What is the best thing about Royal Ascot? Well, of course, it depends on what floats your boat. If you’re a thrill-seeker, there’s nothing like the rush you get from cheering on your favourite horse – separated from its competitors by a hair’s breadth as it thunders down the track – over the finish line.

Royal Ascot, which this year runs from 18-22 June 2024, is also the social event of the season. The races may provide the focal point, but they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to high-octane entertainment. Alongside seven flat races a day, attendees enjoy a whole week of festivities, including fantastic musical performances.

Plus, great food. In fact, we wouldn’t blame you if you went to Royal Ascot solely for the fine dining alone. The event is home to numerous restaurants with Michelin starred chefs in residence – you can get delicious three-course meals and hospitality in the Queen Anne, Village, and Royal enclosures. If you’re not after a sit-down affair, there is an abundance of street-food stalls, on-the-go eateries and pop-up bars – and proceedings wouldn’t be complete without a glass of champagne with afternoon tea in the sun

And who could forget the fashion? Royal Ascot is an exuberant celebration of style – guests come to see and be seen; photographers clamour to snap the sartorial spectacles which will set summer trends. Bold patterns, bright colours and extravagant headwear abound, giving the phrase ‘dress to impress’ a whole new meaning.

Of course, if you’re a lover of horse-racing, this is the pinnacle of the sport. For more than 250 years, Royal Ascot has been the crown jewel of British racing; this is where esteemed trainers and champion jockeys come together to race world-class thoroughbreds. It’s racing at its most exquisite, where horses and riders are competing to claim their place in history.

By which we mean to say, there is something for everyone at Royal Ascot. Whether your ideal day consists of a sunny picnic in the Windsor Enclosure, spurring your horse on in the Village Enclosure, having a sing-along around the Bandstand in the Queen Anne Enclosure, or enjoying Fine Dining in the Royal Enclosure, this is the event for your summer calendar.

Early booking ends midnight 29 March, with prices starting from as little as £35 per person. Standard tickets from £49 per person. Join the merriment at ascot.com.