Horse Racing Events Ireland 2026 — Best Festivals Guide

The Horse Racing Events in Ireland 2026 season features a premier lineup of Flat and National Hunt (Jumps) fixtures spanning from January through December. Highlighting key dates across iconic venues such as The Curragh, Leopardstown, Punchestown, and Fairyhouse, this calendar provides a month-by-month guide to Ireland's most anticipated racing festivals and classic showpieces.

📅: April 4th - April 6th 2026

📍 : Fairyhouse Road, Ballybin, Ratoath, County Meath

Runners on Parade for the Boylesports Irish Grand National during day two of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival at Firehouse Racecourse, Ratoath - 22nd April 2019. Source: PA Images.

The Fairyhouse Easter Festival is very much set in stone, while some race meetings are moved around yearly. Since 1870, the Irish Grand National has been run at the Meath venue on Easter Monday. Featuring legendary winners like Arkle (who famously won carrying 12 stone in 1964), Flyingbolt, Tied Cottage, Brown Lad, and Desert Orchid, it is one of the most iconic jump races in the world and Ireland's richest National Hunt prize.

Run over three miles, five furlongs, and 24 testing fences, it is a race that always provides drama, thrills, and spills, with the winner needing both supreme stamina and a degree of luck. Traditionally attracting a huge holiday crowd from Dublin, Easter Monday is an event of vibrant fashion, hospitality, and family entertainment. Meanwhile, Easter Sunday’s WillowWarm Gold Cup Day offers high-grade Grade 1 novice chasing for a slightly quieter crowd.

From a punting perspective, the main event is notoriously tricky to predict. With massive fields and long distances, it can be a bit of a lottery, highlighted by recent long-shot winners Lord Lariat (40/1) in 2022 and Freewheelin Dylan (150/1) in 2021. Targeting proven stayers carrying lighter weights often yields great each-way value against heavily backed favorites. Ticket and general information can be found on Fairyhouse’s official website and social media channels.

But for those looking for a quieter day at the races, Boylesports Gold Cup Day is still full of high-quality action. Ticket and general information can be found on Fairyhouse Racecourse's website and social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube. 

Read our betting guide to the Irish Grand National here. 

📅: June 26th - June 28th 2026 

📍: Curragh Racecourse, Newbridge, County Kildare 

Foxy Forever was ridden by Colm O'Donoghue (bottom centre) on the way to winning the Tote Rockingham Handicap during day three of the Irish Derby Festival at the Curragh Racecourse, Co. Kildare, Ireland - 28th June 205. Source: PA Images. 

The Curragh Irish Derby Festival is the crown jewel of Irish Flat racing. First run in 1866, the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby stands as Ireland's most prestigious Classic. Run over a mile and a half, it carries immense international weight, frequently acting as the ultimate rematch for horses that contested the Epsom Derby weeks earlier.

As one of Europe’s premier three-year-old Classics, the race regularly draws elite international competition from top British, French, and global yards looking to challenge Ireland's dominant stables. Set against the backdrop of world-class, recently renovated grandstand facilities, the three-day fixture doubles as one of Ireland's premier summer social events, filled with luxury hospitality and high fashion.

For punters, the Irish Derby heavily favours class and pedigree, with market leaders and Epsom contenders boasting a phenomenal record on the track. However, the supporting card features fierce handicaps like the Rockingham, where high-drawn sprinters and course specialists offer excellent betting value.

The racecourse has undergone significant renovations recently, which have guaranteed racegoers access to world-class facilities.  Ticket and general information can be found on the Curragh's website and social media channels, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Read our betting guide for the Irish Derby here. 

📅: December 26th - December 29th 2026

📍: Leopardstown Racecourse, Foxrock, Dublin 18

During the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, Irish sports fans have for generations been heading out to Foxrock on St. Stephen's Day as a non-negotiable holiday tradition. Running across four days from December 26th to 29th, this cornerstone of the jump racing calendar features seven Grade 1 contests, headlined by the Savills Chase and the Christmas Hurdle.

Beyond the top-tier sporting action, the festival is a massive annual social gathering that draws festive crowds looking to shake off the holiday slump. The enclosures buzz with winter fashion competitions, packed marquee bars, and high-stakes betting against the bookies.

Bettingwise, testing winter ground is standard at Leopardstown in late December. Look out for battle-hardened stayers with proven soft-ground form in the Savills Chase, and pay close attention to Willie Mullins' unexposed maiden hurdlers, who traditionally dominate the opening races across all four days.

Ticket details and general info can be found on Leopardstown's website and social media channels, including Facebook, YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.