Watch Royal Ascot 2026, as the Queen Anne Stakes (9.30am ET / 2.30pm BST) headlines Day 1 of the festival. The traditional opener is worth £800,000, £453,680 of which will go to the winner, making the Group 1-rated one-mile race the third-most lucrative event of the five-day festival.
Notable Speech, ridden by William Buick, is the pre-race favourite, though last year’s Queen Anne Stakes winner Docklands, mounted by Mark Zahra, is back to defend his crown.
There are 35 races in total across the five-day festival at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, including eight Group 1 runs. The King Charles III Stakes (10.40am ET / 3.40pm BST) and St James’ Palace Stakes (11.20am ET / 4.20pm BST) are the other main attractions on Day 1.
Overpass and Joshua Parr are being hotly tipped for King Charles III Stakes glory, while 2,000 Guineas winner Bow Echo, ridden by Billy Loughnane, looks like the one to beat in the St James’ Palace Stakes.
Read on for our guide on where to watch Royal Ascot 2026 live streams online, on TV and potentially for free wherever you are.
Can you watch Royal Ascot 2026 for free?
Yes. Royal Ascot 2026 is free-to-air on ITVX in the UK, Virgin Media Play in Ireland, and 7Plus in Australia.
Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Royal Ascot as if you were right at home. NordVPN is our top pick of the options.
How to watch Royal Ascot 2026 using a VPN
A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it’s back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.
How to watch Royal Ascot 2026 live streams in the US
Horse racing fans in the US can watch complete Royal Ascot coverage on Peacock.
The Peacock price starts at $10.99/month or $109.99/year for a plan that carries live sports.
Saturday’s action will also be shown on NBC.
If you don’t have the channel on cable, it’s available through Sling –…
