Friday 5, Saturday 6 June 2026. Epsom Downs Racecourse.
The 2026 Epsom Derby Festival has two distinct dress codes, the more formal Ladies Day on Friday and the relaxed festival-atmosphere Derby Day on Saturday. Within each day, the code varies by enclosure.
Quick summary:
Day
Enclosure
Code
Notes
Fri 5 Jun
Queen's Stand
Formal: morning suit / cocktail dress
Top hat encouraged for men; fascinator or hat for women
Fri 5 Jun
Diomed Stand
Smart formal
Lounge suit OR similar
Fri 5 Jun
Lonsdale Enclosure
Smart casual
Collar shirt, trousers, dress / smart top
Fri 5 Jun
General Admission
No specific code
Clean, neat, no torn jeans
Sat 6 Jun
Queen's Stand
Smart: jacket required for men, formal dress for women
Less formal than Friday
Sat 6 Jun
Diomed
Smart casual
Jacket optional
Sat 6 Jun
Lonsdale
Casual smart
--
Sat 6 Jun
General Admission
Festival-relaxed
Family-friendly
Friday Oaks Day is the formal Ladies Day of the Epsom Derby Festival. The Queen's Stand requires morning suit for men (or formal lounge suit) and cocktail-length dress + fascinator/hat for women. The Diomed Stand requires lounge suit / smart formal.
Saturday Derby Day is more relaxed but the Queen's Stand still requires a jacket for men + formal dress for women. The other enclosures step down progressively to smart casual (Lonsdale) and festival-relaxed (General Admission).
Key 2026 changes: The Jockey Club has confirmed that the Queen's Stand admits women in trouser suits (with formal blouse) on both days from 2025 onwards, a structural update from the historical morning-suit-and-dress requirement.
Morning suit (encouraged) OR formal lounge suit / dark business suit
Top hat strongly encouraged for the morning suit code: not strictly enforced but the social expectation is high
Smart shirt + tie / cravat
Black or brown leather formal shoes
Not permitted: jeans, polo shirts, t-shirts, trainers, shorts, novelty items
Women:
Cocktail-length dress / formal day dress (knee or below)
Fascinator OR hat (mandatory): the formal Ladies Day requirement
Closed-toe heels (open-toe acceptable; flats acceptable for accessibility)
Bag / clutch
2025 update: trouser suit with formal blouse + hat is permitted in lieu of dress
Not permitted: strapless / spaghetti-strap dresses without jacket, beachwear, denim, novelty items
Diomed Stand (smart formal)
Men: lounge suit OR jacket + formal trousers + collared shirt + tie. No jeans, no polos, no trainers.
Women: dress OR formal trouser suit. Hat / fascinator NOT mandatory but encouraged. Closed-toe footwear preferred but not required.
Lonsdale Enclosure (smart casual)
Men: collared shirt + trousers (chinos acceptable). Jacket optional. No torn jeans, no athletic wear.
Women: dress / blouse + skirt / trouser. No torn jeans, no beachwear.
General Admission (no specific code)
Both: clean, neat clothing. Smart casual recommended. No torn or distressed clothing, no novelty / political items, no large bags.
Saturday Derby Day: relaxed festival code
Derby Day is the family festival day of the Epsom Derby Festival. The dress code steps DOWN one tier from Friday across all enclosures.
Queen's Stand
Men: jacket required + collared shirt + smart trousers. Tie optional (jacket alone fine). No jeans, no trainers.
Women:formal day dress OR smart trouser suit. Hat / fascinator NOT mandatory, the formal Ladies Day rule lifts on Saturday.
Diomed Stand
Men: smart casual. Jacket optional. Collared shirt + trousers. No torn jeans, no athletic wear.
Women: dress / blouse + skirt. Hat optional. Bag / clutch acceptable.
Lonsdale + General Admission
Both enclosures, both genders:festival-relaxed dress code. Smart casual recommended. Light jeans + smart top + comfortable footwear is the day's typical Lonsdale look.
Family note: General Admission is set up as a family-friendly festival environment. Children's dress code is unspecified beyond "neat and tidy", bring a layer for evening cool.
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