Chester Racecourse's most prestigious three-day meeting, the launch of the British flat racing season, with Trials Day, Ladies Day and Chester Cup Day.
The Boodles May Festival returns to Chester Racecourse from 5 to 7 May 2027, three days of racing that open the course's 2027 season. It's the most prestigious meeting of the year here, billed as the launch of the British flat racing season and delivered in 'true Chester style' — which means rising champions on the track and a Best Dressed Competition among the prizes.
The course is known affectionately as The Roodee, and it's the oldest racecourse still in service. It was first established in 1539, though racing here goes back to 1512, when a hand-painted wooden bowl was the first recorded prize. In 1539, the mayor of Chester, Henry Gee, introduced the idea of an annual horse-race meeting on the spot. It's a short circuit, just one mile and one furlong, and it hosts fifteen days of racing a year, with the May Festival as the sporting highlight.
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Each of the three days has its own character. Trials Day kicks things off, followed by Ladies Day, famous for bold fashion and statement hats. The finale is Chester Cup Day, featuring the Ladbrokes Chester Cup, one of the UK's most prestigious long-distance handicaps — the winner goes down in history. Between the racing and the Best Dressed Competition, it's as much about what's happening in the stands as what's happening on the track. The festival runs from 5 to 7 May at Chester Racecourse.
