If you live on the Central Coast, you definitely know The Entertainment Grounds.
You probably drive past it all the time – the immaculate track, the grandstand, the crowds rolling in, horses doing laps during a quiet moment. Some days it’s races with people dressed to the nines. Other days it’s bump-in trucks and marquees going up. We get FOMO every time we drive past because there always seems to be something going on.
Home to Gosford Race Club for over 100 years, the racecourse is the most recognisable part of The Entertainment Grounds – beautifully maintained and impossible to miss. But what a lot of locals don’t always realise is that beyond the rails and the finishing post sits one of the most versatile event venues on the Central Coast.
Celebrate the end of the year in style at The Entertainment Grounds
It’s never too early to be thinking about Christmas parties and end-of-season celebrations… because trust us, you don’t want to be left panic-searching venues when every Friday night in December is suddenly booked out.
This is exactly why plenty of Central Coast businesses, sporting clubs and organisations are locking things in early at The Entertainment Grounds. And after countless meetings, spreadsheets, weekend sports, fundraising, and those quick catch-ups that are never quick… we highly recommend outsourcing the party planning so you can end the year on a high!
A versatile event venue in Gosford
A big part of the appeal is how flexible the spaces are at The Entertainment Grounds. The Panorama Lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views, works beautifully for larger work events and lively social gatherings. The Lakeview Room handles bigger crowds comfortably, with room for speeches, dancefloors and live entertainment. Then there’s Riverdale Bar & Courtyard and The Carousel, which are ideal for cocktail-style gatherings and more relaxed events.
It never feels overly corporate or stiff. You can go formal if you want to, but it still feels relaxed and welcoming in that very Coastie way. Plenty of natural light, indoor-outdoor flow, space to move, and enough parking that nobody’s circling West Gossy for 20 minutes.
Festive functions at The Entertainment Grounds
The Entertainment Grounds knows a thing or two about Christmas parties, with year-end celebration packages designed to take the stress out of organising a genuinely good night out.
The Classic Package includes canapés, a two-course menu, DJ, dancefloor, Christmas theming and private venue hire, while the Premium Package adds a four-hour beverage package.
There’s also a bunch of optional extras if you want to go all-in for your festive bash – grazing stations, photobooths, additional entertainment and styling upgrades included. Basically, you can keep things simple and relaxed, or turn it into the kind of merry, memorable night people are still talking about at the first staff meeting back in January.
And if we’re being honest, it’s a relief letting someone else handle the logistics.
No chasing caterers. No awkward Bluetooth speaker setup. No trying to work out where speeches fit between meals. The events team has done this enough times to know exactly how these nights tend to run, so nobody ends up troubleshooting speakers halfway through dinner.
Presentation night packages for Central Coast sports clubs
That same setup also makes The Entertainment Grounds a seriously good option for sports presentation & awards nights.
Because if you’ve ever helped organise one, you’ll know they’re no small task. You need enough room for players, parents and coaches. You need everyone to be able to hear the speeches. You don’t want the kids to be climbing the walls halfway through the presentations. And you need the night to feel special enough to honour the season everyone’s just had.
The Entertainment Grounds gets that balance right.Their presentation night packages include room hire, AV, projector and stage setup, catering and dedicated event planners as standard, while the upgraded All Stars Package adds a DJ, dancefloor and party lighting for clubs keen to let loose. Optional extras like mocktails on arrival, 360 video photobooth and a pro photographer mean you can create the kind of night your team will be excited about.
End-of-year events made easy
These kinds of nights matter. It’s important that we give ourselves and our teams the chance to acknowledge the wins, thank the people behind the scenes, hand out a few well-earned awards and bring everyone together.
And hey, if you’re going to plan an event, you may as well do it somewhere that knows how to make it feel like a proper celebration.
Thinking of something different for your Christmas Party or Year-End Celebrations?
Instead of the usual end-of-year function, make it an experience to remember and spend it at the races! Celebrate in style with a unique day out at the track, combining live racing, great atmosphere and festive hospitality.
Book one of the versatile hospitality package available at The Entertainment Grounds and bring your team together for an unforgettable end-of-year celebration at the races.
2026 dates Include:
- Thursday 5 November
- Saturday 21 November
- Thursday 3 December
- Thursday 17 December
- Tuesday 29 December
- Wednesday 31 December
Click here to view all upcoming events and book a package, or learn more about private functions.
Choose The Entertainment Grounds for your Central Coast events
The Entertainment Grounds isn’t just a racecourse that hosts the occasional function. It’s a purpose-built, multi-use function venue in Gosford that’s almost always in motion. Races, weddings, conferences, exhibitions, concerts… if it involves people gathering and having a good time, chances are it’s happened here. There’s a reason it always looks busy – because it is.
Of course, race days are where it all began, and they’re still a big part of the story.
With around 24 race meetings a year, it’s not just about the horses, it’s about the hospitality. Curated race day packages are perfect for hosting clients, rounding up mates or planning something a bit special for work. The venue does the heavy lifting, the food and drinks are sorted, and you can actually enjoy the day rather than managing it.
That same ease carries through to the broader range of event and function packages on offer. With a stack of flexible indoor and outdoor spaces, they’ve nailed the balance between polished and relaxed. Floor-to-ceiling glass, manicured lawns, modern AV, and in-house catering comes together seamlessly.
No need to organise half a dozen suppliers – the pieces are already in place. And with rooms available for small gatherings of 10 guests through to large-scale events of up to 330 pax in the Lakeview Room, you’ll find a space that fits without paying for more than you need.
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Easy event and function packages at The Entertainment Grounds
Looking for a wedding venue on the Central Coast that feels both special and stress-free? From intimate ceremonies to grand receptions, the dedicated events team at The Entertainment Grounds works closely with couples to bring their big day together just the way they imagined.
It’s also a popular choice for school formals – plenty of space, great photo backdrops and a stress-free experience for schools or organisers. Milestone birthdays, engagement parties, sports presentations… these guys know how to scale an event without it ever feeling cookie-cutter. And come Christmas, they’ve got end-of-year packages that suit everything from casual catch-ups to full-scale corporate celebrations.
This versatility really comes into play for corporate events on the Central Coast. Conferences, seminars, networking nights, exhibitions and trade shows are all right at home thanks to the size of the grounds and the experience of the events team behind the scenes. There’s plenty of free parking (a rare win), natural light throughout, and enough tech support that organisers aren’t left troubleshooting on the day.
Learn more about their versatile function and event packages here.
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Why The Entertainment Grounds works so well
The Entertainment Grounds is confident in what it offers: space, service, and thoughtfully designed packages that make life easier for the people planning the event. You can tell it’s a venue that’s been doing this a long time – and doing it well. It makes perfect sense why so many Central Coast events call this place home.
And next time you drive past and wonder what’s happening in there? Maybe it’s time to find out for yourself.
The Entertainment Grounds
4 Racecourse Road, Gosford
(02) 4325 0461
theentertainmentgrounds.com.au
The Central Coast’s Richest Race Day
May 2026
Circle Saturday, 9 May on the calendar – this is the one everyone talks about.
The Coast Race Day returns to The Entertainment Grounds for 2026 with more than $2 million in prize money on the line, featuring:
- $500,000 feature race, The Coast
- $300,000 Guardian Gosford Gold Cup
- $250,000 De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target
It’s officially the richest race day on the Central Coast, and the energy reflects it.
Trackside, it’s a full ten-race program with punters podium.
Off it, the rest of the venue comes to life in a big way. Live music from Red Roy, fashion spotters clocking the best dressed, a Glam Bar with MUA April Harvey to get race-day ready (or last-minute touch-ups), and the Steinbok Brands cocktail bar keeping things moving between races.
The sold-out UDL Trackside Party with DJ Moody Tiger Pants will definitely bring the energy, and there’s no shortage of delicious food to match.
For something a little more curated, there are a couple of standout hospitality options worth locking in early.
The Italian Long Lunch ($199) promises a vibrant, shared-style experience curated by Chef Daniel (At Baker St and Fork’N’Knife Catering), set on the front lawn with racetrack views. With a Limoncello Spritz on arrival, live cooking, a grazing station with woodfired flatbread, a two-course menu paired with De Bortoli wines, and roaming dessert (including Chef Daniel’s signature wheelbarrow tiramisu) to finish – this is a really special way to experience The Coast Race Day.
Or if you’re after something more elevated, the Lakeview All-Inclusive Package ($259) delivers a three-course lunch with a six-hour premium beverage package, all from your own reserved table in the Lakeview mezzanine. With sweeping views over the racecourse and winning straight, full TAB and bookmaker access, and your own SKY TV monitor, it’s a comfortable base for the day with everything taken care of.
And once the last race wraps up, it doesn’t just end there. The celebrations roll on with DJ Aria taking over into the afternoon, and the $100,000 Golden Moment gives you a shot at some seriously big prizes, from cash to cars.
It’s a day that really shows The Entertainment Grounds at its best: big, vibrant, and built to host events that draw a crowd.
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