Concerns Over Declining Cheltenham Festival Attendance As Day One Figures Revealed

Cheltenham Festival 2025 saw a significant drop in Day 1 attendance, continuing a worrying trend that raises concerns about the rising costs and overall appeal of the event.

The Cheltenham Festival’s opening day in 2025 saw a notable decline in attendance, with figures dropping from 60,181 in 2024 to 55,498 this year.

Cheltenham Day 1 Attendance:

2025 – 55,498
2024 – 60,181

Very worrying trend in what is arguably the best day of the Festival.

— Daniel Hussey (@DanielHussey2) March 11, 2025

This continued downward trend has sparked concerns over the festival’s long-term appeal, particularly on what is widely considered one of the most exciting days of the event.

Worrying Trend in Cheltenham Festival Attendances

This decline in attendance aligns with a broader trend seen at Cheltenham in recent years.

The total attendance in 2024 stood at 229,999 – an 18% decrease from the record 280,627 in 2022.

The festival organisers had already anticipated lower numbers for 2025, with Cheltenham Racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender acknowledging ahead of the event that “we are expecting fewer racegoers to be ing us in person this week than in recent years.”

While Lavender reassured fans that “the decline is not catastrophic,” the persistent drop in numbers is undoubtedly a concern for the festival’s organisers and its owner, Jockey Club Racecourses.

Several factors are believed to be contributing to this decline, including high costs associated with attending the festival.

Cost of Attendance A Key Factor

One of the major points of contention among racegoers is the rising cost of attending the festival.

Prices for food and beverages at Cheltenham have been highlighted as a possible factor, with reports indicating that a pint of Guinness costs £7.80, while lager is priced as high as £7.40.

In addition to expensive refreshments, accommodation prices in the local area remain a significant burden for attendees.

Lavender acknowledged these concerns, stating, “We have heard both anecdotally and directly that the cost of accommodation is impacting attendance.”

In response, Cheltenham have partnered with a local sports travel company to introduce the “Room to Race” initiative, aimed at providing more affordable hotel, ticket, and travel packages.

Despite this effort, the declining attendance figures suggest that such initiatives have yet to make a substantial impact.

Measures to Attract Racegoers

In an attempt to reverse the drop in attendance, organisers have introduced several measures to enhance the race-day experience.

These include expanding the areas where alcohol can be consumed and freezing ticket prices at last year’s levels.

Also, a ticketing initiative was launched, offering a 20% discount on a second-day ticket for those attending between Tuesday and Thursday.

However, the limited success of these measures indicates that more needs to be done to attract fans back to the event.

Ultimately, the question remains: Will Cheltenham find a way to restore its former attendance highs, or is this the beginning of a more permanent shift in festival-going habits?