Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-08-23
Royal Ascot 2027
Royal Ascot is the five-day Group 1 flat festival at Ascot Racecourse each June — the most prestigious flat-racing meeting in the world and a fixture in the British social calendar since 1711. Thirty-five races across Tuesday to Saturday, eight of them Group 1, with the Gold Cup, King's Stand, Queen Anne, Diamond Jubilee, Prince of Wales's, St James's Palace, Coronation and Commonwealth Cup all crammed into the week.
The 2027 Royal Meeting runs from Tuesday 15 June 2027. Daily racecards, going updates and the Royal Procession arrival times are published the morning of each day — this page updates automatically as each day's detail is confirmed.
Royal Ascot is many things at once: the championship meeting for milers, sprinters, stayers, two-year-olds and fillies all on the same card; the one racing fixture that attracts a genuinely global audience (over 60 countries broadcast); and the one British meeting where the Royal Procession still arrives by carriage each afternoon. ITV carries the full five days live and free-to-air in the UK.
At a glance
- Course: Ascot (right-handed, flat, 1m 6f round plus straight mile course)
- Dates: 5 days (Tuesday–Saturday)
- Races: 35 across the week, 8 Group 1
- Prize fund: £10m+ across the meeting
- Broadcast: ITV1 (UK free-to-air) + Racing TV (full card)
- First run: 1711 (Queen Anne's foundation meeting)
Read on for the 2027 day-by-day schedule, the festival's signature races, how to watch, and a full raceday guide including the four enclosures, dress codes and the Royal Procession.
Where to Bet
Place your bets with a trusted, licensed bookmaker.
Promo code BETFRED50. New customers only. Register, deposit with a Debit Card, and place a first bet of £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports, to be settled within 7 days, to get £30 in Sports Free Bets and £20 in Bet Builder Free Bets within 24 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
Promo code R30. New UK customers only, 18+. Register, deposit £10 or more, then place a £10 single cash bet at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on any sports market (excluding Virtuals). Once the qualifying bet settles you get £30 in Free Bets (3 x £10) — the qualifying bet can win or lose. Free Bets are valid on any sports market excluding Virtuals, expire in 7 days, are non-withdrawable and must be used in full. Excluded deposit methods apply (including PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill and NETELLER). Named bets such as Lucky 15 do not qualify. If you cash out the qualifying bet, or it is voided, you are no longer eligible for the offer. Ends 31.12.26. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
Promo code BET40GET20. New UK customers, 18+. Register with the code and place a first bet of £40 or more at Evens (2.0) or greater. Receive 2 × £10 free bets: the first credited automatically once the qualifying bet settles, the second 24 hours later. Free bets must be placed at minimum odds of 4/1 (5.0), expire 24 hours after credit, and the free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Debit card deposits only. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
50% of your first-day net losses refunded as a free bet, capped at £25. New UK customers aged 18+ only. To qualify, deposit and place a first bet of £10 or more on any sport at minimum odds of evens (2.00), then place at least two further bets on different events, each worth at least 50% of your largest bet, all at evens (2.00) or greater. Losses are counted from your first settled bet until 23:59 the same day. Place a qualifying £10+ bet and you are guaranteed at least a £5 free bet. Bets placed at SP, void bets, cashed-out bets and bets struck with free bets do not count towards the offer. The free bet is credited the day after your qualifying bets settle and must be used within 7 days, after which it expires. It can be used at odds from 1/4 (1.25) up to 250/1 on singles and straight accumulators, but not on Trixie, Patent or Yankee style multiples. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. One offer per person, household, address, IP address and device. E-wallet deposits may not qualify, so check the cashier before depositing. Customers registered with GAMSTOP cannot claim. KYC identity verification must be completed before the free bet is credited. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New customers, 18+. Choose the sports bonus at sign-up, make a first deposit and receive a 100% bonus up to £50 in your Sports Bonus balance. To convert the bonus to cash, wager it 10x within 30 days. Single bets below Evens (2.00) do not qualify; accumulators do not qualify if any selection is below 1/2 (1.50). Virtual Sports, voided, cancelled, drawn, cashed-out and free-bet wagers do not count towards wagering. Only the first settled bet per event counts. Withdrawing before the wagering requirement is met forfeits the bonus balance including bonus winnings. Real-money funds are used before bonus funds. Deposits via Skrill or Neteller are not eligible. Not valid in conjunction with other promotions. Odds, bet and payment limits apply. 10bet general and promotion T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
New customers in Great Britain and Republic of Ireland, 18+. Place a £10 fixed-odds qualifying bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50) — single or each-way (only the win part counts), pre-event or in-play, not cashed out early, within 28 days of opening the account. Receive £60 in bonuses credited over three days: 3 × £10 fixed-odds free bets (the first on settlement, then 24 and 48 hours later) plus 3 × £5 Total Goals FOOTBALL spread bets, 3 × £5 racing Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet (the spread bets need a full spread-betting account). Free-bet stakes not returned with winnings; free bets valid 28 days from issue. IMPORTANT: the £5 credits are SPREAD bets — sports spread betting carries the risk that losses can exceed your stake. Sports spread-betting customers do not have Financial Ombudsman or FSCS recourse. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
Promo code WELCOME15, entered under My Bonuses after registering. New UK customers, 18+. Place a first qualifying bet of at least £10 from your cash balance at odds of evens (2.0) or greater within 7 days of opening the account. Once the qualifying bet fully settles you receive £15 in free bets, credited as 3 x £5 tokens with set uses: one £5 accumulator free bet (minimum 4 legs, each leg at 2/5 or bigger), one £5 sports free bet (any market at evens or bigger) and one £5 Sub Cover free bet (selected football player markets at evens or bigger). Free-bet stakes are not returned with winnings. Free bets expire 7 days after they are credited. Void, cashed-out and partially cashed-out bets do not qualify. One offer per customer. Confirm the current terms on BetGoodwin's own welcome-offer page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New UK customers, 18+. Minimum deposit £10. Place a £10 qualifying single at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50), settled within 14 days. Receive £30 in free bets (stake not returned), split £20 for sportsbook use (2 x £10) and £10 for Bet Builder only (2 x £5); Bet Builder does not cover horse racing. Free bets must be accepted within 7 days and expire 7 days after acceptance. No promo code required. Best Odds Guaranteed on UK & Irish racing, subject to having staked over £25 in the previous seven days. Operated by LiveScore Betting and Gaming (Gibraltar) Ltd, UKGC 56859. Confirm the current terms on LiveScore Bet's own promotions page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
18+. BeGambleAware.org
2027 Festival schedule
2027 Festival schedule
Royal Ascot runs across five consecutive afternoons, Tuesday to Saturday, with seven races per day and the first off typically at 2:30pm.
Tuesday — Opening Day
- Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1, 1m) — open mile championship for older horses
- King's Stand Stakes (Group 1, 5f) — minimum-trip sprint championship
- St James's Palace Stakes (Group 1, 1m) — 3-year-old colts' mile
Wednesday — Prince of Wales's Day
- Prince of Wales's Stakes (Group 1, 1m 2f) — middle-distance championship for older horses
- Queen's Vase (Group 2, 1m 6f) — stayers' trial for 3-year-olds
Thursday — Gold Cup Day (Ladies' Day)
- Gold Cup (Group 1, 2m 4f) — the stayers' championship of the flat season
- Norfolk Stakes (Group 2, 5f) — 2-year-old sprint
Friday — Coronation Stakes
- Coronation Stakes (Group 1, 1m) — 3-year-old fillies' mile championship
- Commonwealth Cup (Group 1, 6f) — 3-year-old sprint championship
Saturday — Diamond Jubilee Day
- Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1, 6f) — sprint championship for older horses
- Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2, 1m 4f) — staying prep for the King George
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Festival start | Tuesday 15 June 2027 |
| First race off time | TBA |
| Going | TBA |
| Typical daily field size | TBA per race (7 races) |
The Royal Procession
Each afternoon at 2:00pm the Royal Procession enters the course — horse-drawn carriages carrying members of the Royal Family and their guests. It's the defining ritual of Royal Ascot and worth being in position on the rails for.
History and signature races
History and signature races
Royal Ascot was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, who chose the site of Ascot Heath — then open common land — for "horses to gallop at full stretch." The first meeting was held on 11 August 1711 and the course has hosted Royal Meeting almost every year since (with gaps only for the world wars and the 1838 rebuild).
The Gold Cup, run on Ladies' Day Thursday, is the oldest of the Group 1s — first run in 1807. It remains the championship race for stayers on the flat, contested over 2 miles 4 furlongs — nearly twice as far as any other flat Group 1.
The signature races
Queen Anne Stakes — opens the meeting on Tuesday at 2:30pm. Named after the founder. One-mile championship for older horses; Frankel's 2012 demolition job (won by 11 lengths) is the benchmark.
Gold Cup — Thursday's centrepiece. Yeats (2006-2009) won it four consecutive times — the most successful Gold Cup horse in history. Stradivarius (2018-2020) matched three in a row.
Diamond Jubilee Stakes — closes the meeting on Saturday. Named in 2012 to mark Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. 6-furlong sprint championship for older horses; global field regularly includes Japanese, Australian and US runners.
Commonwealth Cup (introduced 2015) — Friday's showpiece. 3-year-old sprint championship, 6 furlongs. Created to fill a gap in the sprint program between 2YO races and the open-age Diamond Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth II
The late Queen attended every Royal Meeting from 1946 to 2022 bar two, making her the longest-serving regular attendee in the history of the meeting. She owned and bred numerous winners at Royal Ascot — most famously Estimate (2013 Gold Cup) — and was widely regarded as the most knowledgeable owner-breeder in attendance.
The global pull
Royal Ascot's Group 1s attract a genuinely international field. Japanese runners (Deep Impact's progeny) have featured heavily since 2006. American raiders target the turf races. Australian sprinters have featured in the King's Stand (Choisir 2003, Takeover Target 2006) and the Diamond Jubilee (Black Caviar 2012).
Recent champions
This section updates after each year's meeting — see /racing-news/ for the most recent race result articles.
TV coverage and how to watch
TV coverage and how to watch
The 2027 Royal Meeting is live on ITV1 (free-to-air in the UK) across all five days, with Racing TV carrying extended coverage of the full week including dedicated parade-ring cameras.
For the complete day-by-day ITV schedule, exact off-times for all 35 races, and every streaming option (including Racing TV, international broadcasters and replay links), see our dedicated Royal Ascot 2026 TV Guide; the 2027 guide follows once ITV confirms its schedule.
Raceday at Royal Ascot
Raceday at Royal Ascot
Getting there
Ascot Racecourse is at Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7JX — 25 miles west of central London, 6 miles south of Windsor. The nearest station is Ascot (South Western Railway from London Waterloo, ~50 minutes, then a 7-minute walk to the course).
Drivers: Junction 3 of the M3 then A332, or Junction 6 of the M4 then A330. Multiple on-course car parks (Queen Anne, Carriages, No. 1) — Carriages is the traditional carriage-and-picnic option with space for full set-ups. Book car park in advance for Royal Ascot days.
The enclosures
Four tickets for Royal Ascot:
- Royal Enclosure — by invitation only (apply through the Royal Enclosure Office). Access to the Royal Enclosure Gardens, parade ring, and the best grandstand views. Morning dress required for men; day dress / hat for women.
- Queen Anne Enclosure — the main public enclosure with excellent rails position and paddock access. Smart day-dress code: suit + tie for men; dress + hat for women.
- Village Enclosure — introduced 2017 as a more relaxed, mid-course option with live music and street food.
- Windsor Enclosure — budget option on the far side of the course with big-screen viewing. No dress code; family-friendly.
Royal Enclosure applications open in November each year. Queen Anne and Village tickets typically sell out by April. Windsor stays available closer to race-week.
On the day
- Gates open around 10:30am.
- Royal Procession enters at 2:00pm through the Golden Gates on the Old Mile — plan to be in position on the rails by 1:45pm for the best view.
- First race is 2:30pm every day.
- Seven races per afternoon, finishing around 5:35pm.
Dress code
Royal Enclosure: Men — black or grey morning dress, top hat, waistcoat. Women — formal day-dress below the knee, hat (base diameter 10cm+). No strapless dresses, off-shoulder, or short hemlines.
Queen Anne Enclosure: Men — suit + tie, collared shirt. Women — day-dress, hat or fascinator. Significantly enforced — the dress code is a defining Royal Ascot feature, not a polite suggestion.
Village: smart-casual, hats optional but common.
Windsor: no formal dress code.
Food and drink
Royal Ascot is known for its hospitality. Options range from On Five (Michelin-star tier) to the Carriages picnic parks. Mid-price: Royal Enclosure restaurants + the Furlong Club buffet. Budget: Windsor food-court + Village street-food traders.
Betting
Tote facilities and on-course bookmakers across all enclosures. ATMs on-site but significant queues on Ladies' Day — bring cash. Our Royal Ascot betting offers page compares welcome offers and each-way terms across the major firms, and our bookmaker comparison guide covers app-based alternatives for betting from the stand. Royal Ascot is the biggest flat-betting week of the British year.
Sources & verification
Race details, dates, prize money and trends in this piece were cross-checked against:
[Source: cross-referenced as of the lastUpdated date in this article's meta.yaml.]
Share this article
Research the field with the AI Race Predictor
Our model publishes calibrated win-probability estimates for UK races — a second opinion to understand a race, not tips. It's open about its record: it doesn't beat the market, and we show exactly how it does.
Betting offers for Royal Ascot
Work it out & learn the basics
Gamble Responsibly
Gambling should be entertaining and not seen as a way to make money. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help and support is available.