Saddle up for Silks Under the Stars at the Gold Coast Turf Club.
Saddle up for Silks Under the Stars at the Gold Coast Turf Club.
If you’ve been dreaming of experiencing the thrill of live racing beneath the twinkling night sky, your dreams are about to gallop into reality. The Gold Coast Turf Club is kicking off the Summer Racing Carnival with its first-ever Silks Under The Stars night racing event on Friday, December 20.
It’s the dawn of a new era for the club following their massive $73 million Tracks, Tunnel, and Lights redevelopment. The lights are on, and the excitement is high! To mark this epic occasion, free general admission is up for grabs, so you really have no excuse to miss it.
The glittering night kicks off a racing extravaganza that brings together high-speed thrills, entertainment, and a jaw-dropping light show to illuminate the track. Picture it now: the city’s finest horses thundering down the straight, shadows cast by the brand-new state-of-the-art lighting system—pure magic under the stars.
Gold Coast Turf Club CEO Steve Lines is understandably excited, calling it a new chapter for the club. He explained that the lighting installation is the result of over a decade of hard work, marking a new era for the club as it aims to become Queensland’s second Metropolitan Club. “It’s going to be a historic night, and we’re expecting a massive crowd to celebrate the occasion,” Lines said.
The Silks Under the Stars event represents much more than just a one-off racing night—it’s the start of something special. Gold Coast night racing has long been a dream, and it’s finally being realized with a series of successful lighting tests, including a twilight race on October 5. According to Lines, the night racing setup opens new doors for tourism and puts Gold Coast racing on the map, both interstate and internationally. Talk about setting the scene for a global stage!
Feeling a little extra? For those looking to turn this special evening into a VIP experience, the Christmas Festive Feast offers an indulgent way to enjoy the night. For $200 per person, you can revel in the excitement from the comfort of the Event Centre, enjoying a gourmet meal and all the luxuries that come with it. With limited corporate hospitality packages available, this is the chance to elevate your evening and soak up the event in true style.
The Silks Under the Stars is only the beginning of the new Summer Carnival. As part of the Turf Club’s biggest racing festival ever, the fun continues into January with a second Night Racing event on Friday, January 24, just ahead of the Australia Day long weekend. This thrilling two-part series sets a new benchmark for the Gold Coast’s racing culture and gives locals and visitors alike even more reason to celebrate this summer.
So, dust off your finest race-day outfit, gather your mates, and get ready to experience racing like never before! Whether you’re trackside for free or indulging in the corporate feast, Silks Under the Stars promises to be a race night that’ll shine bright in Gold Coast history.
Be there as the lights go on, and Gold Coast racing enters a dazzling new chapter!
When: 4 pm-10 pm, December 20, 2024
Where: Racecourse Dr, Bundall
Website: gctc.com.au
Instagram: @gcturfclub
Words by Chelsea Ipsen