per person for groups of ten or more, and included admission, a racecard, a €5 drinks voucher and a €5 Tote voucher.
• The Surf & Turf deal has been around €25 per person for groups of ten or more, adding a fish-and-chips or burger meal on top of the Deise Deal elements.
• The festival Punter Pack has been about €39 for groups of five or more during the August Festival, including entry, a racecard, a €6 drinks voucher and a food voucher.

Annual and membership options

If you expect to come back, the course has offered an admission-only annual badge at around €60, and full club membership at about €100. Club membership has come with an annual club trip and roughly twenty reciprocal fixtures at other courses, which is a fair return if you are a regular racegoer in the region.

Hospitality

Corporate hospitality suites are available, with private dining areas that look out over the track and the coast. The course does not publish separate premium package price bands for the festival, so if hospitality is what you are after, contact the course directly for current packages and rates. As with all of the above, mark every figure as indicative and check it with the course, since prices move with the fixture and the season.

Tramore Racecourse occupies an 80-acre site on Graun Hill, with panoramic views over the Waterford coastline. Beyond raceday it markets itself as an event venue, hosting weddings, private parties, conferences and corporate team-building, and its hospitality suites and private dining areas make the most of the aspect over the track and the sea.

The course does not publish a single stated crowd capacity, so the most useful figure to give is its record. Its most famous crowd came on 1 January 2000, when Tramore staged the first race of the new Millennium and drew a reported crowd of over 10,000, with some accounts putting it as high as 11,000. That is a peak New Year figure rather than a routine attendance, and the course's typical footfall and any formal maximum capacity are not published.

Detail	Figure
Site area	80 acres
Record crowd	Over 10,000 (some accounts up to 11,000), 1 January 2000
Stated maximum capacity	n/a
Named function-room capacities	n/a

On the venue-hire side, Tramore offers hospitality suites and private dining with views over the track and the coastline. Named function or conference rooms, their seated and standing capacities and any floor-plan detail are not published, so if you are enquiring about a wedding, a conference or a corporate day, the practical step is to contact the course directly for room options, capacities and current rates rather than relying on a published spec.

Tramore sets out a reasonable level of accessibility across its hilltop site. According to the course's own visitor information, it offers wheelchair-friendly access to the key areas, including the tarmacked enclosures and the main public spaces, along with accessible toilet facilities. There is step-free access to many of the indoor and outdoor areas, and designated accessible parking is provided near the main entrances. Accessible viewing points are available, and racecourse staff are on hand to assist during events.

The tarmacked surfaces across the enclosures help here, since they make moving around the public areas easier than a grass-underfoot course would. Stewards assist with parking and access on busier days, and the course encourages any visitor with specific requirements to make contact in advance so arrangements can be made.

A couple of things are worth confirming directly rather than assuming. The course does not publish full detail on its carer or companion ticket policy, or on its assistance-dog policy, so if either matters to your visit it is best to phone ahead and check before you travel. The course can be reached on +353 (0)51 381425. Ringing ahead is also the surest way to reserve an accessible parking space and to confirm the step-free routes to the particular areas you plan to use on the day.

Food and drink at Tramore lean into the seaside setting, and there is enough on site to keep you going through a card without leaving the enclosures.

Food

The best-known outlet is Dooly's fish & chips, which fits the coastal spirit of the place, and there is a Surf & Turf takeaway alongside it. For a sit-down option there is a Public bistro, a bistro-style restaurant on site. The course's value deals tie into the catering too: the Surf & Turf group deal has added a fish-and-chips or burger meal to the admission package, and the festival Punter Pack has included a food voucher. As with the ticket prices, any figures here are indicative and vary by fixture, so confirm current rates and what is open on your chosen day with the course.

Bars

There are several bars, including indoor spaces with televisions, which is handy when the coastal weather turns or when you want to keep an eye on races from elsewhere. During the August Festival the O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey Festival Marquee becomes the social hub, hosting live music across the meeting.

Hospitality and entertainment

Private hospitality suites and dining areas offer panoramic views over the track and the coastline, which is the setting's real selling point. The course does not publish separate premium package prices for the festival, so contact it directly if you want to book hospitality. The festival is also where the entertainment steps up: there are bands across the meeting and a DJ in the parade ring after racing on the barbecue evening, so the August cards run on well beyond the last race.

Tramore holds eleven fixtures a year, and while an ordinary card is an easy, unhurried afternoon out, two dates stand out for building a trip around. If you want the full theatre of the place, aim for the August Festival or the New Year's Day meeting.

The four-day August Festival

The August Festival is the centrepiece of the Tramore year, four days running Thursday to Sunday. In 2026 it is scheduled for 13 to 16 August. The first three days are evening meetings and the final day is an afternoon fixture, and each day has its own flavour:

• Day 1, Thursday (Ownership Day): a National Hunt card in the evening, with live music.
• Day 2, Friday (BBQ Evening): a National Hunt card built around the feature chase, followed by live music and a DJ in the parade ring after racing.
• Day 3, Saturday (Style Evening): a Flat card with a Rated Flat Race feature and best-dressed prizes, with live music in the O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey Festival Marquee from 8pm.
• Day 4, Sunday: an afternoon National Hunt card, run as a relaxed family day.

Prize money at the festival is modest by national standards, but the mix of evening racing, live music and the seaside setting is the draw. There is no dress code except on the Style Evening, where dressing up is encouraged. The festival Punter Pack has been about €39 for groups of five or more, and under-16s go free with a paying adult.

New Year's Day

The other flagship is 1 January, headlined by the Grade 3 O'Driscoll's Irish Whiskey New Year's Day Chase over about two miles seven furlongs, the only Graded race at the course. It draws bumper New Year crowds. In 2026 the race went off at 14:25 and was won by Heart Wood.

Best days at a glance

Fixture	2026 date	What it offers
August Festival, Day 1 (Ownership Day)	Thu 13 Aug (evening)	National Hunt card, live music
August Festival, Day 2 (BBQ Evening)	Fri 14 Aug (evening)	Feature chase, DJ in the parade ring
August Festival, Day 3 (Style Evening)	Sat 15 Aug (evening)	Flat feature, best-dressed, live music
August Festival, Day 4	Sun 16 Aug (afternoon)	National Hunt family day
New Year's Day Chase	Thu 1 Jan	Grade 3 chase, bumper New Year crowd

Other dates on the calendar include an evening meeting on 7 July 2026 featuring the Tote Tramore Derby, an October fixture (SETU Students Day on 8 October) and a late-November date on 24 November. For the deeper racing background to these meetings, see the Tramore Racecourse complete guide.

Tramore is refreshingly relaxed about what you wear. The racecourse sets no dress code for ordinary racedays, so on a normal fixture you can turn up comfortable and casual and fit right in. This is a seaside course above the town, and the atmosphere matches: it is a holiday day out, not a formal occasion.

The one exception is the Style Evening, the Saturday of the August Festival. That is the day the course encourages racegoers to dress up, with best-dressed prizes awarded on the night. If you are coming for the Style Evening and want to join in, this is your cue to make an effort; on any other day it is entirely optional.

Whatever the fixture, it pays to dress for the setting. The enclosures sit up on Graun Hill above Tramore Bay, so it can be breezy and exposed, and the coastal weather can turn quickly. A layer and something to keep the wind or a shower off are sensible whatever the forecast, and comfortable footwear is worth it given you will be moving around the hilltop enclosures. Dress-up aside, comfort and a bit of weather-readiness serve you better here than anything formal.

If you cannot get to Tramore in person, the racing is easy enough to follow from home. Tramore's fixtures are broadcast on Racing TV, which has been the television home of all Irish courses since 2019. That covers the day-to-day cards as well as the flagship New Year's Day and August Festival meetings.

Race results and replays are available through the usual form services after racing, so you can catch up on any fixture you missed. If you want to check the specifics of coverage for a particular day, or how to stream a fixture, it is worth confirming the current arrangements with Racing TV before the meeting.

A first visit to Tramore is straightforward, but a few pointers help you get the most out of the day.

Get there early and take in the setting. The whole appeal of Tramore is the hilltop aspect over Tramore Bay, so leave time to walk the tarmacked enclosures and pick a viewing spot before the first race. The track is tight and the home straight is short, so a spot with a clear view of the finish rewards you on every race.

Driving is the simplest way in, and there is ample free parking on site. If you are staying in Waterford city, the Bus Éireann service runs roughly every twenty minutes, and during the August Festival a free shuttle bus runs on the first three days.

If you are coming as a group, look at the value deals rather than paying individual admission. The Deise Deal, the Surf & Turf deal and the festival Punter Pack all bundle in a racecard and vouchers, and under-16s go free with a paying adult. Prices are indicative, so confirm them with the course.

A note on betting: anything about betting here is for entertainment, not income. Over time the bookmakers' margin wins and backing favourites does not turn a profit, so set a budget you are happy to lose and stop there. One quirk worth knowing at Tramore: the Flat uses flag starts rather than starting stalls, so there is no draw. The track is tight, undulating and quirky, and the same course specialists tend to come back and win, so course form is a more meaningful pointer here than at many venues. None of that makes a bet a good investment; it just makes the racing more interesting to watch.

Tramore is a small town, but it is a proper seaside resort, so there is plenty to turn a raceday into a longer trip. It has a good spread of B&Bs, guesthouses, hostels and hotels, though it is worth booking ahead during the August Festival, when the town fills up.

Named hotels in and around the town include the Majestic Hotel, which sponsors the festival, the Tower Hotel and Restaurant, which has views over the River Suir, the seafront O'Shea's Hotel and the Sands Hotel. Room rates vary with the season and the fixture, so check current prices when you book.

For things to do beyond the racing, Tramore beach and strand are the obvious draw, along with the town's amusement park. The Waterford Greenway is nearby for walking or cycling, and the wider County Waterford coast is worth exploring. Waterford city, with its crystal heritage, is about 12km away and makes an easy add-on to a Tramore trip.