If you’re clearing your schedule for race week, you’re probably wondering how long is the Cheltenham Festival and how much racing is packed into it.
Below, we break down the details.
How Many Days Is the Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival runs for four days every year in March. This year, it will take place from 10th to 13th March at the Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, England.
This is one of the biggest events in the UK’s racing calendar. The Festival has followed the same four-day format since 2005, and each afternoon features a full card of top-level National Hunt races. The biggest Grade 1 contests are spread across the week.
Each day also has its own theme:
- Champion Day (Tuesday)
- Style Wednesday
- St Patrick’s Thursday
- Gold Cup Day (Friday)
How Many Races Are at the Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival features 28 races in total – seven on each day.
The bigger contests, like the championship-level Grade 1 races, are spread over the four days. This means fans get to see at least one major headline race every afternoon. This keeps the racing high quality throughout.
Cheltenham Festival Schedule
Every day, the races begin at 1:20 pm UK time. If you are planning on visiting the racecourse, you’ll need to head out early, as the gates open at 10:30 am. The day begins with a preview show, live in the Parade Ring. After that, you can sit back and enjoy the live racing till late evening.
Note: The organizers may change the times on racedays, so make sure to check the latest Cheltenham racecards for confirmed runners and updated race times.
Has Cheltenham Always Been Four Days?
It wasn’t always a four-day event. It started in 1902 as a three-day meet.
In 2005, the Festival was expanded to four days so that each day could have a strong card and one of the main championship races as its feature. Since then, the four-day structure has become the norm.
Recently, there have been some discussions on moving the festival to a Wednesday–Saturday format to get more racing fans in the grandstand on the weekend. However, no firm decision has been made on that yet.
FAQs
How long is the Cheltenham Festival?
It’s a four-day festival that takes place every year in March. Races begin each day at 1:20 pm at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, England.
How many days is Cheltenham?
Cheltenham Festival lasts four days. The current format has been in place since 2005, and follows a Tuesday–Friday format every year.
How many races are run at Cheltenham Festival?
There will be 28 races at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, spread across the four days. This means fans and bettors can view seven races every day. Each day features a variety of races like hurdles, handicaps, novice contests, and a headline race.
How many races are on each day?
Each day features seven races. There’s one headline race to look forward to every day. Refer to the schedule above for the complete racing calendar.
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