The Unmissable Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Fri 28 - Sun 30 June

Heart pounding action, the sound of hooves thundering past, the colourful silks and mesmerising horses. You can experience it all at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby festival!

A fantastic summer race evening announcing the start of the exhilarating Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby festival!  Feature races include The JJ Mahon & Sons Stayers handicap & Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes Apprentice Derby.

Race schedule; 17.00 Cunninghams of Kildare Maiden ebf; 17.30 Kildare House Hotel Maiden ebf; 18.05 Harp Bar Kildare Handicap 60-90: 18.40 O’Dooles Restaurant Maiden ebf; 19.15 JJ Mahon & Sons Stayers handicap: 19.50 Silken Thomas and Lock 13 Handicap: 20.25 Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes Apprentice Derby

Including feature races Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes (Group 1), Airlie Stud Stakes (Group 2) and the Kildare Village Ladies Derby.

Race schedule; 13.15 Barronstown Stud EBF Maiden: 13.45 Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes Handicap: 14.20 Airlie Stud Stakes G2: 14.55 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes: 15.30 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes Group 1: 16.05 Kildare Village Ladies Derby: 16.40 Molton Brown EBF Maiden: 17.15 La Celia Wines Handicap

Featuring the absolute pinnacle of the Irish Flat Racing Calendar – the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Nothing matches the thrill, the history and the spectacle associated with this epic race! A must visit day for the racing purist!

Race schedule; 13.10 Paddy Power Premier Handicap: 13.40: GAIN Railway Stakes (Group 2): 14.15 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Dash (Listed): 14.50 Dubai Duty Free Rockingham:15.25 Colm McLoughlin Celebration Stakes (listed): 16.05 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Group 1 Classic): 16.40 Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival Handicap: 17.15 Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap: 17.50 Dubai Duty Free Ragusa Handicap

Top class performances from the likes of Abbaesque, Rake the Ashes, Electric Dreams, Ramblin’ Rovers, the Artane Bands, Newbridge Gospel Choir and much more! Scroll to see what’s on each day!

Fabulous tribute show, Abbaesque performs live after racing! This show has it all and their stunning performance will appeal to all ages.  An unforgettable evening of singing and dancing in Champions Hall following the thrilling action on the track.

Trad rock band, Rake the Ashes headlines Saturday evening entertainment in Champions Hall! The group faithfully continues the rich tradition of Irish ballad groups, drawing influences from The Dubliners, The Fureys, The Wolfe Tones and The Clancy Brothers into its unique and unmistakable sound.

As THE go-to, feelgood, party group, ELECTRIC DREAMS celebrate the smash hits of the glorious 80s with a thumping set of timeless, singalong pop classics from chart-toppers Erasure, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, A-ha, Whitney Houston and more…

Renowned for their stellar shows at some of the country’s biggest festivals, we are delighted to close the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival 2024 in the Derby Party Village with Electric Dreams!

Get ready fashionistas! With phenomenal prizes on offer, The K Club, with special guest Lyra, will honor the most stylish racegoer on Saturday, while Dubai Duty Free, joined by Clarkson’s Farm superstar and Irish style icon, Lisa Hogan will crown our best dressed on Sunday!

Cork singing sensation and style queen Lyra has been revealed as the star judge for The K Club’s Most Stylish Racegoer contest on Saturday 29th June!  The singer-songwriter will be hot-footing it to The Curragh, in search of the most a la mode attendee embracing this year’s theme of ‘Power Chic’.  The lucky winner will be treated to an incredible prize including three nights in a luxury suite as a guest of The K Club!

The biggest style day of them all!  Who will be crowned Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Best Dressed on Sunday 30th June by Irish style icon, Lisa Hogan. Swapping her wellies for her Manolos, Lisa will step out on the hallowed grounds of the Curragh Racecourse to crown this year’s Dubai Duty Free Best Dressed!  This fashion competition is one of the most highly anticipated style days in the racing calendar – hardly surprising when the prize up for grabs is a trip to Dubai with flights, five nights at The Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and a spending spree of €1,000 at Dubai Duty Free airport retailer! Get your glam on!!

Let’s hope the sun shines down on the beautiful Curragh race course.  The flowers will be in full bloom and whilst there is lots of exciting action on the track, there’s also lovely things to see and do off the track! Stroll around, revel in the exciting atmosphere, enjoy our roving performers, relax over a cocktail or a coffee and enjoy days of summer socialising.

We’re feeling nostalgic at the Curragh and for two unforgettable days on Derby Saturday and Sunday, we are reopening the old entrance to the racecourse for anybody who would like to enter under the old wrought iron canopy and beautiful wooden beams!

Park at Ballymanny Hill and arrive straight into the Derby Village where we have roving performers and a beautiful takeaway food offering. Bring your friends and embrace our chill vibe for an amazing day out.

What better way to celebrate Schools Out than treating the kids to a great day of entertainment. With extra entertainment on Saturday and Sunday at The Moyglare Kids Zone and some really good food offerings, there’s plenty to keep the kids happy! Corvenieos’ fabulous train returns to the track on Saturday and Sunday of the festival!

And remember! Under 18’s always GO FREE at the Curragh when accompanied by an adult!!

What better way to celebrate Schools Out than treating the kids to a great day of entertainment. Corvenieos entertainment and Junior Einstein’s will be joining us at The Moyglare Kids Zone. With some really good food offerings, there’s plenty to keep the kids happy!  Corvenieos’ fabulous train returns to the track on Saturday and Sunday of the festival!

And remember! Under 18’s always GO FREE at the Curragh when accompanied by an adult!!

To celebrate the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival in the Curragh Racecourse, we have two feature events lined up for racing enthusiasts in the days leading up to the festival! Whether it’s a breakfast event with 16 time Irish Champion Jockey, Michael Kinane or a Curragh Gallops Tour with renowned Curragh trainer John Oxx, these are intimate and unmissable events for the racing enthusiast! Swipe for more information.

Join MC Robbie Irwin on Weds 26th June in the stunning setting of Lilywhites Lounge, overlooking the Flat Rath gallops, for a late breakfast in the company of the legendary retired jockey, Michael Kinane.  Hear about famous horses, jockeys, owners and trainers who won the Irish Derby during Michael Kinane’s career in the saddle, including his back-to-back wins on Galileo and High Chaparral.  Breakfast with tea & coffee served from 9.15am.

This is a once-in-a life time opportunity to join retired Curragh trainer Mr John Oxx, for an early morning bus tour of the Curragh gallops, followed by a full Irish breakfast at Orby’s by Lucy.  Hear first-hand from the trainer of the World Champion racehorse, Sea the Stars and Irish Derby winners, Sinndar and Alamshar about what makes the Curragh gallops among the very best in the world.  One for the early birds, parking opens at 6.30am with Curragh gallops tour commencing at 6.45am. Breakfast at Orby’s at 8.00am.