FAQs

Online tickets remain open before and during each fixture and can be used to purchase tickets on the day of racing.

Yes! Online tickets remain open during each fixture and can be used to purchase tickets on the day of racing. You can also buy a ticket on the gate via card payment only. 

Yes! Book your ticket within 48 hours of the fixture to get a discount.

We offer group discounts for bookings of 10 or more, select the group package at checkout. *Only valid for certain fixtures

All tickets will be sent via email. This includes tickets for restaurant and hospitality bookings. You will receive your ticket(s) two weeks before the fixture you are due to attend. If you’ve booked your tickets within two weeks of the fixture, these will be sent immediately. Sometimes these can land in your junk folder so please check before getting in touch.

Unless at the request of the racecourse (for example carers tickets), there is no longer an on the day ticket collection option. All tickets can only be sent via email.

No, we can scan e-tickets off mobile devices (mobile phones & tablets). If you wish to print them off and bring them along in paper format this is fine.

Once purchased, refunds or transfers on tickets and any other online purchases will only be available in the case of fixture abandonment, event cancellations and not for any other reason. 
Please see our terms and conditions of entry for full details.

Space permitting, you can upgrade your ticket to another enclosure on the day. Please visit the racecourse office.

We welcome children and families. Children 17 and under go free to the races when accompanied by an adult (some exclusions apply for Festival fixtures and Live After Racing events).  

• Simply visit https://www.arenaracingcompany.co.uk/racing/horse-racing/our-racecourses/
• Select the racecourse you'd like to visit.
• Browse through the racecourse's fixtures and choose the date you'd like to attend.

For tickets:

• Select the ticket you'd like to buy and add this to your basket.
• At the checkout, enter your unique Gift Voucher code for full or part payment in the 'Add Gift Voucher Code' field.

For restaurants and hospitality packages:

• Call the racecourse on 01636814481 with your gift voucher number to hand.
• Your gift voucher can be used as full or part payment over the phone
• 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 sport’s award-winning rewards programme, presenting racegoers with fantastic opportunities to enjoy unforgettable racing experiences for less. With Rewards4Racing, you can collect points when shopping online with over 4,000 retail partners, and you can also collect points on all of your sports bets with four betting partners. If you don't have an account with bet365, Betfair, Betfred or Coral, you can sign up via the Rewards4Racing website and deposit today to collect an extra £20 worth of points. 

Seniors aged 60+ as well as students can all benefit from a £3 discount. 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.

We are delighted that emergency services, NHS, social care sector and armed forces, can apply for a free ticket to come racing via the Bluelight website. Some exclusions apply.

Customers who wish to redeem vouchers from third-parties must redeem these at least two weeks before the fixture they wish to attend.

Typically, gates open two hours to 90 minutes before the first race. For feature fixtures, gates may open earlier. 

Check the what’s on fixture page for the date you’re attending for the most up-to-date time, as race times are subject to change. 

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. 

Check the what’s on fixture page for the date you’re attending for the most up-to-date times.  

Most racegoers choose a smart casual outfit when attending the races and we discourage sportswear and ripped jeans. There are more formal dress codes in place for some of our premier ticket options as well as hospitality and restaurant packages. Please click here to view our dress code. 

You can find full details of how to get to the racecourse by car, air, train and bus on our Get Here page. Alternatively, you can find the full address on our Contact Us page.

Yes, absolutely. We welcome coach groups to the racecourse.  On arrival, coaches will be directed to our allocated coach parking.  

You’ll always be able to grab a drink and bite to eat when you come racing.  Different bars and food outlets will be available depending on how busy the fixture is likely to be. 

Picnics can be brought into the racecourse, on any raceday and can be consumed in any outside area. Alcohol, glassware and metal knives are not permitted. Any alcohol attempted to be brought onto site will be confiscated. The Racecourse provides free drinking water at all bars across the site.

Barbecues are not allowed to be used at the 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 will receive free admission to the racecourse when accompanying a paying guest with accessibility needs.   

Personal Assistant tickets can be claimed by bringing in proof of 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.

For more information on these terms and conditions please click here.

Please email info@southwell-racecourse.co.uk at least 48 hours in advance with your name and details of the fixture you wish to attend to arrange these tickets. Subject to availability.  

No – There are no cash machines on site. All catering and bars accept debit or credit card payments only. The tote, along with bookmakers do accept cash payment and some may also accept debit card payments (no credit cards).

Betting at the horse racing is a time-honoured tradition. If you wish to join in, there are a number of places across the racecourse where you can place a bet – either with the tote, which is a pool betting option (similar to the lottery) or with the on-course bookmakers. 
Find out more about betting at the racecourse. 

Download your free, digital racecard on the morning of racing here. Printed racecards will be available to pick up at the racecourse.

All bars and food outlets are cashless and will be accepting card and contactless payments only. However bookmakers and the tote will still accept cash payments. As there are no cash machines on the racecourse, please bring cash with you if this is your preferred payment method with bookmakers. 

Unless you have booked a ticket with a reserved seat included, a restaurant package or hospitality option, there is only limited seating available across the racecourse and the majority will be outside.

Chairs are allowed to be brought into the racecourse for all fixtures. 

Smoking is permitted in the allocated smoking rings across the racecourse. Smoking is not permitted in the grandstands.

Our brand-new app is coming! More details will be available shortly.

We have wheelchair viewing ramps trackside, so you never miss any of the action and also overlooking the parade ring on the other side of the Grandstand.

There are numerous places nearby that we’d recommend. Visit our ‘Where To Stay’ page or visit the local tourism website for options and availability.

For turf tracks, the amount of rainfall will impact the ‘Going’ at the racecourse. Simply put, this is the condition of the racing surface and how ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ the ground is. Different horses enjoy different ground conditions and therefore the going reports are vital for a horse’s trainer and owner in deciding when and where a horse should run.  

The health and safety of all participants and horses is our top priority. If the racing surface is deemed unraceable (this could be due to waterlogging, frozen surfaces or even too hard a surface) or extreme weather conditions are unsafe, a fixture will be abandoned. If this happens, customers will be alerted 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.  

Knives/Lethal weapons, Alcohol, Illegal Drugs, Fireworks, Glass are all forbidden at the racecourse. Our policy is not to allow metal cutlery into our racecourse, if this is brought in we will offer customers the choice of returning it to their car, or having it confiscated and disposed off. 

For more information on forbidden items, please contact the racecourse on 01636 814481

With the exception of Guide Dogs of the Blind and other Assistance Dogs, dogs are not permitted to enter the racecourse. In the interests of animal welfare, no dogs are permitted to be left in cars and we politely request that all dogs are left at home.

At all meetings we ask you to ensure that no flash photography takes place near the horses.  
Otherwise, you are welcome to take photographs for personal non-commercial use only. During live music and entertainment, the artists' management retain all image rights. Any photographer that is felt to be impeding or contravening these rights without accreditation and prior written consent will be requested to leave the premises.  
You cannot take images for commercial purposes without prior permission from the racecourse and provision of press accreditation.   

Note 
Professional filming and photography takes place here at the racecourse for various publications and broadcasting and race goers (including families) consent to being filmed, photographed and otherwise recorded by the Racecourse or any authorised third-party. By entering the 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.