Royal Ascot Enclosures: Dress Codes, Prices and What Each One Gets You

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Royal Ascot has four enclosures, and the one you pick decides almost everything about your day: what you pay, what you have to wear, whether you can see the Parade Ring, and whether you can bring your own lunch. Windsor Enclosure tickets start at £25 and have no formal dress code. The Queen Anne Enclosure starts at £80 and requires a tie. The Village Enclosure runs £65 to £70 and only opens Thursday to Saturday. The Royal Enclosure cannot be bought at all.

Royal Ascot 2027 runs Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 June, dates Ascot lists as provisional. This guide covers what each enclosure gets you, what the dress codes actually say, and the details that catch people out at the gate.

Which Royal Ascot enclosure should you choose?

Pick Windsor if you want the cheapest ticket, the freedom to wear what you like, and a picnic on the lawn. Pick Queen Anne if you want to see the horses in the Parade Ring and stand in the Grandstand. Pick Village if you want a festival atmosphere with live music and an after party. The Royal Enclosure is members only and cannot be bought.

The single biggest split is the Parade Ring. Queen Anne and Royal Enclosure guests can watch the horses being paraded before and after each race. Village and Windsor guests cannot. If seeing the horses up close is the reason you are going, that decision is made for you.

What is the Windsor Enclosure dress code?

There is no official dress code for the Windsor Enclosure. Ascot encourages smart daywear and suggests a hat, headpiece or fascinator along with a jacket and collared shirt, but none of it is required.

This surprises people, because most of what gets written about Royal Ascot describes the Royal Enclosure rules and leaves the impression that they apply to everyone. They do not. A Windsor ticket is £25 and you can wear a summer dress or an ordinary suit without anyone stopping you.

Four things are banned everywhere on site regardless of enclosure: trainers, denim, leggings and shorts. Fancy dress and novelty or branded clothing are also prohibited in every enclosure, which includes slogans, brand logos and cartoon imagery.

What is the Queen Anne Enclosure dress code?

Men need a full length two or three piece suit, a collared shirt, a standard necktie, and socks that cover the ankle. Bow ties and cravats are not permitted in the Queen Anne Enclosure. Morning dress is also allowed if you want to wear it.

Women need a dress, or a top and skirt, with shoulder or halter neck straps. There is no minimum length. A trouser suit works if the material and colour match. A jumpsuit must fall below the knee. A hat, headpiece or fascinator must be worn, and unlike the Royal Enclosure, fascinators are fine here with no size requirement.

Not permitted for women: strapless, one shoulder, off the shoulder or bardot styles, sheer fabric, and visible midriffs. Ascot defines sheer as fabric that is see through or entirely transparent, and states that lace, coloured tulle, voile and organza are all permitted.

What is the Village Enclosure dress code?

The Village Enclosure is slightly more relaxed than Queen Anne. Men need a suit jacket or blazer, which can be a different material to the trousers, plus full length trousers or chinos, a collared shirt, and socks covering the ankle. A necktie, bow tie or cravat is all acceptable here, which is the main difference from Queen Anne.

Women follow the same rules as Queen Anne: straps required, no strapless or off the shoulder, no sheer fabric, no visible midriff, and a hat, headpiece or fascinator.

The Village Enclosure only opens Thursday to Saturday during the Royal Meeting. If you are going on Tuesday or Wednesday, it is not an option.

What is the Royal Enclosure dress code?

The Royal Enclosure has the strictest dress code at Royal Ascot, and it is the only one with published measurements.

For women, dresses and skirts must fall just above the knee or longer. Shoulder straps must be a minimum of 1 inch or 2.5cm wide. Hats must be worn, and a headpiece or hatinator is acceptable only if it has a solid base of at least 4 inches or 10cm in diameter.

Fascinators are not permitted in the Royal Enclosure unless you are under 17. Ascot defines a fascinator as a small headpiece attached to a comb, hair clip or headband without a solid base of at least 4 inches. This is the rule that catches out the most people, because fascinators are perfectly fine in all three other enclosures.

Also banned for women: strapless, one shoulder, off the shoulder, bardot, halter neck, spaghetti straps, sheer fabric and visible midriffs.

For men, the Royal Enclosure requires morning dress in black, grey or navy, with a waistcoat and necktie, a black or grey top hat, and black dress shoes worn with socks covering the ankle. Cravats, bow ties and neckerchiefs are not permitted. Neither are customised top hats with coloured ribbons, feathers or embellishments.

Top hats may be removed inside a restaurant or private box, and also within an enclosed external seating area, terrace, balcony or garden.

Can you buy Royal Enclosure tickets?

No. The Royal Enclosure is open only to members and their guests. To become a member you must be sponsored by two existing members, and applications are subject to approval by His Majesty's Representative at Ascot.

The enclosure dates back to 1807, when an area was reserved for the family, guests and household of King George III to watch the first running of the Gold Cup.

If you are not a member and do not know two people who are, the Queen Anne Enclosure is the closest equivalent you can actually buy. It also has Parade Ring and Grandstand access.

What gets you turned away at the gate?

The rules that most often catch people out are not the obvious ones.

• Fascinators in the Royal Enclosure. Fine in the other three enclosures, not permitted here unless you are under 17.
• Stag and hen party items. Sashes, badges and tiaras are all treated as novelty clothing and are not allowed anywhere on site.
• Bow ties and cravats in the Queen Anne Enclosure. A standard necktie is required. Both are fine in the Village Enclosure.
• Bare ankles. Socks covering the ankle must be worn with full length trousers.
• Tickets from resale sites. Ascot states it enforces the right to refuse entry to anyone who bought from a tout, a ticket exchange such as ViaGogo, or an auction site such as eBay.
• Bringing a picnic to the wrong enclosure. Only Windsor Enclosure guests may bring food in. It is prohibited in Royal, Queen Anne and Village.

Two clarifications from Ascot that help rather than hinder. An open backed dress or top is permitted as long as it is not strapless, off the shoulder or bardot. Culottes are treated as a dress, so the length and strap rules apply to them.

If a medical condition prevents you from following the dress code, Ascot asks that you contact its access officer at accessibility@ascot.com in advance.

What can you bring into the Windsor Enclosure?

Windsor Enclosure guests can bring a picnic and one bottle of sparkling wine or champagne per person aged over 18. Blankets and fold up chairs are also allowed in the Windsor Enclosure only.

The picnic must arrive in a hamper or cool bag, and it must come in when you first enter. Nothing can be brought in on re-entry. All picnics are searched, and soft drinks are only allowed in with the seals intact. Sharp bladed kitchen knives are not permitted.

One rule worth reading twice if you are going as a group: if your food and champagne are split unevenly across your hampers, Ascot asks you all to arrive together for searching. Anyone who turns up carrying more alcohol than food has to dispose of the excess.

Beer, cider, spirits, fortified wines and bottles of Pimm's are not permitted, only sparkling wine or champagne.

How do you get to Ascot Racecourse?

South Western Railway runs to Ascot from London Waterloo in an average of 52 minutes, from Reading in 27 minutes and from Aldershot in 30 minutes. The station is a seven minute walk from the racecourse.

Oyster and contactless cards are not valid to or from Ascot station. Buy a paper ticket in advance. Ascot warns that queuing systems and ticket inspectors are likely to be in place.

Driving takes about 50 minutes from London. The postcode for sat nav is SL5 7JX. Car parking is free on ordinary racedays but must be paid for at Royal Ascot, where it costs £45 in advance and more on the day. Pre-booking closes about a week before each raceday, and accessible parking is expected to sell out earlier.

Taxi drop off for Royal Ascot is Car Park 3 or Car Park 6 for most enclosures, and Car Park 1 or 3 for Royal Enclosure guests.

What time does Royal Ascot start and finish?

Gates open at 10.30am each day. The first race begins at 2.30pm and the last race begins at 6.10pm.

Singing around the Bandstand takes place after the last race each day, though only Queen Anne and Royal Enclosure guests can join it. The Village Enclosure runs an after party at its main stage until 9pm.

Cloakrooms open at 10.30am. They close at 7pm in the Royal and Queen Anne Enclosures, except Saturday when they run to 9pm, 7.30pm in Windsor, and 9pm in the Village Enclosure.

Can children go to Royal Ascot?

Children under 18 get in free to the Queen Anne, Village and Windsor Enclosures and do not need a pre-purchased ticket, provided they are with an adult. A maximum of four children can attend free per adult.

The Royal Enclosure is different. Children aged 10 to 17 must buy admission, and children under 10 are not permitted in the Royal Enclosure at all.

Older teenagers may be asked for proof of identity to confirm they are under 18. Anyone over 18 needs a full adult ticket.

Juniors aged 10 to 17 follow the adult dress codes with some relaxation. Hats, headpieces and fascinators are not compulsory in Queen Anne or Village. In the Royal Enclosure, juniors may wear a headpiece or fascinator with no size requirement, and boys may wear a dark lounge suit with a collared shirt and necktie instead of morning dress.

Do you need a visa to attend Royal Ascot?

Visitors from countries that do not require a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation to board their transport to the UK. The requirement took effect in February 2026 and applies to all Ascot fixtures from March 2026 onwards.

An ETA is linked digitally to your passport and lasts two years or until the passport expires, covering visits of up to six months. British and Irish citizens are exempt, as is anyone who already holds a UK visa or settled status. Applications go through GOV.UK.

International visitors should also know that Ascot no longer posts tickets abroad. Choose the collection option and pick them up at the Ticket Office on the day.

Visitors are welcome to wear the formal national dress of their country. If your national dress does not include a hat or headpiece, you do not need to wear one, and religious headdress is accepted in place of a hat. Serving military personnel may wear Service Dress.

Is Royal Ascot worth it?

It depends entirely on which enclosure you buy, which is why the choice deserves more thought than the outfit.

At £25 for a Windsor Enclosure ticket, with a picnic and a bottle of champagne you brought yourself, Royal Ascot is one of the cheapest days out in British sport. You will not see the Parade Ring and you will not get into the Grandstand, but you will be trackside on the straight mile watching the best flat racing in the world.

At £80 in the Queen Anne Enclosure you get the Parade Ring, the Grandstand, the Bandstand singing, and a dress code that most people enjoy rather than endure. Add £45 for parking, food and drink inside, and the day costs meaningfully more.

The mistake is buying a Queen Anne ticket because it sounds more prestigious, then discovering the dress code requires a suit you do not own. Work out which enclosure you actually want first, then dress for that one.

Related guides

• The Royal Enclosure dress code, measured
• What a day at Royal Ascot really costs
• What gets you turned away at the races

Sources: All rules, prices and times on this page come from Ascot's own published guidance at ascot.com, checked in September 2026 for the 2027 meeting. Prices are the advertised starting prices and rise closer to the event. Dates for 2027 are listed by Ascot as provisional. Dress codes and policies change between years, so check ascot.com before you travel.