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Kentucky Derby 2024: Average ticket price reaches staggering all-time high

profilephotocropby:Suzanne Halliburton•05/01/24•

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kentucky derby tickets
Michael Clevenger and Christopher Granger via USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

You’ve got your outfit picked out for the Kentucky Derby. It’s either pastel or plaid, maybe both. There’s the appropriate hat. The party invites are in hand. Red roses are a plus.

Now, do you have a ticket to attend one of the biggest parties in the country? Because if not, prepare to pay big bucks.

The Kentucky Derby is officially a sell out. Back when tickets were available, standing room general admission tickets had a starting price of $275. A private suite cost $135,000 to reserve to watch the Run for the Roses.

If you wanted to have a seat at Churchill Downs, well, those cost a minimum of $650. A seat for a dining experience was $1,375. The Kentucky Derby “experience” packages were $2,199. Add a hotel room, and the price goes up to $7,701.

But those prices are obsolete. Your best bet is to go through a third-party ticket company.

kentucky derby outfits
Three women show off their Kentucky Derby outfits, with fancy hats, last May. It’s a see-and-be-seen event. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Kentucky Derby GA tickets are SRO, but seats are expensive

You can still get into the Kentucky Derby for fairly cheap. But don’t expect much from these tickets. General admission tickets go for $130 at TicketMaster. Those are standing room only tickets to get into the infield. But there’s no view of the track. What’s the point, right? Guess it’s to see and be seen. You need to show off the outfits. Infield entry to the area around the final turn also is for standing room only with no track view. Those tickets go for $320.

if you’d love a reserved seat, those go for $975. A dining experience is $1,786. If you’d love a premiere experience, it’s $5,814. And none of these prices include the additional fees. You may need some extra bourbon in your mint julep to justify the cost.

But the Kentucky Derby is an event, not just a competition. There are parties throughout the week leading up to the actual race. Celebrities will flock to Louisville to see and be seen at everything. Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes were two big sports stars who had a huge presence at the Derby.

So people watching is part of the experience. It’ll just be expensive.