Name: Royal Windsor Horse Show 2027
Start: 2027-05-13
End: 2027-05-16
Location: Home Park, Windsor Castle

Four days of international show jumping, driving and showing in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, the only week they open to the public.

An event page tells you when it happens (with how sure we are of the date), why it matters, how the week around it feels, when to arrive and leave, where people stay, how access works, and which events come before and after it on the circuit.

Home Park lies between Windsor Castle and the Thames, and for four days in May it is a showground. The Royal Windsor Horse Show is the only event in Britain running international competition across several equestrian disciplines at once — show jumping, carriage driving and endurance under FEI rules, alongside more than 130 showing classes.

The Rolex Grand Prix on Sunday in the Castle Arena is the headline, and this is the only time of year the private grounds of Windsor Castle open to the public.

01Why it matters

Windsor is where the British equestrian year begins its social phase, after Badminton and before Chelsea. Its distinction is breadth: no other British show puts five-star jumping, FEI driving, endurance and traditional showing on the same grass in the same week.

02The week around it

Windsor changes for the four days: the town center is busy from mid-morning and the riverside pubs run at capacity, while the castle stays open and the Long Walk and Great Park are free to walk.

03When to arrive

Sunday is the day for the Grand Prix and Saturday the fullest of the showing programme; Thursday and Friday are quiet and cheap. It works well as a day trip from London.

04Where to stay

Windsor town center puts you within walking distance of the showground gates and the castle, and Eton across the bridge is quieter; most visitors stay in London and take the train.

05Access and hospitality

Tickets are sold through a public ticketing platform, with general entry by day and reserved seating in the main arena, and the show runs promotional offers on quieter days. Hospitality combining seating with dining is sold directly, and there is no membership requirement.

06Where the social activity happens

The Castle Arena stands on Sunday afternoon; the collecting ring and showing arenas; the substantial trade village; and, off site, the Windsor riverside pubs.

07Getting there

Commercial aviationHeathrow is fifteen minutes away by road.

RailWindsor & Eton Riverside from Waterloo, and Windsor & Eton Central from Paddington via Slough; both around fifty minutes.

CarM4 junction 6 or M3 junction 3; showground parking is sold in advance.

Private aviationFarnborough is about forty-five minutes; Heathrow is much closer.

08Practicalities

DressThere is no formal dress code for general admission and the show does not publish one. What people wear is smart country daywear — a jacket, a summer dress, flat shoes or boots for grass — with Sunday noticeably better dressed than Thursday. Competitors' showing classes have their own strict turnout rules, which are part of the spectacle.

WeatherMid-May in the Thames Valley is mild and changeable with a fair chance of rain on at least one of the four days; Home Park is flat and open with limited shelter.

Getting aroundThe train plus a walk through the town is the simplest route; the showground is compact enough to cover on foot.

HotelsWindsor's hotels fill for the show but the market is far less pressured than during Royal Ascot in June.

RestaurantsThe showground carries a large food and trade village; in town the riverside restaurants take bookings a few weeks ahead, while Bray needs far more notice.

Reservation timingTickets typically go on sale in the winter, and only Sunday arena seating and hospitality tighten.

TicketsGeneral entry and reserved arena seating are sold through a public ticketing platform, with car parking separate; entry includes the trade village and the outside rings.

HospitalityPackages combining main-arena seating with dining are sold directly with inclusions published per package; the commercial partners maintain their own guest areas, not on public sale.

09History

The show was founded in 1943, in wartime, as a fundraising event for the war effort, and has run in Home Park ever since. Queen Elizabeth II attended almost every year of her reign and competed in driving and showing classes; King Charles III took the patronage after her death in 2022.

10Who is there

The British showing and driving communities, for whom Windsor is the championship fixture of the spring; international show jumping riders drawn by the Grand Prix; and a large general public, including day visitors from London.

Edition

Dates

Status

Source

Verified

2027

May 13–16, 2027

ConfirmedThe organizer publishes the 2027 show as Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 May 2027 on rwhs.co.uk.

Royal Windsor Horse Show — official site ↗

6 September 2026

2026

May 14–17, 2026

CompletedThe 2026 show ran Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 May in Home Park, with the Rolex Grand Prix closing on the Sunday and Horse & Country streaming from the Castle Arena.

Where to watch Royal Windsor Horse Show 2026 ↗

6 September 2026

Confirmed means the organizer or governing body has published the dates. Expected and Historical pattern are estimates from the event’s usual timing and can move. Date pending means nothing reliable can be said yet.

Sources