2Oct 2026
Centenary Raceday (floodlit)
Floodlit Flat racing on the all-weather.
Tickets
Meetings and tickets for 2026/27
Newcastle races most weeks. Here are its highlight and themed racedays for the rest of 2026; see the racecourse site for every fixture.
Newcastle fixturesSeason 2026/27
16Oct 2026
Floodlit Racenight
A Friday night under the lights.
27Oct 2026
Bark in the Park
Bring your dog to the races.
6Nov 2026
Fireworks and Funfair Racenight
Racing, a funfair and fireworks.
28Nov 2026
Fighting Fifth Hurdle Day
The Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle, the first top-level hurdle of the jumps season and the first leg of the Triple Crown of Hurdling. It’s run over two miles and half a furlong with nine hurdles, and was worth £115,000 in 2025. Its winners include Constitution Hill, Epatante, Buveur d’Air and Sir Gino; in 2021 it produced the race’s first dead heat, between Epatante and the outsider Not So Sleepy.
Booking online in advance is cheaper than the gate: in 2025 early-bird Fighting Fifth tickets were £15.50 for the Grandstand and £22.50 for the Premier Enclosure. The big summer meeting is the Northumberland Plate Festival in late June, built around the Northumberland Plate, the famous staying handicap known locally as the Pitmen’s Derby; in 2025 Plate Day was followed by an Abba Revival concert. Ladies Day 2027 tickets are already on sale at over 30% off.
Top-class jumps
Fighting Fifth Hurdle Day in November.
A night out
A Friday floodlit racenight.
Bringing children
The Fireworks and Funfair Racenight on 6 November.
The big summer meeting
The Northumberland Plate Festival in June.
Which enclosure should you choose?
Newcastle has three public enclosures: the Grandstand Picnic Enclosure, the Grandstand & Paddock and the Premier Enclosure. Seating in all of them is unreserved, so book a hospitality package such as the track-facing restaurant or a private box if you want a guaranteed table.
Families
Grandstand Picnic Enclosure
A relaxed, family-friendly area with plenty of lawn space for casual viewing. It’s the cheapest way in and the most laid-back place to watch, especially with children, who go free at most racedays.
Main
Grandstand & Paddock
The main grandstand, the Silver Ring Bar, the Parade Ring and views of the finishing straight, with bars, food and betting. Seating is limited and unreserved. No dress code, though removing shirts isn’t allowed.
Premium
Premier Enclosure
Colonel Porter’s Grandstand, private lawns and access to every public area of the racecourse, with its own bars, food and betting. Smart attire is preferred, with no sportswear or trainers.
Compare every enclosure side by side: prices, views, bars and food, dress codes and entrances.
Dress code at Newcastle Racecourse
Newcastle’s dress arrangements depend on the meeting and the area booked. Premier and hospitality use a smart-casual code, allowing smart trainers and unripped denim but excluding sportswear, football shirts and fancy dress. Grandstand has no formal code and permits non-offensive fancy dress. When only one enclosure is open, the course does not impose a dress code. Children have no dress requirement in either enclosure or hospitality. Always check the forecast because meetings involve substantial time outdoors.
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 Newcastle
Gosforth Park is on the northern edge of Newcastle.
By bus
Every 10–15 minutes, stopping just outside the Racecourse Road entrance.
Metro and shuttle
The nearest Metro stations are about two miles away. A free shuttle runs from both on selected feature days; timings are published on the racecourse’s social media and in pre-arrival emails.
By train and taxi
Expect to pay about £15–£20.
By car
From the A1 and A19. Parking is free, on grass.
By air
Helicopters can land by arrangement.
Parking at Newcastle Racecourse
Newcastle provides free on-site parking for raceday and event visitors. Accessible parking is close to the admission entrance, while owners, trainers and jockeys have their own dedicated area opposite the main entrance. Coaches are directed to allocated parking on arrival. Both East and West gates can be used, but on selected feature days the course separates hospitality and racing participants from other visitors between the gates. Follow the fixture instructions and staff directions for your particular booking.
Official parking advice — checked 14 October 2026.
Coming by train?
Book trains to Newcastle.
Hotels near Newcastle Racecourse
Stay right beside the racecourse in Gosforth Park, or in Newcastle city centre, about 15 minutes away.
Northumberland Plate weekend
The hotels in Gosforth Park fill up for the Plate in June and the Fighting Fifth in November. Book early.
Gosforth Park
Walk to the racecourse.
- Grand Hotel Gosforth Park, formerly the Marriott: a four-star hotel with a spa, sauna and hot tub and 232 rooms in the park, about 10 minutes’ walk from the course
- Travelodge Newcastle Gosforth, a budget option about 0.7 miles from the racecourse, close to the A1
North of the city
A short drive away.
- Premier Inn Newcastle Gosforth/Cramlington, about 10 minutes’ drive from the course
Newcastle city centre
About 15 minutes by taxi, or the 43/44 bus from Haymarket.
- The Quayside, hotels by the Tyne bridges
- Around Haymarket, handy for the 43 and 44 buses to the course
- Gosforth High Street, pubs and restaurants between the city and the course
Find a hotel
Compare hotels in Newcastle.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Evenings in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle’s racenights and concert days make an evening of it at the course, and there are pubs in the park itself.
- In the park
The Border Minstrel
A traditional pub in the grounds of Gosforth Park, a short walk from the racecourse.
- Nearby
The Falcons Nest
A Vintage Inn pub restaurant about 0.7 miles from the course.
- After racing
Racenights and concerts
Floodlit Friday racenights and summer racedays with live music after racing.
- December
Christmas at the races
Newcastle races through December and hosts Christmas parties at the racecourse, so a festive raceday can roll straight into the party.
- A night out
The Quayside and Gosforth
Bars and restaurants on Gosforth High Street and along the Quayside in the city.
Things to do while you are here
Make a weekend of it in Newcastle and Northumberland.
The Quayside
The Tyne bridges, including the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, with bars and restaurants along the river.
Baltic and the Discovery Museum
The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the Discovery Museum and the Centre for Life, all in or by the city centre.
Hadrian’s Wall
Roman forts such as Housesteads and Vindolanda, about an hour’s drive west.
The Northumberland coast
Bamburgh Castle, Holy Island and long sandy beaches, about an hour’s drive north.
Golf
Gosforth, Parklands and Northumberland golf clubs are all within a few minutes of the course.
On the day
Times vary by raceday. Here are last year’s Fighting Fifth times as a guide.
10:20Gates opened for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in 2024; first race 11.50am, last race 3.20pm (seven races).
FreeParking on site, on grass, subject to availability.
Under 18Free with an adult, except at some festival fixtures and Live After Racing events.
Source: Newcastle Racecourse: Fighting Fifth Hurdle 2024 and FAQs, checked 4 October 2026.
Dress code
Premier: smart attire preferred, with no sportswear or trainers. Grandstand & Paddock: no dress code, though removing shirts isn’t allowed.
Tickets
Book online in advance: the racecourse no longer offers ticket collection on the day, except for carers’ tickets.
Seating
Seating in the public enclosures is unreserved; book hospitality if you want a guaranteed table.
Eating
The grandstands have bars and food outlets. For a sit-down meal, book the track-facing restaurant or a private suite overlooking the course; tell the racecourse about any dietary needs in advance.
Traffic
Allow extra time to arrive and leave on big racedays.
Taxis
Book your taxi home in advance on busy days.
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
Newcastle is very welcoming to families, with under-18s free at most racedays.
Under-18s free
Children aged 17 and under go free with an adult, except at some festival fixtures and Live After Racing events.
Family Fun Days and Bark in the Park
The racecourse hosts several Family Fun Days each year, and Bark in the Park on 27 October 2026, when you can bring your dog.
Grandstand Picnic Enclosure
A relaxed lawn area that suits families.
Help on the day and afterwards
In an emergency
Call 999 and give the address, Newcastle Racecourse, High Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5HP. Then tell a member of staff.
Racecourse contact
Email info@newcastle-racecourse.co.uk, including for dietary requirements before a hospitality booking.
After your visit
Official results are on the BHA results page.
A little history
- 1882Racing moves to High Gosforth Park, with the first Northumberland Plate run there.
- 1969The Fighting Fifth Hurdle is first run, named after the nickname of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. Comedy of Errors and Birds Nest each won it three times in the 1970s.
- 2016The all-weather track, with Britain’s only all-weather straight mile, opens.
- 2025The Fighting Fifth meeting draws its biggest crowd since 2007, 6,436 people, as reigning Champion Hurdler Golden Ace wins after Constitution Hill falls.
More Newcastle 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 Newcastle 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.