Everything you need to know about Ladies Day on Friday at the Randox Grand National 2025

Style is always guaranteed to take centre stage on Friday when interest in what everyone’s wearing is neck and neck with the racing itself.

Ladies Day at Aintree is one of the hottest events in the race calendar – and not just because the sun’s set to be out! – as the glamour and excitement of the Randox Grand National Festival mounts, so here’s everything you need to know…

When is Ladies Day?

The Randox Grand National Festival runs from Thursday, April 3 to Saturday, April 5, with Ladies Day perched perfectly in between on Friday, April 4.

What time does everything start on Ladies Day?

Renowned for its fun and lively atmosphere, Ladies Day’s when Aintree comes alive as fashion meets high-stakes racing, and there’s a definite buzz from the minute the gates open. As a day that’s as much about the spectacle off the track as on it, you want to make sure you get there on time: gates open at 10.30am with the first race getting underway at 1.45pm and the last race at 5.15pm. 

What about the Style Awards?

It’s all about the style on Ladies Day and there will be three winners of the coveted awards – two best dressed racegoers and the most sustainably dressed racegoer. Our own Gemma Cutting and Aintree ambassador Natasha Jonas will be among the judges of the Ladies Day Style Awards for which River Island are once again Official Style Partner and there some great prizes to be won. The winners will be announced from the Red Rum Garden Stage at 3pm. Here are our top tips for getting ahead at the style awards.

Find out more about the Style Awards here.

Is there entertainment on?

You can bet there’s plenty to keep you happy throughout the day with live music and DJs at sites across the course, with Revival on from 12.30pm-6.30pm at the Equestrian Centre , and Fat Cats on between 11am and 1.15pm at the Pravha Bar. You can catch Stray Horns and Fat Cats on the Bandstand between 10.30am-1pm, and 2.25pm-5.10pm respectively, and Brothers of Swing are at Sunloch between 12.30pm-5.10pm. The Toni James Duo is on at the Garden Club from 12.15pm-5.10pm; Rag Tag Misfits at Sefton Arms Entrance from 10.15am-1.20pm; Barrington Powell and Stray Horns are at Silver Birch from 11am-4.35pm, with DJ Mark Armstrong taking over there between 5.20pm-7.20pm, and The Bluebirds and Barrington Powell share spots at Many Clouds between 11.30am and 5.10pm.

As well as the Style Awards, the Red Rum Garden Stage is going to be home to DJs Caleb Laurenson;  Phil Binks with sax & bongos; Kaci Lea, and DJ Kayla with live vocals, between 11am and 2.15pm. Ex Pussycat Doll Kimberley Wyatt is on for her DJ set between 3.35pm-4pm, and DJ Kayla is back on with sax & bongos from 4.10pm-4.35pm. 

And then it’s time for Glitterbox resident and founder of Full Fat, DJ Fat Tony!

What time is Fat Tony on?

DJ Fat Tony takes the stage in the Red Rum Garden between 5.20pm-6.45pm to deliver a show-stopping set. Known for his electrifying performances in Ibiza, Glastonbury and beyond, his celebrated career includes spinning at the most exclusive parties in the world, and he’s the go-to DJ for the likes of British Vogue, Versace and Margiela. You do not want to miss him!

What about food and drink?

Aintree’s definitely not short of choice when it comes to places to eat and drink, whether you fancy street food like pizza, noodles, burgers and curries, or something a bit more traditional like fish and chips or a hog roast. If you want high-end, Chef Patron Paul Askew and his team at The Art School are back with a fine-dining experience in Topham House and, new for this year, you’ll also find BOXPARK who’ll be hosting up to 2,000 in a custom-fitted container space with DJs and street food vendors including BOXPARK favourite Yoki Social Table Korean BBQ, Rock n Rogue, Filthy Fries and ChicNWings. 

Find out more here.

Don’t forget there are new discounts for 2025 too

Grand National rewards are another new addition for this year – getting to the course nice and early will pay off because for the first hour after gates open each day, racegoers can get 20% off all food and drink across the site. There’ll also be grab-and-go meal deals and, on Ladies Day, there’s £10 off bottles of Prosecco.

Find out more here.

What is the best way to get to Aintree for Grand National opening day?

If you’re planning to come by car, there’s parking at the course but it does need to be booked online in advance. The most popular, and hassle-free, way is by bus or train, especially train because Aintree station is only a few minutes’ walk from the racecourse entrance. Merseyrail is running a special service on all three days of the festival, starting on Thursday morning when trains will run every seven-and-a-half-minutes between Liverpool Central/Moorfields and Aintree from around 11am to 1pm… and don’t forget, after a day in those killer heels, they’ll be there as usual handing out free flip flops to help relieve the journey home.

Find out more here.

Book tickets for Ladies Day here.