FAQs

For 2023 fixtures, we offer an extra £2 discount on tickets when 6 plus are booked online in one transaction. This discount is automatically applied at the checkout.

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

Yes! Advance ticketing options give you an average of £5 off the gate price

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. 

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 or 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). Adults should collect a child’s ticket from the ticketing office or turnstile on the day of the racing whilst accompanied by a full paying adult (max.3 children per adult.

• 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. 
• Select the ticket, restaurant or hospitality that 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. 
• Any balance left will be credited to your account to use at a future event 
• Your ticket(s) will be emailed to you  

Yes, students with valid ID receive a £5 discount. This discount is applied against the on the day ticket price and is only available on Grandstand tickets purchased on the day of racing. Valid Student ID Card required

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

Centre Course is now open for parking and tickets can be purchased online.

Typically, gates open two hours before the first race. For feature and festival 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.  

Our priority at Fontwell is making sure that you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience with us. We would remind all racegoers that race meetings at Fontwell are predominantly outdoor events, and that they are mindful of the weather when deciding what to wear’. Please click here to view our dress code guidance.

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.

The shuttle bus will be operating from Barnham Railway Station to Fontwell Park for gates opening up until the time of  the first race and will recommence from the penultimate race until 30 minutes after the last race (This service is not run on Boxing Day). There is a £4.00 charge for this service which covers the return journey.

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

For the main car park and entrance please use the car park off Fontwell Avenue, BN18 0SY, or alternatively on fixtures where the Centre course is open and with a pre-paid parking pass this is located off the A27, BN18 0SX

The main car park is free, 

You can upgrade your parking for £5 online and get closer to the racing action and park in the Centre Course. This can also be charged at £10 on the day payable by card.

For the main car park and entrance please use the car park off Fontwell Avenue, BN18 0SY, or alternatively on fixtures where the Centre course is open and with a pre-paid parking pass this is located off the A27, BN18 0SX

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. 

No alcohol can be brought into the racecourse. There will be a range of bars open selling a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Barbecues are not allowed to be used at the racecourse.

Yes but must only be consumed in the centre course.

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 accessible needs.   

Personal Assistant tickets can be claimed by bringing in proof of accessible needs on the day of racing e.g. a Blue Badge (with accompanying photo ID), Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or signed letter from GP (with accompanying photo ID). You will need to buy a full price ticket first either online or on the day and then speak to a member of staff on the turnstiles about claiming your free personal assistant badge.

Please email info@fontwellpark.co.uk at least 48 hours in advance with your name, reservation number of already purchased ticket and details of the fixture you wish to attend to arrange these tickets. 

We have two wheelchair viewing platforms. One in the Paddock Enclosure and the other in the Premier Enclosure.

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. 

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).

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. 

Yes – bookmakers will still accept cash and some will also accept debit cards. There are no cash machines on the racecourse so if cash is your preferred method then please ensure you bring this with you. 

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

Yes, you can view and download a map of the racecourse here.

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 will not be allowed to be brought into 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.

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.

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.  

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.