If you're betting regularly, it helps to know what's coming up.

From Cheltenham in March through to the Christmas fixtures in December, the calendar quickly fills up with major meetings across the UK and Ireland.

Here's a simple breakdown of the key festival dates for 2026 so you can plan ahead.

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March

Cheltenham Festival

10 to 13 March 2026

Four days of championship races and major handicaps that define the jumps season.

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April

Fairyhouse Easter Festival

4 to 6 April 2026

A three-day meeting built around the Irish Grand National.

Grand National Meeting at Aintree

9 to 11 April 2026

Three days of top-level racing, including the Grand National.

Scottish Grand National Festival

17 to 18 April 2026

A two-day meeting focused on long-distance National Hunt races.

Punchestown Festival

28 April to 2 May 2026

Ireland’s end-of-season National Hunt championship meeting.

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May

Guineas Festival at Newmarket

1 to 3 May 2026

The opening Classic meeting of the Flat season.

Irish Guineas Festival

23 to 24 May 2026

The Irish equivalent of the Newmarket Guineas weekend.

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June

The Derby Festival at Epsom Downs

5 to 6 June 2026

A two-day meeting headlined by The Derby.

Royal Ascot

16 to 20 June 2026

Five days of Group racing and large-field handicaps.

Northumberland Plate Festival

25 to 27 June 2026

A three-day meeting built around staying handicaps.

Irish Derby Festival

26 to 28 June 2026

Ireland’s premier Classic middle-distance meeting.

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July

July Festival at Newmarket

9 to 11 July 2026

A midsummer Flat meeting featuring Group races and handicaps.

Irish Oaks Festival

18 to 19 July 2026

A two-day meeting centred around the Irish Oaks.

Qatar Goodwood Festival

28 July to 1 August 2026

A five-day Flat meeting at Goodwood, often referred to as Glorious Goodwood.

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August

York Ebor Festival

19 to 22 August 2026

A four-day Flat meeting headlined by the Ebor Handicap.

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September

Sprint Cup Festival at Haydock Park

3 to 5 September 2026

A three-day meeting focused on sprint racing.

St Leger Festival

10 to 13 September 2026

The final British Classic meeting of the Flat season.

Irish Champions Festival

12 to 13 September 2026

A two-day meeting split between Leopardstown and the Curragh.

Cambridgeshire Meeting

24 to 26 September 2026

A traditional Flat meeting featuring major handicaps.

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October

Future Champions Festival

9 to 10 October 2026

A two-day meeting focused on juvenile Flat racing.

British Champions Day

17 October 2026

The traditional finale to the British Flat season.

Down Royal Festival of Racing

30 to 31 October 2026

A two-day meeting marking the start of the Irish National Hunt season.

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November

Cheltenham November Meeting

13 to 15 November 2026

A three-day National Hunt meeting at Cheltenham.

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December

Tingle Creek Christmas Festival

4 to 5 December 2026

A two-day National Hunt meeting at Sandown Park.

King George VI Chase Weekend

26 to 27 December 2026

A festive National Hunt meeting headlined by the King George VI Chase.

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Planning Ahead?

Big meetings mean busy racecards.

Tilt The Odds is designed to help you stay organised, manage multiple profiles and prioritise the right bets when the calendar gets crowded.

You can start with a 14-day free trial on the Basic package, giving you access to the core tools.

For bettors who want more control during high-volume festival weeks, the Pro package adds:

• Telegram alerts
• Enhanced searches
• Advanced prioritisation tools

👉 Get set up before the 2026 racing calendar gets busy.