Horse Racing Ireland has launched a pre-market consultation (PMC) to engage leading international developers, investors and operators in shaping the next phase of development at Leopardstown, Dublin’s only racecourse and one of the country’s most high-profile sporting venues.
The consultation signals the latest step in the evolution of the Leopardstown Campus, with HRI seeking early engagement from global partners to explore the potential delivery of a high-quality indoor arena and a hotel on the site.
While horse racing will remain the primary purpose of the campus, the process aims to unlock additional long-term commercial and placemaking opportunities that would transform Leopardstown into a year-round, multi-use destination.
Owned and operated by HRI, Leopardstown Racecourse stages approximately 23 fixtures annually, including the Christmas Festival, Dublin Racing Festival and Irish Champions Festival. Regarded internationally as a leading racing venue, it hosts some of the world’s most competitive Group 1 and Grade 1 contests and has been synonymous with Irish racing heritage since it first opened in 1888.
Located six miles from Dublin city centre, the campus benefits from direct LUAS access, proximity to the M50 and adjacency to the Sandyford Business District. It sits alongside major multinational employers including Microsoft, Bank of America, ICON, Mastercard and Vodafone, and is next door to One Microsoft Place, one of the technology giant’s principal European hubs.
Following extensive engagement with stakeholders and the wider market, HRI has identified growing appetite for both an arena and hotel development at the site. The campus offers a substantial, well-serviced landholding in a prime metropolitan location, alongside proven demand driven by major sporting, entertainment and cultural events.
An arena at Leopardstown would aim to address what is seen as unmet demand for large-scale indoor events in Dublin, while a hotel would capitalise on year-round footfall generated by race meetings, business activity in Sandyford and international visitors attending events. Together, such developments could position Leopardstown as a 365-day destination, complementing its racing calendar while strengthening its commercial sustainability.
Announcing the consultation, Paul Dermody, CEO of HRI Racecourses, said: “This pre-market consultation marks a significant step in realising the full potential of the Leopardstown Campus. We are engaging openly with leading international developers, investors and operators to understand how best to bring forward a transformative project in one of Dublin’s most strategically located and high-profile destinations.
“With its scale, connectivity, established international reputation and year-round event demand, Leopardstown presents a compelling opportunity for partners seeking to deliver a landmark arena and/or hospitality development within the heart of Dublin. Our objective at this stage is to listen, to test the depth of market interest and to ensure that any future procurement process is informed, ambitious and commercially robust,” Dermody added.
The PMC forms part of a broader listening and engagement phase linked to the Leopardstown Campus Masterplan. In January, HRI hosted a series of stakeholder briefings bringing together representatives from the racing industry, the local community, business interests and the public sector. Those sessions were designed to share information, gather feedback and begin an open dialogue on how the campus might evolve in a way that balances racing tradition with future growth.
Interested parties are invited to submit expressions of interest through the State’s eTenders platform by 3pm on March 11, 2026, with separate consultations covering the proposed hotel and the multi-purpose sports or entertainment arena.
HRI has emphasised that the current process is exploratory in nature, designed to gauge market appetite and shape any future procurement process, rather than committing to a specific development outcome at this stage.
Image Credit: Horse Racing Ireland
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