4Nov 2026
November jumps racing
Midweek jumps racing.
9–11Oct 2026
DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival
Three days that open the jumps season in style and celebrate Welsh racing.
- Fri
- Sat
- Sun
Meetings and tickets for 2026/27
Chepstow’s remaining 2026 racedays, from the three-day Welsh Racing Festival to the Welsh Grand National.
Chepstow fixturesSeason 2026/27
Tickets
20Nov 2026
November jumps racing
Friday jumps racing.
5Dec 2026
December jumps racing
Saturday jumps racing in the run-up to Christmas.
28Dec 2026
Coral Welsh Grand National
The £170,000 Welsh Grand National, first run at Chepstow in 1949, now on Bank Holiday Monday as part of a new four-day Christmas racing schedule. Gates about 10am, first race about noon.
If you had tickets for 27 December, the racecourse is contacting all bookers about the new date. Booking direct with the racecourse, online or by phone, has no fulfilment fee. Children aged 17 and under go free with a paying adult (exclusions for some festival fixtures). Chepstow’s FAQ says children’s tickets are issued at the gate on the day, though some big racedays list under-18 tickets on the booking page, so check your raceday.
The big one
The Coral Welsh Grand National on Monday 28 December, Wales’s greatest jumps race, with gates opening at 10am. Book early: it’s the busiest day of the year.
A weekend of racing
The three-day DragonBet Welsh Racing Festival, 9–11 October 2026, the start of Chepstow’s jumps season.
A quieter visit
Midweek jumps racing in November, with smaller crowds than the big festival days.
A festive break
The Welsh Grand National with a hotel package and transfers, combined with a night in Chepstow or the Wye Valley.
Families
Any one-enclosure raceday, with children free and pushchairs welcome.
Which enclosure should you choose?
Most Chepstow fixtures are one-enclosure days. On bigger days there are two: the Premier Enclosure and the Grandstand & Paddock, each with its own entrance. Hospitality packages add a reserved table and meal.
Main
Grandstand & Paddock
A viewing grandstand with views of the track and Parade Ring, plus bars, food outlets and betting. Relaxed dress code; non-offensive fancy dress is welcome.
Premium
Premier Enclosure
Superb views from the Premier Grandstand and full access to every public area. Smart casual: smart jeans and tailored shorts are fine, but no ripped jeans.
Hospitality
Packages
Packages with Premier entry, a three-course meal and a reserved table for the day, and Welsh Grand National packages with a hotel stay and transfers.
Compare every enclosure side by side: prices, views, bars and food, dress codes and entrances.
Dress code at Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow recommends smart-casual clothing but places comfort first. Most meetings use a single enclosure, and visitors are asked to dress for the conditions because racing is predominantly outdoors. Comfortable footwear is particularly useful. Team shirts and inappropriate or offensive fancy dress are excluded. Those booking hospitality or a premium package should check their booking guidance as well as the general style page, since the FAQs refer to additional requirements for some of those options.
Official clothing advice — checked 14 October 2026.
What will the trip cost?
A quick estimate for your group. Where we have confirmed a ticket price it’s filled in; otherwise add the price from the racecourse’s booking page. Change any figure to match your plans.
Getting to Chepstow
Chepstow is just over the Severn from Bristol, at the southern end of the Wye Valley, and easy to reach from the M48.
By car
The course is signposted from Chepstow. From the main car park, Premier ticket holders cross at the zebra crossing to the Premier entrance; Grandstand & Paddock ticket holders use the underpass to the turnstiles.
By train
On the Gloucester–Newport line, with connections from Cardiff and Bristol.
From Bristol and Cardiff
Bristol is just across the Severn, about 30 minutes’ drive, and Cardiff about 30 miles west. Bristol Airport is about 30 miles away.
Accessible parking
Designated accessible parking is close to the main entrance.
Parking at Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow’s main visitor car park serves the various ticket and hospitality areas, with stewards directing vehicles on the day. Blue Badge holders have accessible forward parking there. Premier visitors reach their entrance across the zebra crossing from the car park; Grandstand & Paddock visitors use the underpass and turnstiles. Coaches have an allocated parking area. Check the venue accessibility guidance before travelling if you need help planning the route between your vehicle and the entrance.
Official parking advice — checked 14 October 2026.
Coming by train?
Book trains to Chepstow.
Hotels near Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow has historic inns within walking distance of the course, a golf and spa hotel next door, and the Wye Valley on the doorstep.
Welsh Grand National
Rooms in Chepstow fill up for the Welsh Grand National on 28 December. Book early, or stay in Bristol or Newport.
Chepstow town
Walk to the racecourse.
- The Beaufort Hotel, a 16th-century coaching inn on Beaufort Square, five minutes’ walk from the station and within walking distance of the racecourse and the castle
- The Three Tuns, a 17th-century inn on Bridge Street, overlooking Chepstow Castle
- Castle View Hotel, on Bridge Street, by the castle
- Two Rivers, a Marston’s inn with a pub restaurant, about a mile from the town centre, on the A48
Golf, spa and the Wye Valley
A short drive away.
- Delta Hotels by Marriott St Pierre, a 14th-century manor in 400 acres of parkland, renovated in 2023, with two championship golf courses, a pool and spa
- The Royal George, Tintern, a hotel with a garden and restaurant near Tintern Abbey
- Wye Valley Hotel, Tintern, a historic building close to the abbey
The cities
For more choice.
- Bristol, just over the Severn
- Newport and Cardiff, to the west
Find a hotel
Compare hotels in Chepstow, the Wye Valley and Bristol.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Evenings in Chepstow and the Wye Valley
Chepstow’s historic town centre is close to the racecourse, with pubs by the castle and the river.
- In town
The Three Tuns
A 17th-century inn on Bridge Street, overlooking Chepstow Castle, by the old bridge over the Wye into England.
- In town
The Beaufort Hotel
Two bars and a café in a coaching inn on Beaufort Square.
- Dinner
St Pierre
The restaurants at Delta Hotels by Marriott St Pierre, a short drive away.
- In the valley
Tintern
Riverside inns near Tintern Abbey, a short drive up the Wye.
Things to do while you are here
Chepstow sits at the southern gateway to the Wye Valley.
Chepstow Castle
A great Norman castle above the River Wye, begun in the 11th century; it’s Britain’s oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification.
Tintern Abbey
The famous ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in 1131, which inspired Wordsworth and Turner; a short drive up the valley.
The Wye Valley
Walks through a National Landscape (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
Caerwent Roman Town
The remains of a Roman market town, with walls you can walk around that are among the best-preserved Roman defences in northern Europe, a few miles west.
Parva Farm Vineyard
A vineyard near Tintern, for a tasting on the way up the valley.
On the day
Gates usually open around two hours before the first race; check your raceday for the times.
10:00Gates open on Coral Welsh Grand National day (2026).
11:35Gates opened for a Welsh Racing Festival day in 2025.
Under 18Free with a paying adult (exclusions for some festival fixtures and Live After Racing events).
Source: Racing Breaks: Welsh Grand National 2026 schedule and a 2025 Welsh Racing Festival ticket listing, checked 4 October 2026.
What to wear
Most fixtures are one-enclosure days, where smart casual is suggested. The Grandstand & Paddock is relaxed; the Premier asks for smart casual (smart jeans and a collared shirt are fine). Sports team shirts and offensive fancy dress aren’t allowed anywhere. Racing is mostly outdoors, so wear comfortable shoes.
Two entrances
Premier ticket holders use the Premier entrance opposite the zebra crossing; Grandstand & Paddock ticket holders use the underpass from the main car park to the turnstiles.
Pushchairs welcome
Pushchairs and buggies are welcome on the racecourse.
Booking fees
Booking direct with the racecourse, online or by phone, has no fulfilment fee.
Betting is optional
You don’t need to bet to enjoy the day. If you do, you must be 18 or over; set a limit before you arrive.
Families and groups
Children are very welcome at Chepstow, and under-18s go free with a paying adult.
Children free
Children aged 17 and under go free with a paying adult, with exclusions for some festival fixtures and Live After Racing events. Check how children’s tickets are issued for your raceday.
Pushchairs
Pushchairs and buggies are welcome.
Castles and the valley
Chepstow Castle and the Wye Valley make it easy to turn racing into a family weekend.
Help on the day and afterwards
In an emergency
Call 999 and give the address, Chepstow Racecourse, St Lawrence Road, Chepstow, NP16 6EH. Then tell a member of staff.
Racecourse contact
Email info@chepstow-racecourse.co.uk.
After your visit
Official results are on the BHA results page.
A little history
- 1926Chepstow Racecourse opens; it celebrates its centenary in 2026.
- 1949The Welsh Grand National moves to Chepstow.
- 1959–61David Nicholson, later a leading trainer, rides three Welsh National winners in a row.
- SinceBindaree and Silver Birch have both won the Welsh National and the Grand National at Aintree, making Chepstow’s big race a key pointer for Aintree.
- 2026The Welsh Grand National moves to 28 December, part of a new four-day Christmas racing schedule.
More Chepstow guides
Compare the enclosuresPrices, views, dress codes and entrances side by sideAccessibilityParking, viewing areas, toilets and personal assistant ticketsYour first racedayHow a day at the races worksOther racecoursesPlan a trip to another course
Prices, dates and travel details were checked on 4 October 2026. The racecourse can change prices, times and arrangements, so check your booking page before you pay. This is an independent guide, not connected to Chepstow Racecourse or Arena Racing Company. Some links may earn us a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you; this never decides what we recommend.