Cheltenham Racecourse

The Home of National Hunt Racing & Cheltenham Festival

Located in Prestbury Park, Cheltenham Racecourse became the established venue for National Hunt racing in 1911 and is best known for hosting the prestigious Cheltenham Festival and many other revered race meetings.

Cheltenham Racecourse provides the ideal setting to enjoy high-class racing throughout the season. The Racecourse stretches over 350-acres and is known for its natural amphitheatre style environment, ensuring racegoers have an exceptional racing experience. Whether you’re a horse racing fanatic or seeking a fun day out with friends and family, there is something for everyone at Cheltenham Racecourse.

Over the last two centuries, the number of spectators that descend upon the Cheltenham Racecourse has increased by the thousands, with the Cheltenham Festival being the Racecourse’s main event.

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Cheltenham Racecourse Hospitality

Eventmasters are proud to provide official Cheltenham Racecourse hospitality packages as the best horses from the UK and Ireland battle it out on the iconic Cheltenham turg. Experience the Cheltenham Festival in VIP style with our range of corporate facilities, including Silks Restaurant and The Venue for all major racing events at Cheltenham Racecourse.

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Cheltenham Festival 2023

Enjoy the very best hospitality at Cheltenham Racecourse with our wide range of VIP hospitality options. Guests can enjoy a Private box experience like no other, though there are plenty of exclusive facilities to choose from to ensure a first-class hospitality experience.

Cheltenham Racecourse is one of the most prestigious courses in the world. Set in the gorgeous Prestbury Park, it hosts the Cheltenham Festival in March 2026. Also famous for its ‘roar’, the atmosphere at Cheltenham is simply electric. Cheltenham Racecourse hospitality facilities are also as you’d expect; superb, with restaurants, private boxes and marquees available.

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Cheltenham Racecourse Hospitality for Cheltenham Festival 2026

Watch our exclusive interview with legendary jockey Steve Smith Eccles

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Cheltenham Racecourse History

In 1815, on Nottingham Hill, the first official horse race at Cheltenham took place during the first flat meeting. Three years later, racing was also introduced on Cleeve Hill, surrounding Prestbury Park. Over time, horse racing grew in popularity, with 30,000 people attending the annual two-day July meeting, which featured the old Gold Cup, a 3m flat race. Due to the main grandstand burning down, racing at Cheltenham moved to Prestbury Park in 1831. Steeplechasing began in Andoversford in 1834 and was later relocated to the current track in 1898, now recognised as Jumps racing headquarters.

The Racecourse Holdings Trust (now widely known as the Jockey Club) was established in 1964 to ensure the future of racing at Cheltenham. The Jockey Club currently owns 14 racecourses, including Newmarket, Lambourn, Epsom and the National Stud, including jump, flat, dual-purpose and training grounds. It reinvests all proceeds back into British racing to assure the group’s future success. The Best Mate Enclosure, right in the heart of the Racecourse, received a £3 million investment between 2003 and 2004, offering a new grandstand with the best views of the racing. £17 million was invested in The Centaur, Cheltenham’s biggest venue and news conference facilities.

Cheltenham Horse Races

Cheltenham Racecourse plays host to highlighted racing throughout the Cheltenham horse race season. There’s a whole range of meetings to experience, from novice racing and trials to the renowned Cheltenham Festival. Racing events throughout the season include:

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival returns for five enthralling days of racing from Tuesday 10th to Friday 13th March 2026.

  • It opens with Champion Day, followed by Ladies Day, St. Patrick’s Thursday, and Gold Cup Day.
  • The Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase, Stayers’ Hurdle, and Gold Cup are all feature races for each day.
  • More than 250,000 spectators attend on average over the four days.
  • It is the biggest meeting of the National Hunt Racing season.
  • In 2025, the total prize money on offer was £4.93 million.
  • The Prestbury Cup is awarded to which nation (Britain or Ireland) wins the most races across the four days of the Cheltenham Festival.

The Showcase Meeting – October

The Showcase Meeting is the opening fixture of the season for Cheltenham Racecourse, and the start of the new National Hunt season in the UK and Ireland.

  • Takes place over two days, from Friday 24th to Saturday 25th October 2025.
  • The feature races are the squareintheair.com Handicap Steeple Chase and the William Hill Best Odds Guaranteed Handicap Steeple Chase.
  • The event attracts top class novice hurdlers and chasers.
  • First major social racing event of the jump season.
  • Provides early clues for racegoers ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.

The November Meeting

The November Meeting is set to return to Cheltenham Racecourse for two days of enthralling action, from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November 2025.

  • This is the first major multi day meeting of the Jump season in the UK.
  • Provides indicators for Cheltenham Festival contenders.
  • The Paddy Power Gold Cup is the most prestigious race of the meeting.
  • First November Meeting Gold Cup took place in 1960, won by Pat Taaffe’s Fortria.
  • The most recent November Meeting in 2024 had a total attendance of approximately 61,000.
  • At Eventmasters, we offer the Private Grandstand Box Hospitality Package for the November Meeting, which holds parties of 12 or 18 people.

The Christmas Meeting – December

The Christmas Meeting is one of the biggest events of the National Hunt season, with the December Gold Cup one of the headline races for this two day race meeting at Cheltenham.

  • The 2025 Christmas Meeting takes place from Friday 12th to Saturday 13th December 2025.
  • We offer Private Grandstand Box Hospitality, with the box able to hold groups of 12 or 18 guests.
  • Boxes are accompanied by a viewing balcony that overlooks the winning line.
  • Gemirande, ridden by Jockey Charlie Deutsch, won the most recent December Gold Cup in 2024.
  • Has a warm, festive, and family friendly atmosphere.
  • There is a family fun zone, as well as live music in the Guinness Village.
  • It is the final major meeting at Cheltenham before Christmas.

New Year’s Day Meeting

The New Year’s Day Meeting is the opening jumps meeting of 2026 at Cheltenham, and it is known as ‘Cheltenham’s Big Day Out’. It also has a warm, family friendly atmosphere.

  • Takes place on Thursday 1st January 2026.
  • Gates open at 10:30am, with the first race getting underway at 12:20pm.
  • Has a festive, friendly, and social atmosphere, attracting serious racing fans and families in equal measure.
  • The Relkeel Hurdle is one of the biggest races of the day, won in 2025 by Nico de Boinville’s Lucky Place.
  • Features a seven race card, with the final race being held at 15:50 in the afternoon.

Festival Trials Day – January

The Festival Trials Day is an exciting day of racing in the build-up to the Cheltenham Festival later on in the year.

  • The 2026 Festival Trials Day will be held on Saturday 24th
  • We offer the Private Grandstand Box Package for parties of 12 or 18 guests.
  • The Cleeve Hurdle and the Betfair Cotswold Steeple Chase are two of the best races of the day.
  • Racing starts at 12:40, with the action then coming to a close with the seventh and final race at 16:10 in the afternoon.
  • Features post-race entertainment, including live music and family friendly activities.

The April Meeting

The April Meeting is the penultimate event of the jumps season, with the action taking place over two days at Prestbury Park in 2026.

  • The 2026 April Meeting will be held from Wednesday 15th to Thursday 16th April 2026.
  • One of the biggest races of the meeting is the Silver Trophy Handicap Chase.
  • The most recent winner of the Silver Trophy Handicap Chase was Harry Skelton’s Riskintheground in April 2025.
  • Private Box Hospitality is available for this race meeting, accompanied by a viewing balcony overlooking the winning line.
  • Has a lively, relaxed, and social atmosphere.

Hunter Chase Evening – May

The Hunter Chase Evening is the only evening event that is held at Cheltenham Racecourse that features amateur jockeys and trainers.

  • The 2026 Hunter Chase Evening takes place on Friday 1st
  • The Jonathan Neesom Memorial Mixed Open Hunters’ Chase is one of the biggest races of the evening.
  • Racing gets underway at 16:35pm, with the action concluding with the seventh race at 20:05pm.
  • Concludes the racing season at Cheltenham.
  • The Private Box Hospitality is on offer for this event, accompanied with a balcony overlooking the winning line.
  • Box holds parties of 12 or 18 guests.

Travelling to Cheltenham Racecourse

Please use the map provided for further information.

How do I get to Cheltenham Racecourse by car?

The journey from London to Cheltenham takes approximately two hours and an hour from Birmingham or Bristol. Traffic to the Racecourse can build up quickly during peak times, so give yourself ample travelling time when visiting and leaving to attend racing at Cheltenham.

Your parking label is colour coded and will correspond to the colour of your parking zone.

Directions from the M5 heading north:

Exit the M5 at Junction 11:

Follow the A40 towards Cheltenham. At the first roundabout (Arle Court), take the third exit. Take the first exit following signs to Cheltenham Racecourse (Princess Elizabeth Way), continuing to follow signs for Bishops Cleeve and Park & Ride. Take the second exit towards Bishops Cleeve at the PC World/McDonalds roundabout.

Directions from the M5 heading south:

Exit the M5 at Junction 10:

Follow the A4019 towards Cheltenham, then take the 1st exit onto Kingsditch Lane at the McDonald’s roundabout. At the following roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Swindon Road, turn left onto Windyridge Road and then take the 2nd exit onto Swindon Lane. Head straight over the next two roundabouts to enter Cheltenham Racecourse.

Pick up and Drop off

For The Festival, the pickup and drop off area can be found at the bottom of the West Car Park. Please follow the signage. This is about a 5-minute walk from the gates.

How do I get to Cheltenham Racecourse by train?

Trains from London to Cheltenham Spa station tend to run every hour and take about two hours. Trains from Birmingham run approximately every thirty minutes and can take anywhere between 35-50 minutes. From Bristol, trains leave every hour and take about 35 minutes. Cheltenham Spa station is a ten-minute drive to the Racecourse, or a bus will take you directly there.

How do I get to Cheltenham Racecourse by bus?

Stagecoach service D runs every 10 minutes during the day on Monday to Saturday evenings. The service runs hourly on Sundays.

Service 527 also provides a regular service from Cheltenham Centre to Bishops Cleeve and Gotherington via the Racecourse Roundabout.

A shuttle bus service will be operating at The Festival, picking up racegoers from Cheltenham Spa Railway Station and outside WHSmith in the centre of town before dropping them off at Cheltenham Racecourse. Return buses pick up from the Racecourse with stops at Pittville Street and the Station.

  • Return from Station – £5
  • Single from Station – £3
  • Single from Town – £2.50
  • Single from Racecourse – £2.50

Please read our travel guide for further guidance.

Cheltenham Racecourse Venue Page FAQs:

What horse racing meetings take place at Cheltenham Racecourse?

Led by the iconic and historic Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse hosts the following horse racing meetings:

  • The Showcase Meeting – Friday 24th to Saturday 25th October 2025.
  • The November Meeting – Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November 2025.
  • The Christmas Meeting – Friday 12th to Saturday 13th December 2025.
  • New Year’s Day Meeting – Thursday 1st January 2026.
  • Festival Trials Day – Saturday 24th January 2026.
  • Cheltenham Festival – Tuesday 10th March to Friday 13th March 2026.
  • The April Meeting – Wednesday 15th to Thursday 16th April 2026.
  • Hunter Chase Evening – Friday 1st May 2026.

Where is Cheltenham Racecourse located?

Cheltenham Racecourse is located at Prestbury Park near the city of Cheltenham in the county of Gloucestershire in England. It is one of the oldest racecourses in the country, and it continues to host major race meetings like the Cheltenham Festival. The racecourse’s address is as follows:

Evesham Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH.

What hospitality packages are offered by Eventmasters at Cheltenham Racecourse?

At Eventmasters Corporate Hospitality, we are delighted to offer a wide variety of VIP Hospitality Packages at Cheltenham Racecourse to enhance your experience of some of the most exciting and famous horse race meetings in the country and the world.

Our Packages are as follows: Silks, The Venue, Champions Club, Cleeve Suite, Final Fence Boxes, Private Box, Four Eighty Restaurant, and finally the Long Run Private Box.

What time do the gates open at Cheltenham Racecourse?

The time the gates open at Cheltenham Racecourse varies depending on the race meeting it hosts throughout the year. Below are the time that the gates open for each event:

  • Cheltenham Festival: 10:30am
  • Showcase Meeting: 11:15am
  • November Meeting: 10:30 am (Friday & Sunday) and 10am (Saturday)
  • Christmas Meeting: 10am
  • New Year’s Day Meeting: 10:30am
  • Festival Trials Day: 10am
  • The April Meeting: 12pm
  • Hunter Chase Evening: 3pm

How do I contact Eventmasters about VIP Hospitality at Cheltenham Racecourse?

You can contact us via our contact form at the bottom of the page if you would like. Alternatively, you can get in touch with our dedicated Sales Team for all things Cheltenham Hospitality on 0121 233 6500.

Cheltenham Racecourse News

The Cheltenham Festival starts with Champion Day before coming to the culmination of a four-day romp through high-class entertainment and hospitality with Gold Cup Day.

Impressive horse racing is not the only racing event at Cheltenham Racecourse. Home to The Centaur, one of the largest venues in the South West of England. Concerts, conferences and comedy shows have all been enjoyed here, ensuring an unforgettable experience.

Stay up to date with the latest Cheltenham horse race news and racing events.