Royal Ascot: The Complete Guide
Five days of racing, a royal procession every afternoon, four enclosures and a written dress code: how to approach a week that rewards early preparation.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 5 min read
Royal Ascot is the flat racing meeting held every June at Ascot Racecourse, in Berkshire, some fifty minutes from London. The 2027 edition runs from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June: five days, seven races each afternoon, opened every day at 2pm by the Royal Procession, the Royal Family's carriage procession in landaus. The racecourse has four enclosures — the Royal Enclosure, reserved for its Members and their guests, the Queen Anne Enclosure, the Village Enclosure and the Windsor Enclosure — each with its own dress code. It sells its own tickets, hospitality restaurants and private boxes. Everything else — accommodation, travel, attire — is composed around it, and booked early.
What is Royal Ascot?
The story begins in 1711. Out riding, Queen Anne noticed a stretch of heath near Windsor Castle that looked ideal for horses "galloping at full stretch", in the words the racecourse records; the first race was run there on 11 August that same year. In 1807 the first Gold Cup was run, today the oldest race still contested at Ascot. In 1825, George IV drove up the course in an open carriage: this was the first Royal Procession.
Royal Ascot is today a five-day flat racing meeting, held in June on Crown land, on the edge of Windsor Great Park. It brings two worlds together: the sport, with top-class racing on turf, and a social tradition, with its enclosures, its dress code and the presence of the Royal Family.
How a day unfolds
Every day follows the same rhythm, published by the racecourse. The gates open in the late morning; guests have lunch and settle in. At 2pm, the Royal Procession makes its way up the Straight Mile in horse-drawn landaus. Seven races then follow, from 2.30pm to around 6.10pm. After the last race, the Royal Enclosure and the Queen Anne Enclosure gather around the Bandstand to sing along with the military band.
The timings below are those published for the current edition; the 2027 race order will be published as the meeting approaches, and we confirm them before your stay.
| Time | Moment | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 10.30am | Gates open | All enclosures |
| 2pm | Royal Procession, along the Straight Mile | Visible from the course, from the Windsor Enclosure to the Royal Enclosure |
| 2.30pm – 6.10pm | Seven races | All enclosures |
| After the last race | Singing around the Bandstand; music in the other enclosures | Royal and Queen Anne Enclosures; Village and Windsor |
| 8pm – 9pm | End of the day; after-party until 9pm in the Village | All enclosures |
The five days of 2027
From Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June 2027. Each day has its own character: Tuesday opens the meeting; Thursday is Gold Cup day, also known by custom as Ladies' Day; the Village Enclosure opens only on the last three days, Thursday to Saturday.
For a first visit, one day is enough to understand the place; two let you see the meeting from two angles — one day in the Queen Anne Enclosure, another in a private box or in the Village. Many of our clients turn the week into a stay, between the Berkshire countryside and London.
Enclosures, hospitality and the Royal Enclosure
Three enclosures can be bought from the racecourse: the Queen Anne Enclosure, with the Parade Ring, the Grandstand and singing around the Bandstand; the Village Enclosure, in the centre of the course; the Windsor Enclosure, along the Straight Mile. The racecourse also sells hospitality restaurants and private boxes, in the Queen Anne Enclosure, the Village or the Royal Enclosure.
The Royal Enclosure, for its part, is reserved for its Members and their guests. Membership requires sponsorship by two Members and the approval of His Majesty's Representative at Ascot: we can neither obtain it nor work around it. Some of the racecourse's hospitality packages do, however, include Royal Enclosure admission for the day. Our guide How to Attend Royal Ascot? sets out each route.
Preparing your stay: attire, accommodation, arrival, budget
Attire first: the dress code is a written set of rules, different for each enclosure, and checked at the entrance. Our guide What Is the Royal Ascot Dress Code? covers it point by point.
Accommodation next: a country house in Berkshire or Surrey, a hotel in or around Windsor, a suite in London. Arrival last: the train from Waterloo, a chauffeur, a helicopter to the helipad near the racecourse, a jet to Farnborough. Our guides Where to Stay for Royal Ascot? and How to Get to Royal Ascot? compare each option.
The budget is composed item by item — enclosure or hospitality, number of days, private box and guests, accommodation, travel, attire — and is set on quotation. We explain what makes it vary rather than publish a rate card.
Key points
Royal Ascot runs from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June 2027, at Ascot Racecourse; procession at 2pm, seven races a day. Three enclosures can be bought from the racecourse; the Royal Enclosure is reserved for its Members, with one defined exception through some hospitality packages. TGZ Conciergerie, an independent house with no affiliation to Ascot Racecourse or the Royal Family, and no official status whatsoever, composes the complete stay — enclosure or hospitality sourced on request, accommodation, travel, attire — on quotation, availability and conditions confirmed before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
From Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June 2027, at Ascot Racecourse, in Berkshire, according to the calendar published by the racecourse.
At 2pm, on every day of the meeting. The line of landaus makes its way up the Straight Mile in front of the enclosures; the tradition dates back to 1825.
Seven, from 2.30pm to around 6.10pm according to the timings published for the current edition. The 2027 race order will be published as the meeting approaches.
Tuesday opens the meeting; Thursday is Gold Cup day, the oldest race still run at Ascot. If you have the Village Enclosure in mind, only Thursday, Friday and Saturday are possible.
The rules vary by enclosure. In the Royal Enclosure, under-10s are not admitted and juniors aged 10 to 17 may attend only with their parents, from Thursday to Saturday. The other enclosures have their own rules, set out by the racecourse: we check them for your party.
Early: 2027 hospitality packages are already open for booking, and addresses close to the racecourse go from the winter for the June week. A quotation can be prepared at any time, subject to availability on the day.
No. TGZ Conciergerie is an independent house, with no affiliation to Ascot Racecourse or the Royal Family, and no official status whatsoever. We compose stays and source tickets and hospitality on request, never reselling a ticket.
Take it further
Your week at Ascot is prepared now
Tell us how you would like to experience Royal Ascot — in an enclosure, at a table, in a private box — and we compose the complete stay: accommodation, arrival, chauffeur, attire, tickets and hospitality sourced on request. One point of contact, a quotation item by item.