Picnic Enclosure at Pontefract

Who it suits

• Visitors who want the lowest adult admission price and are happy with a relaxed outdoor area.
• Families attending a Sunday meeting, when the course often lays on rides, bouncy castles or other children’s activities.
• Racegoers bringing a picnic, or people who want the option of driving directly into the Picnic car park with a separate ticket.

Ticket prices

2026 prices per adult; advance prices shown are the April-onwards stage. Earlier booking stages were lower. Accompanied under-18s are free. Admission for a car with up to four adults is a separate Cars to Course ticket.

Check availability on the official site

Where your ticket takes you

• The Picnic Enclosure grass area, Pavilion cafe and its terrace.
• The Picnic enclosure’s bar, servery, toilets and Tote betting facilities.
• Children’s activities advertised for Family Sundays, subject to the event programme.
• A Grandstand & Paddock or Premier ticket also gives admission to Picnic; Picnic-only tickets do not include the other enclosures.

Not included

• The Parade Ring and Pre-Parade Ring, which are listed in the Premier and Grandstand & Paddock facilities.
• A car in the Picnic car park, which requires a separately priced Cars to Course ticket.
• Covered stand seating or the Main Stand’s Premier-only dining facilities.

The view

This is a ground-level, grassy enclosure, popular with people who want to picnic and with car-borne visitors who have bought the parking add-on. The Pavilion cafe has a terrace and viewing area; the facilities page also describes people parking by the rails. It offers a different, informal perspective from the terraced stands, rather than Parade Ring access. Grass means the surface may be soft after rain, so footwear matters more here than in the stands.

Food and drink

You may bring your own picnic into this enclosure. The Pavilion has the main permanent cafe facilities, with mobile outlets also varying between meetings.

Facilities

Dress code

There is no formal dress code for Picnic. Choose clothes for an outdoor day and shoes suitable for grass, which can be uneven or muddy after wet weather. A blanket or compact folding seat can make a long afternoon more comfortable, but the venue does not promise a reserved place. Keep clear of paths and the betting areas when setting out food.

Getting in

Use the Picnic Enclosure point shown on the official map (what3words: formless.performs.weeded). For admission on foot, buy a Picnic turnstile ticket. If you want to take a car into the enclosure, purchase Cars to Course separately; the car ticket admits up to four adults and guarantees a space when booked, not a particular pitch. Gates typically open at noon on weekday afternoons, 11.30am on Sundays and 4.30pm evenings, but each fixture listing gives its own times. The course FAQ does not publish a general bag-size rule.

Accessibility

The racecourse says there is step-free access to each enclosure, an accessible toilet and a viewing ramp in every area. The Picnic facilities page describes a large grass expanse, so the surface may be harder to manage after rain; it does not publish a route-surface specification. Free personal-assistant tickets must be booked after the visitor has bought a valid ticket, online or on 01977 781307, with the evidence required by the racecourse policy. Assistance dogs are allowed throughout; other dogs are restricted to Picnic and must be kept on a lead.

Full accessibility guide for Pontefract

Children and families

Accompanied under-18s are free in Picnic and every other enclosure. Family Sundays have included children’s rides and bouncy castles in Picnic, and the £30 2026 Family Ticket for two adults and their children in Grandstand & Paddock also gave access to the Picnic entertainment (but not car parking in the enclosure). Children still need to be accompanied by an adult with a valid admission ticket.

Tips

• For a standard midweek meeting from April, the 2026 adult advance admission was £7.50, rising to £8 at the gate.
• A Picnic-only ticket does not include the Parade Ring; choose Grandstand & Paddock if that matters to your group.
• Bring food if you like, but leave glass bottles at home. The course allows a small amount of picnic alcohol with a limit of four cans or half a bottle of wine per person.
• If driving into Picnic, buy the separate car ticket early: spaces are limited and Sunday spaces can fill well before the first race.
• Keep dogs on a lead and carry a layer or waterproof shoes for the open grass.

Questions people ask