The fanciest horse race in the country, if not the world, is upon us: Royal Ascot 2026 runs until this Saturday 20 June, with daily races giving the opportunity to dress up and drop a load of money on the equine with the funniest name.

I went down for the first time this year and learned a few tricks from a day at the races. If you have Royal Ascot 2026 tickets, here are five things I learned.

My five takeaways from Royal Ascot 2026

The Royal Enclosure isn’t very royal

I thought my ticket to the Royal Enclosure sounded fancy – but when I got on the train from Waterloo, half the people on it also had the enclosure’s badge tacked onto their tails. Rather than some fancy exclusive area, it is just the part of the stands where the finishing line is, so the part with the best view. There are thousands of people with this access. Don’t get too excited, the actual royals are in a box that has been designed so you can’t see into it. I did hear rumours Princess Anne was there unofficially though, wandering around the Royal Enclosure, so if it’s the less mainstream royals spotting you’re after, you could get lucky.

Despite this, you can get pretty close to the actual royals

The best way to do the royal procession is to watch the carriages come along the racetrack at 2 o’clock, then to run out to the other side of the grandstands where the carriages pull up. At the Parade Ring, the royals get out and mingle with Ascot big-wigs. The crowds here are huge so you’ll be peering over three or four rows to get a glimpse, but wait around ten minutes and most tend to head back to the races. The crowd thins more quickly than you’d imagine and then you can walk down the bowl seating of the Parade Ring and get within a few metres of the King, or whoever is there that day. I managed to easily snap a picture within a hair’s distance of the big guy. 

It’s probably fairly easy to sneak in to the Royal Enclosure

At one point we walked back into the Royal Enclosure without anyone checking our jacket badges, which signified that we were allowed entry. The two stewards on that entrance were both distracted with other guests, so anyone at that moment could have technically upgraded their ticket from the nice Queen Anne enclosure to the posher Royal Enclosure. All you’d need would be a bowler hat and tails on your jacket and I reckon you’d be sailing.

Want big winnings at Royal Ascot 2026? Ask for betting tips

I was new to horse racing and had no idea who to bet for, but I asked one person, who was more than happy to share their tips with me. Most of the tips came through! I was temporarily in the money! Guests milling around on the grass by the various betting companies are the best to ask. Then the last set didn’t come through at all and I’d got wine confidence by then and put a bit more money on, which I lost. Classic. 

Wander into town afterwards

The racing ends around 630pm and then the bandstand plays live music until around 730pm, but then the train station a short walk away is a nightmare. You’ll be queuing and then standing up in the carriage, which is just a miserable way to end a very fancy day. But in town, numerous pubs have live DJs and areas – car parks, yards – fenced off for dancing. Grab dinner, listen to some (surprisingly good) DJs, and then wander onto a mostly empty train around 9pm. Wonderful stuff.