Events and Programming
Forbury Park Trotting Club Inc is no longer presenting events at the former Forbury Park raceway in Dunedin. The last race meeting at the St Kilda site took place on 8 July 2021, after which the club continued its racing programme at other South Island tracks. The physical venue is now a former racing property rather than a bookable concert, sporting or entertainment venue.
The club’s current programming remains focused on harness racing: mobile and standing-start trots, pacing races, handicap races, junior-driver events, feature finals and club-branded cup meetings. The recent calendar shows a mixture of standard southern racing fixtures, dual-code days and seasonal feature meetings rather than concerts or touring performances.
The verified post-closure record includes a Forbury Park meeting at Wingatui in December 2021 and a March 2022 meeting at Wingatui. In March 2023, the club staged a dual-code meeting at Wingatui with six harness races; reinsman Rory McIlwrick won three of them.
Late 2023 brought one of the club’s most important revival moments. The “Christmas on the Grass” meeting at Wingatui included the Dunedin Trotting Cup, which had not been contested since 1984. The trophy was rediscovered and placed back into competition as part of the club’s effort to preserve the Forbury identity away from its former home track.
In 2024 the club’s fixtures included “Forbury at Oamaru” in January, a winter meeting at Young Quinn Raceway in Wyndham in June, and Christmas on the Grass at Wingatui in December. The 2024 Wyndham programme included the Gold Chip Final and a broad card of pacing and trotting races, while the Wingatui Christmas meeting carried the Forbury Trotting Cup and Forbury Pacing Cup.
The 2025 programme continued the same pattern: a January meeting at Oamaru, a March dual-code meeting at Wingatui, a June winter meeting at Wyndham and the December Cup meeting at Wingatui. The December card included the Forbury Trotting Cup and Forbury Pacing Cup, confirming that the club continues to use historic Dunedin race names as part of its travelling programme.
For 2026, the published schedule included a dual-code Forbury Park meeting at Wingatui on 15 March and a June meeting that ultimately ran at Gore Raceway. The Gore card featured nine races, including the $30,000 Silk Road Final, along with pacing and trotting events over 1,700m, 2,200m and other standard harness distances.
The latest published 2025–26 information listed three club meetings: Wingatui on 7 December 2025, Wingatui on 15 March 2026 and a June fixture that was listed by the club as Wyndham but ran at Gore. The club had sought a new two-day Wingatui arrangement for the wider Dunedin owner and trainer catchment, but the official calendar records that a suitable date arrangement could not be found. No specific reopening of the former Forbury Park venue or replacement Dunedin track has been announced for beyond 2026.
There have also been non-racing activities at the former property. In May 2025, Forbury Park hosted a public South Dunedin Future workshop and drop-in session about flood risk, climate adaptation and possible future land uses. This was a civic consultation rather than a ticketed entertainment event.
Tickets and Booking
There is no current box office for the former Forbury Park raceway, and the Dunedin site does not have a current programme of ticketed race meetings. People looking for a Forbury Park Trotting Club event are attending a meeting at the host venue named in the listing, most often Wingatui, Oamaru, Wyndham or Gore.
Current admission arrangements, hospitality packages and any gate charges are host-track and event specific. The published race programmes reviewed identify race times, fields, stakes and venue locations, but do not provide a reliable, standing ticket-price range for Forbury Park Trotting Club meetings. Do not confuse advertised race stakes, such as $12,000 or $30,000 events, with spectator admission prices.
For popular meetings carrying a cup, final or Christmas programme, the safest approach is to confirm the host racecourse, start time and any hospitality requirements before travelling. There is no verified Forbury Park presale, reserved seating plan or permanent ticket office operating from 146 Victoria Road.
About Forbury Park Trotting Club Inc
Forbury Park was a historic harness-racing and greyhound-racing venue in South Dunedin, close to St Clair Beach. The property covered approximately 12.2 hectares during the racing era and contained a compact oval track, grandstands, horse stables, hospitality facilities and open areas used for other activities.
The site was first used by the Otago Jockey Club from 1871 to 1899. After the jockey club moved to Wingatui, the Tahuna Park Trotting Club acquired the property for £6,250 and laid a 1,000-metre track. The first Forbury Park meeting took place on 26 November 1909, attracting approximately 12,000 racegoers at an admission price of five cents.
The existing grandstand associated with the club offices, drivers and stewards was completed in 1921. Floodlights were installed in 1960, enabling the first South Island night-trotting meeting at Forbury Park on 26 January 1961. By 1965 the venue had an all-weather track and a new members’ stand ready for the Interdominions.
The club’s closure followed an Otago-Southland tri-code racing review that concluded the venue was no longer financially sustainable and that substantial infrastructure repairs would be required. The final meeting drew about 1,000 people. In February 2024, Dunedin City Council confirmed the purchase of the former site for $13.2 million.
The Forbury Park Trotting Club itself continues as a racing organisation. An agreement reached in 2024 established a club fund and a larger racing-related investment fund; the club’s share is intended to generate income for racing initiatives in the Otago region.
Seating and Layout
Forbury Park was an outdoor racecourse rather than a conventional seated performance venue. The layout centred on the oval harness track, with spectator stands on one side and horse-handling, stable and operational areas around the complex. The property had two stands described by Harness Racing New Zealand as “one old and one very old”, together with a bar, restaurant and takeaway facility.
The 1921 grandstand housed club administration, drivers and stewards. The members’ stand added for the 1965 Interdominions provided a second significant spectator structure, but no authoritative source identifies a complete fixed seating capacity, numbered-seat map or modern configuration. The 15,000 spectators recorded for the 1965 Interdominion finals describe attendance at a major historic occasion, not the venue’s permanent capacity.
The harness track was approximately 1,000 metres long. Greyhound racing used an inner sand-based track with recorded distances of 310m, 545m and 770m. The compact oval and relatively close relationship between spectators and the racing line were central to the venue’s character, but no current viewing positions or seating sections are available because the raceway is closed.
There were no published VIP-box, corporate-suite or concert-style general-admission configurations that can be treated as current. Forbury’s historic viewing experience was informal and racecourse-oriented: grandstand seating, members’ areas, open-air trackside observation and hospitality rooms rather than tiered auditorium seating.
Getting There and Parking
The former Forbury Park address was 146 Victoria Road, in the St Kilda area of South Dunedin. The same address was used for the 2025 South Dunedin Future community workshop. It is close to the St Clair coastal area and the St Clair–St Kilda neighbourhoods.
Because the property is no longer a raceway open for public events, there is no current event parking plan, paid-car-park tariff, rideshare drop-off point or race-day traffic arrangement to rely on. Historic visitor reviews from before closure mentioned on-site and roadside parking, but those comments should not be treated as present-day permission or availability.
Public transport connections, walking routes from bus stops and mobility-parking arrangements have not been published as part of a current Forbury Park event operation. Anyone attending a Forbury Park Trotting Club meeting should use the transport and parking information for the host racecourse rather than travelling to Victoria Road expecting racing.
Inside the Venue
Historically, race nights combined open-air harness racing with a clubhouse atmosphere. The complex included a bar, restaurant and takeaway venue, horse stables, operational offices and two stands. Visitor accounts from 2020 described free entry, food and drink service, greyhound racing and a casual night-at-the-races atmosphere. Those reviews are useful historical snapshots but do not describe a current visitor experience.
Forbury Park was known for cold winter race nights, a fast sand-based racing surface and floodlit fixtures. The first floodlights were installed in 1960, and a later trade-history account records a major lighting upgrade in 1990. No authoritative technical schedule has been found for the former venue’s loudspeakers, microphones, control desks, video screens, broadcast infrastructure, electrical capacity or concert production equipment.
No current public-entry rules, bag policy, coat-check information, merchandise arrangements, Wi-Fi details or restroom map has been published for the former venue. The club’s current meetings use the facilities and policies of their host racecourses.
Nearby Amenities
Forbury Park’s former location sits near the St Clair coastal precinct, where the esplanade has restaurants and cafés. That setting helped give race nights a distinctive South Dunedin identity: a working raceway close to the beach, residential streets and established community sports facilities.
There is no current pre-show or post-show routine at the former venue because no public entertainment programme operates there. Hotel choice, late-night transport and dining plans should be based on the host racecourse for the particular Forbury Park club meeting. A meeting at Wingatui, Oamaru, Wyndham or Gore is a different travel proposition from the historic St Kilda raceway.
What Makes This Venue Special
Forbury Park’s cultural importance comes from its long connection with Dunedin harness racing. The club began meeting at nearby Tahuna Park in 1892 before moving to the larger Forbury site. Over more than a century, the venue became associated with the Dunedin Festival Cup, the Otago racing community, night trotting and a succession of champion pacers and trotters.
The defining historic event was the 1965 Interdominions. More than 52,000 people attended over four days, with approximately 15,000 present for the finals. Poupette won the trotters’ final, while Jay Ar and Robin Dundee dead-heated in the pacers’ final, the first and only dead heat in Interdominion final history. The meeting was regarded locally as an exceptional economic and civic event.
The venue also hosted notable horses including Lord Module, Courage Under Fire, Auckland Reactor and Adore Me. Local racing memories include the roar for Manaroa’s Festival Cup victories and the intimacy of hearing race commentary close to the track. Those traditions now travel with the club’s cup names, trophies and race meetings rather than with a functioning Dunedin racecourse.
Community, Economic and Cultural Impact
Forbury Park was once a significant local gathering place and a regional racing drawcard. The 1965 Interdominions brought tens of thousands of visits across four days and was described in local material as one of Dunedin’s major money-making events of the period. The site also supported racing staff, trainers, drivers, stable workers, hospitality operations and associated suppliers.
Its closure removed a long-standing public sporting venue from South Dunedin, but the property’s value has since shifted toward land, flood resilience and community planning. Dunedin City Council bought the 11.76-hectare site in 2024, and current planning material describes design work to incorporate it into a green infrastructure network supporting flood alleviation, community space and recreation.
The site’s low-lying position and high water table make it relevant to South Dunedin’s long-term climate-adaptation work. Community engagement has included options for wetlands, water storage, green space and public infrastructure. No final redevelopment design has been confirmed, so the future should be described as planning and design work rather than a completed park, housing development or replacement venue.
Visitor Tips and Information
Do not travel to 146 Victoria Road expecting a race meeting, concert or normal venue entry. The former raceway closed after its final race on 8 July 2021, and the property is now part of a council-led future-use process. Forbury Park Trotting Club events are held at other racecourses.
Accessibility information for the former raceway is not currently published, and there is no confirmed accessible-seating plan, step-free public entrance, accessible toilet map or mobility drop-off arrangement for present-day visitors. Because this is no longer a public event venue, historic assumptions about access should not be relied upon.
No current Forbury Park bag rules, dress code, age restrictions, photography policy, food policy or weather policy have been verified. Host venues may apply their own rules. For race-day viewing, practical clothing suited to southern New Zealand weather remains sensible, but that is general advice rather than a published Forbury Park requirement.
The most useful insider tip is to search by the club name and host track together. “Forbury Park” may refer to the historic Dunedin venue, while a current race listing may say Forbury Park Trotting Club at Wingatui, Oamaru, Wyndham or Gore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Forbury Park Trotting Club still operating?
Yes, the club continues as a harness-racing organisation, but it no longer operates from the former Forbury Park raceway in Dunedin. Its meetings are staged at other South Island racecourses, including Wingatui, Oamaru, Wyndham and Gore. The club’s name remains attached to race programmes, cup meetings and regional racing initiatives.
Is Forbury Park Raceway open to the public?
The former raceway is not operating as a normal public entertainment or racing venue. Racing ended on 8 July 2021, and Dunedin City Council purchased the land in February 2024. The site has been used for community consultation connected with South Dunedin’s future, but that does not mean it functions as a regular visitor attraction or event venue.
Where are Forbury Park Trotting Club meetings held now?
Recent meetings have been held at Wingatui near Mosgiel, Oamaru Racecourse, Young Quinn Raceway in Wyndham and Gore Raceway. Wingatui has been particularly important because it is near Dunedin and can support dual-code meetings. The exact host changes by season and date, so the listed venue is more important than the Forbury name when planning travel.
Are there Forbury Park events in 2026?
There were verified Forbury Park Trotting Club meetings at Wingatui on 15 March 2026 and Gore Raceway on 21 June 2026. These were harness-racing meetings, not events at the old Dunedin venue. The June card included the Silk Road Final and several pacing and trotting races. No 2026 reopening or racing fixture at Victoria Road has been announced.
Will Forbury Park reopen as a racecourse?
There is no announced plan to reopen the former raceway as a racecourse. The land has been sold to Dunedin City Council, while the club’s meetings have moved to other tracks. Planning material now focuses on possible flood mitigation, green infrastructure, community space and recreation. Any future change would require a new decision and should not be assumed from the club’s continuing name.
What was the address of the old venue?
The former Forbury Park site was at 146 Victoria Road in South Dunedin, in the St Kilda area near St Clair Beach. That address remains useful for identifying the historic property and council consultation location, but it should not be treated as a current race-day entrance or ticket office. Current club meetings are held at the host racecourse named in the event listing.
How long was the Forbury Park track?
The harness track was approximately 1,000 metres around. Historical descriptions also identify a sand-based racing surface, while greyhound racing used an inner track with recorded race distances of 310m, 545m and 770m. These are historic venue specifications only; current Forbury Park club meetings use the track dimensions and surfaces of Wingatui, Oamaru, Wyndham or Gore.
Did Forbury Park have a fixed seating capacity?
No authoritative source reviewed gives a complete permanent seating capacity. The venue had two stands, including a 1921 grandstand and a members’ stand associated with the 1965 Interdominions. Attendance figures are available for major occasions, including 15,000 at the 1965 finals and about 1,000 at the final 2021 meeting, but those figures are not a formal capacity specification.
What was the most important event held at Forbury Park?
The 1965 Interdominions was the venue’s signature event. It was the first Interdominions held in New Zealand outside Christchurch or Auckland, attracted more than 52,000 spectators across four days and produced the only dead heat in Interdominion final history. Jay Ar and Robin Dundee shared the pacers’ final, while Poupette won the trotters’ final.
When did night racing begin at Forbury Park?
Floodlights were installed in 1960, and the first South Island night-trotting meeting at Forbury Park took place on 26 January 1961. Night racing became one of the venue’s defining traditions, especially during cold winter fixtures. Later lighting work was also reported, but a full modern lighting specification, lux level or control-system description has not been published.
Did Forbury Park host greyhound racing?
Yes. The former complex hosted both harness racing and greyhound racing. Historical track information records greyhound distances of 310m, 545m and 770m on a sand-mix surface. Greyhound racing ended at the site when the broader Forbury racing operation closed. Current Forbury Park Trotting Club meetings are harness-racing programmes at other venues, not greyhound fixtures at Victoria Road.
Can I buy tickets for a Forbury Park event at the old venue?
No current ticket office or public box office operates from the former Dunedin property. If a Forbury Park Trotting Club meeting is listed, ticketing and admission arrangements belong to the host racecourse. Published race programmes reviewed do not establish a permanent Forbury ticket price, presale system or reserved-seat plan that applies across all meetings.
What parking is available at Forbury Park?
There is no verified current event-parking arrangement for the former site. Historic visitor reviews mentioned on-site and roadside parking before closure, but those observations are dated and do not establish present permission, capacity or cost. Visitors attending a current club meeting should use the parking instructions for Wingatui, Oamaru, Wyndham or Gore rather than relying on old Forbury information.
Is the former venue accessible for wheelchair users?
A current accessibility audit or detailed public-access plan for the former raceway has not been published. There is no verified current information covering step-free entry, accessible seating, mobility parking or accessible toilets. Because the property is no longer operating as a regular event venue, visitors should not assume that historic stands, entrances or facilities meet contemporary accessibility expectations.
What food and drink did Forbury Park offer?
Harness Racing New Zealand’s site description identified a bar, restaurant and takeaway venue within the former complex. Visitor reviews from before closure also described food, drinks and a casual race-night atmosphere. These facilities should be treated as historical, not current amenities. Food and beverage options for a new Forbury club meeting depend on the host racecourse.
Why was Forbury Park closed?
The closure followed a regional review of thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing. The review concluded that the venue was no longer financially viable, that racing infrastructure was tired and that significant repair costs would be required. The wider racing system also had more venues than it could sustainably maintain. The final Forbury meeting was held on 8 July 2021.
What is planned for the former Forbury Park land?
Dunedin City Council is considering the site as part of South Dunedin’s flood-adaptation and regeneration work. Current planning material refers to green infrastructure, stormwater management, community space and recreation. Design work is underway, but no final redevelopment layout has been confirmed. It is therefore too early to describe the land as a completed park, housing project or replacement entertainment venue.
Does Forbury Park still matter to Dunedin?
Yes. The venue remains important as a century-long centre of harness racing, a site of major regional gatherings and a memorable part of South Dunedin’s sporting culture. Its sale also gives the city a rare large parcel of land for flood planning and community use. The club’s continued racing programme and historic cup names preserve part of that identity beyond the old track.
