The July Festival is the big event of the summer at Newmarket Racecourses and it is nearly here!
It all kicks off this Thursday 13th July at the Adnams July Course and features some amazing entertainment in the form of live music, kids’ entertainment, a classic car festival, and the Style Awards giving away a record £33,000 worth of prizes!
On top of all this there is, of course, some top class racing for you to enjoy in the form of the Princess of Wales’s Stakes, Falmouth Stakes and the feature Group 1 race, The July Cup.
Below we have outlined what not to miss across the three day July Festival so that you can make the most of this fantastic event.
Thursday 13th July
The racing kicks off on Thursday with the oldest horserace under rules in history, The Town Plate. This historic race was first run in 1666, organised by King Charles II and is still run on the very same course to this day.
Don’t miss this fantastic amateur race that is so important to the history of the sport.
The Style Awards for Best Dressed Lady will be taking place on Thursday with special guest judge, Christian Cowan helping to decide who the lucky winner will be.
Christian is a top fashion designer who has dressed the likes of Naomi Campbell, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, to name a few! There is a huge selection of prizes up for grabs including a holiday to Dubai and a bespoke ladies hat worth £500 from Rosie Olivia Millinery.
In keeping with the style theme on Ladies Day at the July Festival, fashion expert, TV presenter and DJ, Gok Wan will be playing a DJ set at the official after party, Après Racing, where you can dance the night away to some of the biggest hits.
When it comes to racing, don’t miss the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes which is open to horses aged three years and older and is run over 1 mile and 4 furlongs. Make sure you’re there to find out who can break Big Orange’s two race winning streak.
Friday 14th July
This year, racegoers will be able to explore a different kind of horse power with a fantastic Classic Car Festival. Admire some of the most amazing and beautiful classic British marques right on trackside so that you won’t miss a moment of the racing action!
Day two of the Style Awards celebrates the Best Dressed Gentleman where the most dapper entrant will win a whole host of fantastic prizes, including a made-to-measure suit worth £1,000 and two tickets to a Champions League fixture of your choice worth £900.
The Group-1 Falmouth Stakes, as ever, promises some fantastic racing from some of the greatest jockeys and trainers. The Duchess of Cambridge Stakes will also be taking place which has produced several 1,000 Guineas winners.
Gentleman’s Day at the July Festival will be rounded off with a DJ set from ex-Girls Aloud star, Sarah Harding, who will be pumping out some of the best tunes around so you can party on into the evening.
More info on Gentleman’s Day here
Saturday 14th July
Saturday is the day all you racing fans have been waiting for with the Darley July Cup taking centre stage. This is one of the most valuable and prestigious sprint races in the world and promises to be as thrilling as ever!
Day three of the Style Awards celebrates the Best Dressed Couple and will reward the most stylish pair with a huge collection of prizes for him and her, including a bespoke ladies hat worth £500, a made-to-measure suit worth £1000, a Jaguar F-Type for the weekend and a Summer Indulgence Spa Break at the Bedford Lodge Hotel.
The third day of the July Festival will be full of family fun, with all kids under 18 going free and loads of great entertainment in the family enclosure, including Rowley’s Kids Club, inflatables, face painting, craft activities – not to mention the brand new absolutely amazing playground where the kids can run riot!
Brilliant covers band The Guilty Pleasures will be playing a huge selection of hits live into the evening so that you can party the night way in style and celebrate the closing of another fantastic July Festival.
More info on the July Cup Day here
If you are looking to make this year’s July Festival one to remember, then you need to book a spot on our Race Day Tour. This amazing experience takes you to visit the legendary gallops, the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art, then on to the July Course where you will get a behind the scenes tour – and even get taken into the Parade Ring before a race!
To find out more information about how you can take advantage of this fantastic activity, click here.
20/01/2025
See the Snowdrops in Full Bloom at Chippenham Park
Small, but perfectly formed, snowdrops are a joy to behold on a winter walk through the Cambridgeshire countryside.
14/01/2025
Winter Walking in Newmarket – The Three Churches Walk
January is here and Christmas seems but a distant memory, so now’s the time to banish those blues and get out and about in the fresh air to explore.
17/12/2024
Champion Sprinter elect Bradsell to retire to the National Stud
Three-time Group 1 winner Bradsell will retire to the National Stud following his tilt at the Breeder’s Cup Turf Sprint (Group 1) at Del Mar.
26/11/2024
6 Places to Eat this Festive Season
From snug pubs to fancy restaurants, Newmarket boasts an eclectic range of eateries that are a must try this festive season.
24/10/2024
Lonely Planet features East Anglia as must visit place in the world 2025
Lonely Planet, the renowned travel guide book publisher, has chosen East Anglia as one of their top 30 must-visit places in the world to see in 2025 – and the only one in the UK!
17/10/2024
Dine out on sausages all week with our Sausage Safari!
In celebration of Newmarket’s annual Sausage Festival on Saturday 2nd November, some of our wonderful cafes and restaurants will be serving specially created sausage dishes on their menus during the preceding week (26th October to 3rd November).
14/10/2024
Our Annual Sausage Festival Returns this November!
From royalty to the hard-working groom, sizzling Newmarket Sausages are every race-goer’s favourite, and to mark the long-tradition of this award-winning street food, the annual Newmarket Sausage Festival returns for its third year running on Saturday 2nd November.
19/09/2024
Newmarket gets ready for an action-packed Henry Cecil Open Weekend
Visit Newmarket on Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September
The Henry Cecil Open Weekend will take place on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September, giving visitors the rare chance to see behind the scenes at British horseracing’s HQ and visit some of the country’s best known training yards.
