Cheltenham Festival 2027 Guide & Hospitality

Last updated: 23 July 2026

The Cheltenham Festival is the four-day National Hunt racing meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse, running Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March 2027. Organised by The Jockey Club at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, it stages 28 races across the four days, building to the meeting's showpiece, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, on the closing Friday.

Cheltenham Festival 2027 Dates and Daily Schedule

Gates open at 10:30 on each of the four days, with the first race due off at 13:20 and the last race at 17:20. Each day's feature race is off at around 4pm; on St Patrick's Thursday the Stayers' Hurdle runs earlier, at around 3:20pm, ahead of the 4pm Ryanair Chase.

What Is Each Day Known For?

Each Festival day is built around its own feature race. Champion Day, the Tuesday, opens the week with the Champion Hurdle. Wednesday, known as Ladies Day, belongs to the Queen Mother Champion Chase. St Patrick's Thursday carries two features, the Ryanair Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle. Friday closes the meeting with the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the most prestigious race of the four days. The day-by-day hospitality comparison sets out which day suits which kind of corporate occasion.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is run on Gold Cup Day, the Festival's closing Friday, with an off time of around 4pm. It covers about 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs, with 22 fences to jump. Gaelic Warrior took the 2026 running under Paul Townend for trainer Willie Mullins, a record-equalling fifth Gold Cup as a trainer for Mullins.

Getting to Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse sits at Evesham Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 4SH, just north of the town centre. Much of the course is open to the elements, so check the forecast and dress in layers whichever day you go. Transport, parking and accessibility detail is set out on the Cheltenham Racecourse venue page. Check your route before you set off.

Planning Festival Hospitality Day by Day

Festival hospitality is arranged day by day, so the day you choose shapes the occasion. The Cheltenham Festival hub sets out what each day involves. The private boxes and fine dining guide covers the curated hospitality formats available at the racecourse, from restaurant tables to private boxes.

Is the Festival the Same as the Cheltenham November Meeting?

No. The Cheltenham Festival in March and the Cheltenham November Meeting are two separate fixtures. Both are jump-racing meetings staged at the same racecourse, but the November Meeting falls later in the year and has its own feature races.