The Irish Derby Festival at the Curragh

What it is

The Irish Derby Festival is the high point of the summer at the Curragh, home to all five Irish Classics, in Co. Kildare. It is a three-day meeting, usually held over the last weekend of June, that builds from a Friday evening card to the Irish Derby on Sunday. The racecourse calls the Derby Ireland's most prestigious Flat race, and it is one of the five Irish Classics run at the Curragh each year.

In 2026 the festival ran from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June. The Curragh has already published its 2027 fixtures, listing the Irish Derby Festival for Friday 25 to Sunday 27 June 2027.

Where the big jumps festivals are about winter coats and mud, this is racing in summer: fast ground, long evenings, big style competitions and live music after racing. It draws a broad crowd of racing fans, families, fashion followers and visitors from abroad.

The big races

The Irish Derby is a Group 1 race over about a mile and a half (1 mile 4 furlongs) for three-year-old colts and fillies, with fillies receiving a weight allowance. It was first run in 1866 and has been sponsored by Dubai Duty Free since 2008. In 2026 it was worth €1.25 million. Aidan O'Brien holds the record for training winners of the race, with 18. Recent winners include Lambourn in 2025 and Benvenuto Cellini in 2026. Some runners arrive having contested the Epsom Derby a few weeks earlier, which adds to the interest.

The Pretty Polly Stakes is the other Group 1 of the weekend: a race over about a mile and a quarter for fillies and mares aged three and over. It was raised to Group 1 status in 2004. In 2026 it was the feature race on Saturday.

Friday evening opens the festival with a full card including an Apprentice Derby for young jockeys and the Corinthian Challenge, a race for amateur riders that raises money for the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund. It is a relaxed way to see the course if you cannot make the weekend.

Beyond the racing

Each day has something besides the racing. There are style competitions on Saturday and Sunday, including the Dubai Duty Free Best Dressed on Derby day, and bands played after racing on Friday and Sunday in 2026. The Curragh also has a children's area, the Moyglare Kids Zone. For fans of racing history, the statues of Vintage Crop and Nijinsky outside the turnstiles, and of Lester Piggott inside, make good meeting points.

Getting there

The Curragh is close to the M7, and it is one of the easier big tracks to reach by public transport.

• Train and free bus: mainline trains from Dublin Heuston serve both Kildare and Newbridge stations. For the Derby Festival, the racecourse runs a complimentary bus service from Kildare, Newbridge and Naas towns and train stations. Buses are timed to meet the main trains, not continuously, so check the timetable on the Curragh's transport page in the days before racing.
• Town pick-ups: in 2026 the free buses left from the Square in Kildare town, Main Street in Newbridge and Poplar Square in Naas.
• By car: from Dublin take the N7 from Exit 9 of the M50, then Exit 12 off the M7. There is free parking at the course, clearly signposted, alongside some reserved parking.
• Taxis are limited around the racecourse, so book ahead or use the free buses.

Where to stay

Kildare town, Newbridge and Naas are the obvious bases, all linked to the course by the free festival buses. Kilcullen and the villages around the Curragh plains offer quieter options. Because the trains from Heuston serve Kildare and Newbridge, staying in Dublin and travelling down for the day works well too. For a longer trip, the Curragh's own site suggests pairing the racing with other visits around Kildare.

Tickets and tips

• Buy early online. The Curragh has an advance price and an on-the-day price, and its early bird discount of 25% is available until midnight the night before each meeting.
• Weekend ticket: in 2026 the racecourse introduced an Irish Derby Weekend Ticket at €70 for all three days of racing and post-race entertainment.
• Under-18s go free with a paying adult, except on Derby Sunday when in 2026 there was a €15 charge for those aged 15 to 18.
• Timings: in 2026 gates opened a little over two hours before the first race on Saturday and Sunday. Racing started around 1pm to 2pm at the weekend, and the Friday card ran into the evening.
• What to wear: there is no official dress code at the Curragh, or at any Irish racecourse. Smart casual is a safe bet. It is an open, breezy track, so bring a layer and consider heavier fabrics or longer hems.
• No picnics: you cannot bring your own food or drink into the racecourse.
• Betting on course: the Curragh has both on-course bookmakers and the Tote at every meeting. Betting is optional, and plenty of racegoers never place one. If you do, set a budget first, and the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland lists free support if gambling becomes a problem.

New to Flat racing? Our National Hunt vs Flat explainer and first day at the races guide will get you up to speed. Later in the summer come the Galway Races, and the Curragh hosts part of the Irish Champions Festival each September.