Royal Ascot is the most prestigious flat racing meeting in the world, held annually over five days at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England. In 2026, the Royal Meeting runs from Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June, featuring 36 races including eight at Group 1 level. Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, Royal Ascot combines world-class Thoroughbred racing with pageantry, fashion, and the daily Royal Procession, making it one of the defining events of the British sporting and social calendar.
What is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot is a five-day flat racing festival that brings together the finest Thoroughbreds from Britain, Ireland, France, Australia, Japan, and beyond. It is the jewel in the crown of the British flat racing season and one of the most valuable race meetings globally, with total prize money exceeding £9 million.
The meeting features a blend of championship races for the sport’s elite performers and heritage handicaps that provide thrilling large-field contests. The highlight of the week is the Gold Cup on Ladies’ Day, a two-and-a-half-mile test of stamina that is the most prestigious staying race in the world. Other marquee events include the Queen Anne Stakes, the King Charles III Stakes (formerly the King’s Stand), the St James’s Palace Stakes, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the Coronation Stakes, and the Commonwealth Cup.
Royal Ascot is as much a social occasion as a sporting one. The daily Royal Procession, in which members of the Royal Family arrive by horse-drawn carriage along the straight mile, opens proceedings each afternoon. A strict dress code applies in the Royal Enclosure, where morning suits and formal hats are required.
When is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot 2026 takes place from Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June. Racing begins in the early afternoon each day, with the Royal Procession at 2:00pm and the first race typically at 2:30pm.
The daily schedule features the following headline races:
- Tuesday 16 June (Opening Day): Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1), King Charles III Stakes (Group 1), St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1), Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
- Wednesday 17 June: Prince of Wales’s Stakes (Group 1, worth £1 million)
- Thursday 18 June (Ladies’ Day): Gold Cup (Group 1), the centrepiece of the week
- Friday 19 June: Coronation Stakes (Group 1), Commonwealth Cup (Group 1)
- Saturday 20 June: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (Group 1), Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap)
Where is Royal Ascot?
Royal Ascot is held at Ascot Racecourse, located in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, approximately six miles from Windsor Castle and 30 miles west of central London. The racecourse covers 179 acres leased from the Crown Estate.
The venue has a capacity of approximately 70,000 spectators. A major £220 million redevelopment between 2004 and 2006 transformed the course, with the new grandstand designed by Populous stretching 480 metres and accommodating 30,000 racegoers. The redevelopment temporarily relocated the 2005 Royal Meeting to York.
Ascot is accessible by train from London Waterloo to Ascot station (approximately 50 minutes), with a short walk to the course. By road, the racecourse is close to Junction 6 of the M4 motorway.
Key Contenders
Royal Ascot 2026 will attract runners from the world’s leading flat racing operations. The Gold Cup is the marquee contest: Trawlerman, trained by John and Thady Gosden, won the 2025 running in a course record time of 4m 15.02s under William Buick. The seven-year-old may attempt to defend his title if connections choose to keep him in training.
Kyprios, winner of the 2024 Gold Cup for Aidan O’Brien, was retired in May 2025 due to injury. O’Brien’s Ballydoyle operation and the Coolmore partnership will be strongly represented across the meeting, as they are every year. The Gosden stable and Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby are also perennial contenders at the highest level.
The sprint division will be fiercely contested in the King Charles III Stakes, while the classic generation will have its first major test on the international stage in the St James’s Palace Stakes and Coronation Stakes. International raiders from France, Japan, and Australia have become an increasingly prominent feature of Royal Ascot in recent years.
How to Watch Royal Ascot
United Kingdom: ITV provides extensive free-to-air coverage across ITV1 and ITV4, with all races available to stream on ITVX. Sky Sports Racing also broadcasts the full card each day.
United States: NBC and Peacock showcase Royal Ascot across their linear and digital channels. FanDuel TV also broadcasts the entire meeting.
Ireland: Virgin Media provides coverage for Irish viewers.
International: Royal Ascot is broadcast in over 180 territories through approximately 30 broadcasters. Regional coverage includes SuperSport (52 territories in sub-Saharan Africa), FanCode (India), The Green Channel and Netkeiba (Japan), Abu Dhabi Media (MENA region), and WeDo Asia (Southeast Asia). D-Smart carries coverage in Turkey.
History and Records
Ascot Racecourse was founded in 1711 when Queen Anne, riding near Windsor Castle, identified an area of open heathland ideal for racing. The first meeting took place on 11 August 1711, and racing has been held at the course ever since, making it one of the oldest racecourses in the world.
The Gold Cup, first run in 1807, is the oldest and most prestigious race at the meeting. Yeats holds the record with four consecutive victories from 2006 to 2009 for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Sagaro (1975 to 1977) and Stradivarius (2018 to 2020) are the only other horses to have won three successive Gold Cups. Lester Piggott is the most successful jockey in Gold Cup history with 11 victories.
In 2013, Estimate won the Gold Cup as a four-year-old, becoming the first horse owned by a reigning monarch to win the race, giving Queen Elizabeth II one of the most memorable moments in the meeting’s modern history. The first permanent building at Ascot was erected in 1793, accommodating 1,650 spectators, a far cry from the 70,000 who attend today.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for Royal Ascot are available through the official Ascot Racecourse website. Prices start from approximately £70 to £90 per day depending on the enclosure and day selected, with Saturday commanding the highest premium.
The meeting offers four distinct enclosures. The Royal Enclosure is accessible by invitation only, with non-members able to enter through hospitality guest day badges. The Queen Anne Enclosure provides excellent views of the racing and the Royal Procession. The Village Enclosure offers a relaxed atmosphere with live music. The Windsor Enclosure provides an accessible entry point with close views of the procession.
Hospitality packages range from The Pavilion Restaurant (from £420 plus VAT per person) and The Restaurant in the Village (from £440 plus VAT) to premium options including The Wyndham Club (from £700 plus VAT), The Sandringham (from £975 plus VAT), and The Parade Ring Restaurant (from £2,300 plus VAT). Providers including Keith Prowse, Eventmasters, and RacingBreaks offer official packages.
Demand for Royal Ascot tickets is consistently high, and capacity has been reduced across several enclosures in recent years. Early booking is strongly recommended, particularly for Ladies’ Day and Saturday.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Royal Ascot start?
Royal Ascot 2026 runs from Tuesday 16 June to Saturday 20 June, with the Royal Procession at 2:00pm and the first race at approximately 2:30pm each day.
Where is Royal Ascot held?
Royal Ascot takes place at Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7JX, approximately six miles from Windsor Castle and 30 miles west of London.
How can I watch Royal Ascot?
In the UK, ITV broadcasts the meeting free-to-air, with streaming on ITVX. In the US, NBC, Peacock, and FanDuel TV carry coverage. The event is broadcast in over 180 territories worldwide.
Who won the Royal Ascot Gold Cup last year?
Trawlerman, trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by William Buick, won the 2025 Gold Cup in a course record time of 4m 15.02s.
What is the dress code for Royal Ascot?
The Royal Enclosure requires formal morning dress for men and hats or substantial fascinators for women. Other enclosures have a smart dress code, with specific guidelines published on the Ascot Racecourse website each year.