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Jockey Club Live Becky Hill At Newmarket Racecourse Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS FOR THE EVENT WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Harriet Crawford

We attended Newmarket Nights on 9th August when Becky Hill was performing. Upon arrival to the event, we were directed where to park which was helpful and took no time at all to get to the main entrance. We asked for help to find the Free Pass office where we managed to collect our tickets easily. Upon entrance to the event, we noticed the vast choice of food and drinks stalls, and we both said to each other how nice the racecourse area was. We opted to get a cocktail before taking a wander around. The cocktails were £12.50 each which we both thought was average for a cocktail, but these were fairly small and also didn’t come with any cocktail garnish, so we didn’t go back for a second.

Whilst wandering we noticed the dress code seemed a lot more relaxed than we expected and we thought it is a shame that even though it was smart casual, some guests were dressed in sports/gym wear. Unfortunately, this made the event not feel like a nice, dressy occasion like we had hoped for.

Photo credit: PAUL DIXON / THE JOCKEY CLUB LIVE

We had access to the Premier enclosure which was a gated area separated off from the main part, managed by staff who checked each guest had the correct pass before entering. The Premier enclosure allowed for a better view of the racing but was extremely busy which therefore made it feel less beneficial. It would not be possible to get a seat within the stands either unless you arrived very early.

We were surprised at the number of guests at the event, circa 18,000, as every area was very busy, and the toilet queues were 20-30 long most of the time. Some women even chose to make use of the male facilities as wait times could be over half an hour! On a positive note, the facilities were well stocked and kept hygienic.

Photo credit: PAUL DIXON / THE JOCKEY CLUB LIVE

We chose to get food from a food stall which had a long queue but moved quickly. The staff were very polite and happy, and the food was good quality. We noticed the staff’s positive attitude throughout the racecourse and were always helpful with any questions we had. This was our first time placing a bet and we felt at ease after asking for some guidance.

The evening event was great, Becky Hill was fantastic, as expected. The downside would again be the high volume of guests which meant the enclosure was extremely crowded and at times we were unable to enjoy the concert as some of the guests were drunk and throwing drinks into the crowd. At one point the concert was paused for a couple of minutes due to negative behaviour taking place at the front of the crowd. We both also commented that the music didn’t feel very loud!

Upon leaving the event we were surprised there was no traffic control assisting with cars exiting the event in a similar manner to what we experienced on arrival. It would have been helpful to have had a ‘traffic light’ system in place which allowed a few cars at a time from each area to exit. In the end, cars were driving all over the field to find the quickest exit which made the queuing time extremely long. It would also be helpful to be told by staff on arrival to make a note of which colour car park you parked in as the field is fairly dark at the end of the event and makes it difficult to find your way back.

Photo credit: PAUL DIXON / THE JOCKEY CLUB LIVE

Overall, we both enjoyed the experience and would attend an event at the racecourse again but feel some improvements would benefit the day, mainly the number of guests allowed to attend and some form of traffic control at the end of the evening.

Rating: 3/5

For more information please visit The Jockey Club Live | Official Tickets & Info

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