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Northern Ireland’s premier racecourse, at the Maze near Lisburn, about 20 minutes from Belfast. Its autumn Festival of Racing stages the first Grade 1 chase of the Irish jumps season. Racing here is run under Horse Racing Ireland.
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Down Royal’s big meeting is the Festival of Racing. It also stages a Summer Festival in late June, with the Ulster Derby.
Two days with a total prize fund of over €425,000: the Bottlegreen Grade 3 Hurdle on Friday and the Grade 1 BetVictor Champion Chase on Saturday, won in the past by Kauto Star, Beef or Salmon and Don Cossack. Runners come from the UK, Ireland and beyond, and there’s free entertainment on both days.
General admission is usually £10–£25 depending on the day, and under-14s go free with a ticket-holding adult. Pensioners get £5 off general admission, and groups of 20 or more save £5 per person. Hospitality suite packages start from £55 + VAT. General admission can also be bought at the gate on raceday.
Champion Chase Saturday at the Festival of Racing on 31 October, Northern Ireland’s only Grade 1 race and a key early test for the season’s top staying chasers.
Stay in Belfast, take the raceday bus from College Square North, and spend the evening in the Cathedral Quarter.
The Summer Festival in late June, with the Ulster Derby and evening racing from about 4.35pm.
Under-14s go free with an adult, and parking is free and close to the turnstiles.
The Ladies Days at the June and November festivals.
Down Royal sells general admission, which covers the public areas, plus a Trackside Marquee punter pack and hospitality in the Moscow Flyer Racing Lounge and suites. General admission is also sold at the gate on the day.
£10–£25
Entry to the public areas, the grandstand, bars and betting, with free parking a five-minute walk away. Under-14s go free.
Pint and a bet
Admission with extras in the Trackside Marquee, such as a racecard and a drink, on selected racedays. A good-value way to make a day of it with friends.
From £55 + VAT
Hospitality suites with dining, a two-course premium hospitality option, and the Moscow Flyer Racing Lounge, named after the great Irish chaser. Tickets are posted at least two weeks before the meeting.
Full guide to Hospitality and the Moscow Flyer Racing Lounge
Compare every enclosure side by side: prices, views, bars and food, dress codes and entrances.
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.
Down Royal is just off the A1 between Belfast and Dublin.
A return bus runs from Belfast city centre, leaving 90 minutes before the first race and coming back an hour after the last.
Lisburn is on the Belfast–Dublin line; take a taxi from there. Dublin is under two hours away by road.
Just off the A1, the main road between Belfast and Dublin: take the A1 to the Hillsborough roundabout and follow the signs. About 20–30 minutes from Belfast and under two hours from Dublin. Every car park is within five minutes’ walk of the turnstiles.
Belfast City Airport is also close.
Book trains to Lisburn.
Down Royal is about 5 km south-west of Lisburn and half an hour from Belfast, so you can stay in a country B&B, in Royal Hillsborough or in the city.
Belfast hotels are busy at weekends; book early for the Festival of Racing at the end of October.
A short drive or taxi.
The raceday bus leaves from the city centre.
For a quick getaway.
Compare hotels in Belfast and Lisburn.
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Down Royal is in the countryside, so evenings out are in Royal Hillsborough, Lisburn or Belfast.
Pubs, restaurants and live music, including the bars at the Merchant Hotel.
A pretty village with pubs and restaurants, a short drive from the course.
The city centre, a short taxi ride from the course, with pubs and restaurants close to Lisburn Cathedral and the Castle Gardens.
The return bus to Belfast leaves an hour after the last race, so you can stay for a drink first.
Make a weekend of it in Belfast and the countryside around Lisburn.
The official royal residence in Northern Ireland, where members of the royal family stay when they visit, with formal gardens open to the public, in Royal Hillsborough village a few minutes from the course.
A 17th-century artillery fort in the village, next to the forest park and its lakeside walks.
The famous museum in the Titanic Quarter, on the slipways where the Titanic was built, about half an hour from the course.
Pubs, restaurants and live music.
The Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about 90 minutes’ drive north: a good day trip the day after racing.
Gate and race times vary; check your raceday. Here are examples from 2026.
Source: Visit Lisburn Castlereagh: Down Royal Summer Festival 2026 and Down Royal: Plan your visit, checked 4 October 2026.
Smart casual; no sportswear, trainers or football shirts. The Ladies Days at the June and November festivals are the big fashion days.
Book online or by phone, or buy general admission at the gate on the day. Hospitality tickets are posted at least two weeks before the meeting.
Parking is free for everyone, and every car park is within five minutes’ walk of the turnstiles. Use BT27 5RW for satnav.
Down Royal holds about 13 fixtures a year, on the Flat and over jumps, from the May Day races to the Festival of Racing in autumn.
There are bars and food outlets for general admission, and dining and hospitality packages within the grounds to suit a range of budgets.
Down Royal races under Horse Racing Ireland, so prize money for the big races is in euros, but you pay for tickets in pounds.
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.
Down Royal is a good-value family day out, with under-14s free.
Children under 14 go free with a ticket-holding adult. If you book online, call the office to add children to your booking.
The Festival of Racing has free entertainment on both days.
Free parking within five minutes’ walk of the turnstiles makes it easy with children.
Call 999 and give the address, Down Royal Racecourse, Gravelhill Road, Lisburn, BT27 5RW. Then tell a member of staff.
Call 028 9262 1256 or email info@downroyal.com.
Down Royal races under Horse Racing Ireland, so results are on the HRI website.
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 Down Royal Racecourse. Some links may earn us a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you; this never decides what we recommend.
