FAQs

Tickets are always available online. They can be bought online before and during each fixture and even on the day of racing itself.

Yes! Advance tickets give you an average of £5 off the gate price. We have an early bird option which is available up to 30 days in advance which will save the most money, these increase for three days before the fixture when they go up to full price. So it’s definitely best to book as early as you can.

Yes! Tickets are available online on the day of racing. There is also an option to turn up and buy a ticket on the gate via card payment only.

All tickets, including ones for restaurant and hospitality bookings, will be sent via email about two weeks before the fixture you are due to attend. If tickets are booked within two weeks of the fixture, these will be emailed immediately. Sometimes these can land in your junk folder so please check before getting in touch.

No, we can scan e-tickets off mobile devices, both from mobile phones and tablets. If you prefer to print them off and bring them along in paper format this is not a problem either.

We don’t offer refunds or transfers on tickets or any other online purchases unless the fixture is abandoned or cancelled. Please see our terms and conditions of entry for full details.

We have a variety of tickets available to suit all budgets and requirements. Our packages vary between race days so please visit the event page for the race day you are interested in for information and pricing.

We welcome children and families. Up to three children aged 17 and under go free to the races at Chelmsford when accompanied by a paying adult (some exclusions apply for Festival fixtures and Live After Racing events). Simply select a child ticket when making your booking and this will not be charged.

Yes, as long as there is space available, tickets can be upgraded to another enclosure on the day. Please visit the racecourse office if you wish to transfer and pay the difference for this enclosure if applicable.

What a great gift to be given! Gift vouchers can easily be redeemed online:

• Look at the fixtures at Bath Racecourse and choose when you'd like to visit.
• For tickets:
  • Select the ticket you'd like to buy and add this to your basket
  • At the checkout, enter the Gift Voucher code for full or part payment in the 'Add Gift Voucher Code' field
• For restaurants and hospitality packages:
  • Call the racecourse on 01225 424609 with your gift voucher number to hand.
• Any balance left will be credited to your account to use at a future event
• Your ticket(s) will be emailed to you

Rewards4Racing is the ultimate rewards programme for racegoers. It offers many fantastic opportunities to enjoy unforgettable racing experiences for less. Sign up for Rewards4Racing via its website and then you can collect points when shopping online with over 4,000 retail partners which add up for race day discounts. Points can also be collected on sports bets with four betting partners - bet365, Betfair, Betfred and Coral. If you don't have an account with one of these betting partners already, simply sign up via the Rewards4Racing website and deposit today to collect an extra £20 worth of points.

Seniors aged 60+ and students get £5 off tickets at Bath Racecourse. This discount is applied against the on the day ticket price and is only available on Grandstand tickets. Tickets must be purchased on the gate where proof may be requested. A driving licence, passport or bus pass is needed for seniors and a valid student ID card is required for students.

We also offer discounts for Blue Light Card holders. There is 50% off mid-week racing and 20% off all weekend and bank holiday fixtures at all 16 ARC racecourses throughout the UK.

If you have a voucher from third-parties, they must be redeemed at least two weeks before the fixture you wish to attend.

Yes! Groups of 10 or more will get an extra £5 discount during the week and £3 discount on weekends on entry tickets when booked online in one transaction. This discount is automatically applied at the checkout.

Always check the Chelmsford Racecourse website for the most up-to-date timings. Race times are subject to change, but typically, gates open two hours before the first race. For special events, feature and festival fixtures, gates may open earlier.

Races will take place at different times and can also change last minute, so please check your specific fixture.

Typically, the racecourse, along with bars and food outlets, will close shortly after the last race. For Live After Racing nights or themed racenights with music after racing, the live act will perform for an hour to 90 minutes after the last race and the racecourse will close shortly after the performance.

We have lots of information on our dress code page, click here. At Chelmsford Racecourse, most people tend to dress up a bit and go for a smart casual outfit at regular fixtures. Sportswear, ripped jeans and offensive fancy dress are not allowed. For events such as Ladies Day racegoers tend to put their best clothes on. Some of our premier ticket options, hospitality and restaurant packages have more formal dress codes in place.

We have plenty of detail about how to get to the racecourse by car, air, train and bus on our Get Here page.

Yes, absolutely, we welcome coach groups to the racecourse if you are travelling with a bigger group or on an outing organised by a third party. We have allocated coach parking, which is clearly signposted and stewards on the day can help. We also offer a free ticket to the event for the coach driver.

Yes, car parking at Chelmsford Racecourse is free and plentiful. Cars can be left in the car park overnight, but please let the parking stewards know on your arrival and be aware that this is at your own risk. Our car park is next to a golf course, but the stewards will direct you away from any flying golf balls the next day. Please be aware that no caravans can be left overnight.

You’ll always be able to grab a drink and bite to eat when you come racing at Chelmsford Racecourse. Different bars and food outlets will be available depending on how busy the fixture is likely to be. We offer a wide variety of options including pizza, loaded fries and sandwiches

Yes, feel free to bring a picnics for family fun days and Easter Racedays. You can’t bring in your own alcohol though. Please bring picnic blankets, but chairs are not allowed and will need to be left at the entrance or in your car.

No alcohol can be brought into the racecourse. We have plenty of bars across the whole site, which sell a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at all events.

Barbecues are not allowed to be used at Chelmsford Racecourse.

We do all we can to ensure our visitors enjoy their day. This includes making our venue an easily accessible place and adding in extra features to make guests comfortable wherever possible. Click here for more information.

Personal assistants have free admission to Chelmsford Racecourse when they attend with a paying guest who has accessibility needs.

There is a number of ways that Personal Assistant tickets can be claimed. They need to bring proof of the guest’s accessible needs on the day of racing e.g. Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance (AA) or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP). Personal Assistant Tickets will be available to collect from the entrance on arrival. Please note you must provide supporting documentation.

Please Contact Us at least 24 hours in advance with your name and details of the fixture you wish to attend to arrange these tickets. Subject to availability.

Yes – bookmakers will still accept cash and some will also accept debit cards. There are no cash machines on the racecourse so please ensure you bring what you want to spend with you.

Betting at the horse racing is a time-honoured tradition. If you wish to have a go, we have a number of places across our site where you can place a bet – either with britbet, which is a pool betting option (where winners share a percentage of the overall pot) or with one of the many bookmakers.

Find out more about betting at the racecourse. 

No, we don’t have cash machines on site at Chelmsford Racecourse. All catering and bars accept debit or credit card payments only. Britbet accepts both cash and debit card payments with cashback available. Bookmakers accept cash payment and some may also accept debit card payments, but not credit cards.

All bars and food outlets are cashless and take card and contactless payments only. However the bookmakers and britbet will still accept cash payments.

We have limited seating available at Chelmsford Racecourse and the majority of this is outside. Tickets can be booked with a reserved seat included and our restaurant and hospitality packages have seating.

No, we don’t allow chairs at the racecourse during weekend fixtures, unless for medical reasons. For all other fixtures, we take a pragmatic approach and allow chairs into the racecourse when crowd size allows. This is always at the discretion of the safety officer on the day so you might need to leave a chair in the car or outside the racecourse if you do bring one along.

We have allocated smoking rings across the racecourse, which are clearly signposted, or ask a friendly member of the team for directions. Smoking and vaping is not permitted in the grandstands.

Chelmsford area has a wide variety of options for where to stay. We have more information on our where to stay page, visit the local tourist website or one of the many accommodation booking websites for options and availability.

The amount of rainfall affects the ‘Going’. The going is the condition of the racing surface and how ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ the ground is. Different horses perform better on different ground conditions and the going reports are essential for a horse’s trainer and owner in deciding when and where a horse should run.

We always have the health and safety as our top priority. Our dedicated team keep a close eye on the race course to check its condition. If they decide that the racing surface is not suitable for racing due to waterlogging, freezing or being too hard after a heat wave then the fixture will be abandoned. This might also happen if we have extreme weather conditions that make the racecourse unsafe. If we do have to abandon a fixture then customers will be notified and the information will be available immediately on our website – there is no need to call.

Full or partial refunds will be automatically provided according to our refund policy, available on our terms and conditions of entry.

No dogs are allowed in the racecourse other than Guide Dogs of the Blind and other Assistance Dogs. Please leave your dogs at home as we don’t allow dogs to be left in cars either due to animal welfare.

We encourage everyone who comes to Chelmsford Racecourse to take photos to remember their great time with us. We do ask that no flash photography can take place near the horses for their welfare and safety.

All photographs taken by guests must be for personal non-commercial use only. During live music and entertainment, the artists' management retain all image rights. Professional photographers need press accreditation and prior written consent to take pictures at Chelmsford Racecourse. Anyone who appears to be impeding or contravening these rights will be asked to leave the premises.

We have professional filming and photography at the racecourse for various publications and broadcast outlets and all race goers (including families) consent to being filmed, photographed and otherwise recorded by the Racecourse or any authorised third-party when they are on site.

By entering Chelmsford Racecourse, you accept our terms and conditions of entry, which authorised by the Racecourse the right to broadcast, publish, licence and use any photographs, film, recordings or images of you without payment or other compensation in any promotional literature produced by Arena Racing Company. Full copies of our Terms & Conditions are available here.