Chester Racecourse
Chester
Chester Racecourse, the Roodee, hosts Simply Red on Saturday 7 August 2027, a concert-only night on the Open Course with Heather Small and Soul II Soul. Every racecourse package for Simply Red includes Golden Circle access, with seats in Silver and Gold. On racedays, hospitality runs from the 1539 Bar & Restaurant and 1539 Roof to The White Horse in the centre of the track.
About Chester Racecourse
Chester Racecourse hosts Simply Red on Saturday 7 August 2027, the first UK date of the Summer Funk '27 tour. It is a concert with no race meeting that day, staged on the Open Course, in the centre of the track at the Roodee. Every Simply Red hospitality package the racecourse sells includes access to the Golden Circle. The racecourse says its concert on 14 August 2026, Tom Jones and Nile Rodgers & CHIC, drew more than 17,000 fans and was its biggest concert yet.
What hospitality is there at Chester Racecourse?
Chester Racecourse runs two kinds of hospitality: raceday venues and concert packages. On racedays its named venues include the 1539 Bar & Restaurant, the 1539 Roof and The White Horse, its on-site pub in the centre of the track. The Final Furlong is an all-inclusive package with a reserved table in the Festival Village. For Simply Red on 7 August 2027, the racecourse sells three concert packages instead: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
What events are on at Chester Racecourse?
Chester Racecourse events run from race meetings to standalone concerts. Simply Red play on Saturday 7 August 2027 on the Open Course, in the centre of the track at the Roodee, on a day with no racing, with Heather Small and Soul II Soul in support. The nearest fixtures are the Midsummer Meeting on Saturday 24 July, a Family Fun Day on Sunday 1 August and Powells Jewellery Ladies Day on Saturday 21 August 2027.
Recent and upcoming music at Chester Racecourse
- Simply Red, Saturday 7 August 2027, with Heather Small and Soul II Soul
- Music Weekend, Friday 9 and Saturday 10 July 2027: two racedays, acts not yet named at 29 September 2026
- Marvin Humes, Saturday 22 August 2026, live after racing at Powells Jewellery Ladies Day
- Tom Jones and Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Friday 14 August 2026: more than 17,000 fans and the biggest concert yet, according to the racecourse
- Bootleg Beatles, Saturday 11 July 2026, after racing at the Summer Music Weekend
- Ibiza in Symphony, Friday 10 July 2026, after racing at the Summer Music Weekend
What do the Simply Red concert packages include?
Every Simply Red package at Chester Racecourse includes access to the Golden Circle, and general admission is standing only. The three tiers differ on seating, food and drink, and the seat is the biggest split: Bronze guests stand, while Silver and Gold guests have pre-allocated seats in the Golden Circle.
- Bronze (standing in the Golden Circle): a private bar, a welcome drink and a one-course "street food style" plated menu
- Silver (pre-allocated Golden Circle seat): a private bar, a two-course plated menu and half a bottle of wine or two bottles of beer, with soft drinks as an alternative
- Gold (pre-allocated Golden Circle seat): a concierge service, a three-course menu and a glass of Laurent-Perrier rosé on arrival
Alcohol is served to over-18s only, and ID may be required. Personal chairs and gazebos are not permitted at the concert, so, of the published tickets, only Silver and Gold include a seat.
What should you wear at Chester Racecourse?
Chester Racecourse sets its raceday dress code enclosure by enclosure. The Roodee enclosure has no dress code. The County Concourse asks men for a collared shirt and a suit jacket or blazer, and asks women for smart attire. Hospitality and members' areas ask more: men wear a blazer, a collared shirt and a tie, and women smart attire.
How do you get to Chester Racecourse, and is there parking?
By rail, Chester Racecourse is a 20-minute walk from Chester railway station, or about 6 minutes by taxi, according to the racecourse. Sat navs should use CH1 4LD, the postcode the racecourse recommends, while its postal address is The Racecourse, Chester, CH1 2LY. For the Simply Red concert on 7 August 2027, the racecourse says there is no parking available on site.
What is new at Chester Racecourse?
On 20 November 2025, Chester Race Company announced that Cheshire West and Chester Council had granted planning permission for a proposed year-round Hospitality Building, designed for up to 1,000 guests. The company said board approval was still needed, so the building remains a proposal. On 17 September 2026 the racecourse announced Simply Red for Saturday 7 August 2027.
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Three Chester Racecourse fixtures sit either side of Simply Red's concert on Saturday 7 August 2027, which has no racing of its own: the Midsummer Meeting on Saturday 24 July, a Family Fun Day on Sunday 1 August and Powells Jewellery Ladies Day on Saturday 21 August 2027. Racing hospitality for the May meeting is on our Chester May Festival hospitality page.
Chester Racecourse's raceday dress code changes by enclosure. The Roodee enclosure has no dress code, while the County Concourse asks men for a collared shirt and a suit jacket or blazer, and women for smart attire. In hospitality and members' areas, men wear a blazer, a collared shirt and a tie, and women smart attire.
All Simply Red packages at Chester Racecourse include Golden Circle access. Bronze guests stand, with a welcome drink, a one-course "street food style" plated menu and a private bar. Silver and Gold have pre-allocated seats, Silver with two plated courses, a private bar and half a bottle of wine or two bottles of beer, Gold with three courses, concierge service and a glass of Laurent-Perrier rosé on arrival. Alcohol: over-18s only, ID may be required.
Chester Racecourse is called the Roodee after "Rood Eye", meaning the Island of the Cross. The racecourse describes itself as "the oldest racecourse still in operation in the world". Today the Roodee hosts both racing and standalone concerts, with Simply Red on the Open Course, in the centre of the track, on Saturday 7 August 2027.
Chester railway station is a 20-minute walk from Chester Racecourse, or a 6-minute taxi journey, according to the racecourse. For sat nav, use CH1 4LD, the postcode the racecourse recommends; the postal address is The Racecourse, Chester, CH1 2LY. For the Simply Red concert on 7 August 2027, the racecourse says there is no parking available at Chester Racecourse.
Chester Racecourse has accessible toilets around the course, in general admission and hospitality, and offers a Companion Pass for carers; assistance dogs are allowed. On racedays there are accessible viewing platforms in every enclosure except the Open Course, where racegoers may bring their own chairs on racedays only. Raceday Blue Badge parking is pre-booked through the racecourse's Guest Services team. At the Simply Red concert, personal chairs and gazebos are not permitted.
Tickets for Simply Red at Chester Racecourse went on UK general sale at 10am BST on Thursday 24 September 2026, two days after an artist pre-sale that opened at 10am on Tuesday 22 September. The racecourse had announced the 7 August 2027 concert on 17 September 2026, and it lists its Bronze, Silver and Gold packages on its own Simply Red event page, next to standing-only general admission.
Prestige Corporate Events takes enquiries for Chester Racecourse hospitality through this page, for racedays and for Simply Red on Saturday 7 August 2027, and the team confirms the options and prices with you directly. The Simply Red night is covered in full on our Simply Red 2027 hospitality page, with every UK date on the Summer Funk '27 tour.