Ground, forecast and ticket sales - what to expect from Royal Ascot

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More than 290,000 people are expected to descend on Ascot this week, when temperatures could reach a tropical 29C. Ground conditions are expected to be good to firm on day one and officials will seek to maintain that description across the five days.  

Ground

Conditions were described as good to firm, good in places on Monday, but a dry forecast before racing on day one means the ground is expected to quicken on Tuesday. 

Speaking on Monday afternoon, clerk of the course Chris Stickels said: "There was a little bit of drizzle this morning, but it measured only 0.5mm. 

"I imagine tomorrow we'll probably go good to firm all over at some point during the day. There's no more watering planned before racing tomorrow, when we're expecting dry conditions."    

Forecast

Friday is looking like being the warmest day of the week, but with that comes the risk of a thundery shower. In general, the week is looking very pleasant indeed. 

"There may be the occasional shower on Wednesday, but I don't think it will amount to even 1mm," said Stickels. 

"There's the chance of an odd shower on Friday. The temperatures are set to rise towards the end of the week and that could trigger a thundery shower or two. At this stage, a high of 29C is possible on Friday, but we're expecting 20C to 26C until then."

Clerk of the course Chris Stickels: "We'll probably go good to firm all over at some point on Tuesday"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Watering

Stickels thinks it is inevitable he will have to water the track during the week, with the ambition to produce good to firm ground for the five days. 

He said: "Given the current forecast, we'll have to water at some stage to maintain the ground. We'll play it by ear each day, but the aim is to maintain good to firm ground. 

"The forecast and how much moisture we lose from the ground during each day are factors we have to consider when making those decisions." 

Ticket sales

The team at Ascot report "very strong demand" for general admission tickets across the five days. The royal enclosure and fine dining are also up year-on-year, and overall attendance is expected to be north of 290,000. 

Good weather and crowds are expected at the 2026 royal meetingCredit: Julian Herbert (Getty Images)

The village enclosure in the centre of the track has also been popular, with sales up 16 per cent, driven by 53 per cent of bookers being under the age of 35. 

Will Aitkenhead, Ascot's head of corporate and industry affairs, said: "We’re also seeing stronger loyalty from racegoers, with the retention rate up 33 per cent year-on-year, which reflects the quality of the experience people are having and their desire to return."

What's new? 

Expect to see more seats, more shaded areas and more younger racegoers in attendance. 

Aitkenhead said: "This year we have invested more than ever in improving the customer experience, with 1,789 more seats across all enclosures, and additional shade and wet weather cover, primarily through the new salacia structure in 'the village', previously featured at music festival Tomorrowland. 

"We'll have 750 children from 17 schools in a dedicated viewing and picnic area within the heath enclosure for the first two days, while this year we have worked closely with The King’s Trust in their 50th year to create opportunities for young people, around 60 of whom will be with us working during Royal Ascot."

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