Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham · 67,500 capacity
Cheltenham Racecourse at Prestbury Park is the home of the Cheltenham Festival and the Gold Cup. Racing here dates to 1815, the present course has staged it since 1902, and it holds 67,500.
About Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse Events 2027
Cheltenham Racecourse is the Jockey Club-owned National Hunt racecourse at Prestbury Park, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and the home of the Cheltenham Festival. Racing at Cheltenham dates back to 1815, and the present Prestbury Park course has staged it since 1902. Set in a natural amphitheatre below Cleeve Hill, it holds 67,500 and welcomes over 400,000 racegoers a year. Its four-day March Festival is the highlight of the British jump racing calendar.
Events at Cheltenham Racecourse
The calendar at Cheltenham Racecourse is headlined by the Cheltenham Festival, the meeting that defines the jump racing season. Its four days stage 28 races, including the Champion Hurdle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase, and finish with the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The roar that greets the opening race of the Festival is one of the best-known sounds in British sport. Beyond March, the season runs from October to April and takes in The November Meeting, the Christmas Meeting, New Year’s Day racing, Festival Trials Day and the April Meeting.
Away from racing, the site doubles as a conference and concert venue. The on-site Centaur arena seats over 2,000 people for conferences and holds around 4,000 standing for concerts, and the racecourse has hosted music festivals including Wychwood.
Two horses account for most of the course's folklore. Arkle won three consecutive Gold Cups from 1964 to 1966, and Best Mate matched him from 2002 to 2004. Both are commemorated on site, Arkle in a Festival race and Best Mate in one of the three general-admission enclosures.
Corporate Hospitality at Cheltenham Racecourse
Two hospitality formats run at Cheltenham Racecourse: restaurant packages and private boxes. A box gives a group its own balcony, table dining and views towards the final furlong; a restaurant seats guests at tables through the afternoon. The Festival's closing day is Cheltenham Gold Cup Day, Friday 19 March 2027. Where drinks are included, service is for over-18s only and ID may be requested under the Challenge 25 policy.
General admission is sold by enclosure, and there are three: Club, Tattersalls and Best Mate. A Club ticket also admits the holder to Tattersalls and Best Mate. The Orchard is a social area within the general-admission experience rather than a hospitality product, which matters when a mixed group is deciding where to spend the day. Prestige arranges its own hospitality rather than reselling the racecourse’s own-brand packages.
Hospitality packages cover the day at the racecourse itself, so travel and accommodation are arranged separately. Dress codes vary by area, with smart attire expected in private boxes and restaurants. Prestige sets out in writing exactly what each Cheltenham package includes, with the cost given directly to the booker.
Getting There
Nearby Hotels
Accessibility at Cheltenham Racecourse
Cheltenham Racecourse welcomes all visitors with a range of accessibility facilities. Use the guide below to plan your visit.
Accessibility Notes
Accessible parking and shuttle services from the station during major festivals
Upcoming Events at Cheltenham Racecourse
Venue Info
- Type
- Racecourse
- Capacity
- 67,500
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Enquire NowCheltenham Racecourse FAQs
Hospitality at the Cheltenham Festival runs from restaurant packages to private boxes at Prestbury Park, with table dining, a hospitality bar and views of the racing across 16 to 19 March 2027. Alcohol included in a package is served to over-18s only under Challenge 25, so carry ID. Group size normally decides which of the two formats fits.
Yes. Prestige arranges Cheltenham Festival hospitality for all four days in March, and for the other fixtures across a season that runs from October to April, including The November Meeting, the Christmas Meeting, New Year’s Day racing, Festival Trials Day and the April Meeting. The choice runs from a restaurant table to a private box.
Cheltenham Racecourse sells general admission by enclosure, and there are three: Club, Tattersalls and Best Mate. A Club ticket also admits the holder to Tattersalls and Best Mate. Hospitality sits separately from general admission. What that involves depends on the day, the format and the group size, and Prestige confirms it directly with the booker.
Cheltenham Racecourse hospitality generally calls for smart attire, particularly in the Club Enclosure, the restaurants and the private boxes. There is no formal dress code across the whole course, so nobody is turned away on clothing alone, but most hospitality guests wear a suit or smart country wear. March at Cheltenham is cold, so plan for the weather.
A private box at Cheltenham Racecourse gives a group its own balcony overlooking the racing, table dining and personalised service, with views towards the final furlong. Boxes suit a party that wants a room to itself for the full afternoon rather than a shared restaurant table. Drinks in a box are served to over-18s only, and ID may be requested under Challenge 25.
Cheltenham Spa is the nearest national rail station, with a dedicated shuttle bus running to the racecourse on major racedays. The racecourse has its own station too, but it is the southern terminus of the preserved Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and is not connected to the national network, so it is a heritage day out rather than a way of arriving.
Cheltenham Racecourse provides step-free access, accessible parking, accessible seating and accessible toilets, and welcomes assistance dogs. Carer tickets, communication aids and sensory rooms are available. The racecourse is at Evesham Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH, with level paths from the drop-off points. Prestige checks the access arrangements for a specific hospitality area before a booking is agreed.
Prestige arranges Cheltenham Gold Cup Day hospitality for Friday 19 March 2027, matching the format to the group: restaurant tables for smaller parties, private boxes where a group wants a room of its own. The Gold Cup itself is run at about 4pm over 3 miles 2 1/2 furlongs, with 22 fences to jump.