All you need to know about the social scene at Punchestown Festival 2019

The Punchestown Festival takes place from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th May and is expected to attract a record crowd of 130,000 people. The Festival is a unique combination of top class racing action, brilliant live entertainment, delicious food, style and glamour all topped off with that famous buzzing atmosphere. It is now firmly established as a social and sporting highlight in the Irish calendar and is one not to be missed.

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Here’s a quick look at Punchestown 2019 social scene:

•     Fourteen different bar venues each boasting their own unique style of interior. Choose from the Loft Bar, Archive Bar or Bud Sports Lounge all located on the first floor of the grandstand with brilliant views of the parade ring, general enclosure and just steps away from the viewing terrace.

•  Meanwhile in the reserved enclosure the Bollinger Lounge will be the official HQ of all things fashion as the Punchestown Style Quarter. Ladies are encouraged to make their way to the Bollinger Lounge from 1 o’clock on where the style scouts will be circulating. Just next door is the now famous Sky Bar the centre piece of the social hub at Punchestown. The Hunt Stand, launched on the opening day of Punchestown 2018 is home to the Festival Bar. This venue is ideal to mix both sport and socialising as the track is just metres away while there is easy access to the Sky Bar and Bollinger Lounge.  

•   Music is a key part of the Punchestown experience and most bars and restaurants will round off an evening of racing with a live music session. One winning tip we can give is to bring your dancing shoes. From one man bands, two piece chart covers, modern trad, D.J’s spinning floor fillers, the Ballymore Orchestra and a singalong in the Sky Bar that is now a tradition there is something to suit everyone’s musical taste and abilities!

•    With all the excitement of a day at the races and the fun of the Punchestown party it is important to refuel! Make sure to visit The Feedroom Café at the top of the winners enclosure where a menu of delicious hot dishes (try Philips Famous Chicken Curry – the choice of champions!), cold snacks and decadent desserts. On the ground floor of the grandstand is Hay Café where you can get top class coffee, baked treats and savoury snacks. The Foxes Den in the Hunt Stand will serve a selection of hot and tasty dishes on the go and over 30 food concessions will offer all the favourites.

• During your festival visit make sure to take a stroll down Osprey Avenue where thirty different exhibitors will be showing the best of Irish design, art, jewellery, millinery and clothing.
• Fun for all ages at the AES Family Day on Saturday, 4th May – All children 14 years and under go racing for FREE when accompanied by an adult.

THE NAME’S DRESSED…. ‘BOLLINGER BEST DRESSED’

The search for the Bollinger Best Dressed Lady will be held over the first four days of the Punchestown Festival, while judges and style scouts will be tasked with finding the most stylish ladies in attendance and selecting a number of finalists each day. The daily winner will then progress to the grand final on Ladies Day, Friday 3rd May.

Ladies will be directed to the ‘Style Quarter’ of Festival 2019 situated at the Bollinger Lounge in the Reserved Enclosure. Judging will proceed from 1pm daily so make sure to be there early in order to make those vital first impressions.

The winner of this year’s Bollinger Best Dressed Lady award at the Punchestown Festival will partake in an elite mission as the overall Bollinger Best Dressed Lady prize at the 2019 Punchestown Festival gets a very appeasing new element.The overall winner of the coveted style competition will attend an exclusive invitational screening of the highly anticipated 25th James Bond movie in Paris in April 2020. Bollinger is the champagne of choice for the world’s most famous spy.

In addition, the lucky lady and a friend will enjoy a money can’t buy trip to the Bollinger Estate and Champagne Libraries, France. This trip includes an overnight stay in the beautiful historic town of Reims, the capital of the Champagne region, Michelin dining and luxury overnight stay in Paris, the City of Light. Of course, a private chauffeur, champagne lunch experience and a year’s supply of Bollinger Champagne are a given!

 Bollinger’s philosophy is that “Life Can Be Perfect”, and the family-owned Champagne House stays true to form with a bespoke prize created especially for the winner of Ireland’s most prestigious fashion title. Bollinger is a great champagne of character whose elegance is reminiscent of the famous special agent and qualities our judges will be looking for in this year’s Punchestown winner.

The Punchestown Festival, the social and sporting highlight of the Irish calendar takes place from Tuesday 30th April to Saturday 4th of May at Punchestown Racecourse, Co. Kildare.

For more info or to get your tickets to the Punchestown Festival now, visit: https://punchestown.com/festival-2019/