Epsom Derby 2026 brings festival feel with free entry

On a windswept stretch of Surrey turf, the story of the Derby has always belonged as much to the crowds as to the horses.

Long before grandstand hospitality and exclusive enclosures defined a day at Epsom Downs Racecourse, the heart of the spectacle lay on the Hill — the open, common land at the centre of the track where anyone could gather, picnic, and watch history unfold.

That democratic spirit, enshrined in law, has never gone away. “It’s always, always free,” says General Manager Jim Allen, referring to the legislation that guarantees public access to the Downs year-round. “There’s an Act of Parliament that allows everyone the use of the Downs 365 days a year.”

Yet while access has remained constant, the crowds have not. In 1951, when Arctic Prince won the Derby, reports suggested as many as a million people filled the Downs.

Photographs from the day show a sea of spectators stretching as far as the eye can see — a scale almost unimaginable now. In recent decades, numbers on the Hill have dwindled, even as the race itself has retained its global prestige.

Allen is clear-eyed about why. Competition for attention is fiercer than ever, London’s demographics have shifted, and — perhaps most crucially — awareness has slipped. “I don’t think we’ve done a good enough job of reaching out,” he admits. Add to that the disruption of COVID, unpredictable British weather, and the absence of a regular royal presence, and the gradual decline begins to make sense.

But 2026 marks a turning point. Rather than retreat from the Hill, organisers are doubling down on it — reimagining it not just as a viewing spot, but as a destination in its own right.

Hoycubed Photography/The Jockey Club

RACING

Racegoers watch on from the stands as the runners and riders race in the Racehorse Lotto Handicap during ladies day of the 2023 Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom. Picture date: Friday June 2, 2023. PA Photo. See PA Story RACING Epsom. Photo credit should read: David Davies/PA Wire for The Jockey Club. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial Use only, commercial use is subject to prior permission from The Jockey Club/Epsom Downs Racecourse.

For the first time, everything out there will truly be free. Not just entry, but parking too — a small but significant shift designed to remove the last barriers to attendance. “People were turning up thinking it was free, and it wasn’t free to park,” Allen explains. “So we’ve removed all parking charges. It’s totally free now.”

What visitors will find is something closer to a festival than a traditional race day. The vast infield — one of the largest in British racing — is being transformed into a multi-layered experience designed to appeal far beyond racing purists.

There will be music stages, curated in partnership with major entertainment players, alongside a community zone celebrating local talent. Food and drink festivals, arts and crafts stalls, and a traditional funfair will sit alongside giant screens ensuring no one misses the action on the track.

For those who want a livelier atmosphere, there’s even an Ibiza-inspired party concept in the grandstand, complete with an after-party.

And then there are the double-decker buses — a nostalgic nod to the Derby’s past. Dozens will line the course, many allocated to local groups and organisations as a base for the day. “The Derby’s synonymous with double-decker buses,” says Allen. “We’re trying to get them back to create that feel.”

It’s not just about entertainment, though. At its core, the ambition is to reconnect the racecourse with its community. A newly appointed engagement manager has been working to bring local businesses, المدارس, and organisations into the fold — from shop window displays in town to opportunities for local performers and traders on the Hill. The aim is for the Derby to feel less like a standalone event and more like a shared civic celebration.

All of this unfolds against a backdrop of sporting prestige that remains undiminished. The Derby itself is now worth £2 million, placing it alongside the very top tier of British racing. A strengthened race card — including the high-profile Coronation Cup — ensures the day is about more than a single race, even if that race remains the centrepiece.

“The quality of the winners hasn’t gone down,” Allen says. “The prestige of the race… is still as high as it ever was.”

The challenge, then, is not to reinvent the Derby, but to reintroduce it — to remind people what has always been there, on their doorstep.

Success, for Allen, is both simple and ambitious: “Everyone going home thinking, ‘the Derby’s on its way back.’”

If the plan works, the Hill could once again become what it was at its peak — not just a place to watch a race, but a place where the story of the Derby belongs to everyone.