Galway’s Ballybrit racecourse hosts one of the most glamorous and highly anticipated events of the year, the Galway Races Summer Festival. Simply known as The Galway Races, this annual event is returning on the 30th of May 2018 and promises a week of superb racing, as well as world-class hospitality and entertainment.

In preparations for this year, a major expansion to its iconic Champagne bar is currently in the works. As reported by the Irish Independent, the project will see a new Tote betting hall which will house the popular Champagne tent. It is expected that works will be finished mid-summer and that the refurbishment will provide cover for 2,200 people.

The Champagne bar will sit on the first floor, and it will be able to offer amazing views through its glass front for up to 1,100 guests.

With a remarkable increase in ticket sales and new packages, this is set to be one of the most exciting editions of the Galway Races. In 2017, over 140,00 people attended the summer festival and the total prize fund for the fifty-two sponsored races reached an impressive €2 million.

Manager of Galway Racecourse, Michael Moloney, spoke to the Connacht Tribune last December, when workd were at an earlier stage: “Since we finished racing last Summer, it’s been full steam ahead with this exciting new project. The plan is to have the entire project completed in June 2018 just in time for the Summer Festival. It’s an all-in contract to build and fit-out the building by Monami Construction. Our new two storey building will completely transform the eastern end of the racecourse located down by the parade ring, revealing a new, fresh modern feel and vibe. It’s great to see such progress here which will bring added comfort and facilities with an enhanced customer experience in mind,”

More information: galwayraces.com/summer-festival-2018