Ascot Picnic Policy

Picnics at Ascot Racedays (All Racedays Excluding Royal Ascot)

Picnics at Ascot Racedays (other than the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup)

Customers are welcome to bring a picnic as long as it is brought to the racecourse in a picnic hamper or cool bag/box. The designated picnic areas are situated on the East Trackside Lawn, the Old Paddock and the external East End of the Grandstand. Occasionally some of the Plaza Lawns may be made available to customers for the use of picnicking.

Any customers who picnic in other areas of the grounds or in the Grandstand will be asked to move and, in extreme circumstances, may be asked to leave the site altogether. Picnics are not permitted in the King Edward VII or Winning Post Admission Areas or inside the Grandstand. Informal picnics are permitted into the car parks; however, formal entertaining will be stopped. We do not allow barbecues or hot food to be brought onto racecourse property; this includes all enclosures, coach and car parks.

If you are coming with a large group and your picnic and alcohol is divided among your hampers please all arrive together for searching, or split the alcohol evenly across the party. Otherwise individuals arriving with more alcohol than food will have the alcohol taken away on entry.


Alcohol

To embrace the celebratory nature of racing at Ascot, each customer (over the age of 18) is permitted to bring with them 1 bottle of sparkling wine or Champagne per-person as part of a substantial picnic, with the exception of the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup & Concert. No other type of alcoholic drink will be permitted into the racecourse grounds and all picnics will be searched on entry. There are a substantial number of bars available inside the Grandstand and surrounding lawns. For clarity, Beer, Cider, Spirits, fortified wines and bottles of Pimm’s or similar will not be allowed onto the racecourse. Closed, sealed soft drinks are permitted to be brought in with a picnic.

Furniture

Throughout the year we have a picnic blanket only policy; no other furniture is permitted onto the racecourse.
If you have a need to bring a fold away chair due to a specific medical requirement, please contact our access manager [email protected]

Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup Meeting

Some customers choose to bring a lunch and a supper picnic due to the concert after racing. This race meeting is the only time that re-admission with food and non alcoholic-drink is permitted. The area immediately in front of the stage will be designated a no-picnic/blanket zone to give space to those customers wanting to dance.

Folding chairs may be brought onto site after the last race only to be used during the concert.

Our picnic policy for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and Concert was amended, for this event only, in 2018, and will remain in place for future Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup and Concert meetings until such further notice. For all other Ascot Racedays (excluding Royal Ascot) the policy remains as stated above.

While we encourage racegoers to bring a picnic to enjoy, racegoers will no longer be allowed to bring alcohol into the venue for this raceday. With long operating hours on this raceday due to the post-racing concert, we have taken this decision as part of our Drink Responsibly initiative to help ensure an enjoyable experience for all our guests. Please also note that all racegoers must have entered the racecourse before the start of the final race.  There will be no first entry admission for anyone after the start of the final race. Closed, sealed soft drinks are permitted to be brought in with a picnic

Ascot Racecourse Ltd has a behavioural management policy and to help us in providing all of our customers with an outstanding experience; customers deemed to be intoxicated will not be permitted onto the Racecourse grounds.