Overview
- ⏱️3 daysApproximate duration
- 🏟️Medium sizedVenue capacity is 20,000
The July Festival is a 3-day extravaganza celebrating the spirit of summer horse racing. It is the most prestigious meeting to be held at Newmarket’s July Course with some of the world’s finest thoroughbreds competing for a share of the prize money.
The event’s roots lie in the July Cup, which was established in 1876. When horse race grading was introduced in the 1970s, the July Cup was initially classed as a Group 2 race. Since being upgraded to a top-tier Group 1 race in 1978, the event and festival has continued to grow around it. Ladies Day and Gentlemen’s Day (Festival Friday) - with neither excluding either gender, but instead admiring raceday fashions - add to the celebratory and style-savvy atmosphere at the course.
Today, the July Festival hosts 2 Group 1 races: the Falmouth Stakes on the Friday and the Darley July Cup – which continues to be the festival’s highlight – on the Saturday.
The Debenhams July Festival Tickets
During the July Festival, the venue is divided into several enclosures with varying dress code restrictions, access levels, and ticket price brackets. Racegoers purchase a ticket for a full day of racing with access to one of the following:
- Premier Enclosure – access to the best race views, Parade Ring and Winners’ Enclosure viewing access, and hospitality, such as the Summer House Restaurant
- Champions Lawn - a special area for the July Festival which is located in the Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure but with access to the Premier Enclosure, this offers a relaxed experience in a formal landscaped garden with a private bar, toilet facilities, and comfortable seating surrounded by the raceday atmosphere
- Grandstand & Paddock Enclosure – see the horses in the Parade Ring and then watch the race in a relaxed atmosphere from the stands without the stricter dress code of the Premier Enclosure. Grandstand & Paddock ticket holders can also see the victors in the Winners' Enclosure
- Garden Enclosure – bring your own picnic and enjoy family fun with slightly more restricted views of the racing
Subject to availability, tickets can be upgraded on the day.





