Cheltenham Festival 2024: Races time, tickets, tips and weather for Gold Cup event
Everything you need to know about Cheltenham Festival 2024, including tickets, how to watch and race times
Cheltenham Festival, one of the most stylish racing events of the year, returns to Gloucestershire in 2024 with four days and 28 races culminating in the famous Gold Cup.
The Cheltenham Festival 2024 takes place in March this year and fans hoping to attend can secure Tattersalls, Grandstand and Hospitality tickets now to secure their spot for one of the best weeks of the racing calendar. Featuring Style Day including a best-dressed competition, St Patricks Day complete with live DJ performance and the Gold Cup itself, Cheltenham has something for everybody.
Tickets for the festival start from just £52 but availability is limited. We have rounded up everything you need to know about Cheltenham Festival this year including tickets, hospitality, race times and weather forecast.
How to get tickets for the Cheltenham Festival
Ticket prices for the festival vary depending on what day you go and what section you choose to be in. For the first three days Tattersalls tickets from £74 for children and £79 for adults on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the Festival. Prices for Tattersalls on Gold Cup day start from £89.
There are cheaper tickets available. The 'Best Mates Enclosure' opposite the grandstand starts from just £52 on Tuesday to Thursday and you can get tickets here.
Enclosure tickets range from £107-£126 depending on the day you go and the Best Mate enclosure ranges from £50-£70. There are also a number of hospitality and other tickets available.
How to get Hospitality tickets for the Cheltenham Festival
Hospitality options include the Cleeve Suite from £795. The suite includes Club admission, coffee and biscuits, Champagne reception, a four-course set menu lunch, afternoon tea, a complimentary bar, car parking, TV racing coverage and a betting service.
The Centenary Restuarant includes Champagne receptions, brunch, a 4 bowl menu, Dessert Taster, local cheese, afternoon tea and a complimentary bar. Prices start from £740.
Other hospitality options include Alberta's Run Restaurant at £670, which features lunch, afternoon tea and a complimentary bar with private tables. Mandarin Restaurant at £325 includes a three course pub lunch, car parking and Tote betting service, while the Festival Package is £550 and includes a four-course a la carte lunch, afternoon tea and car parking.
Final Fence Restaurant packages cost £950, while Gold Cup Restaurant packages include £660.
How to watch Cheltenham Festival on TV
The Gold Cup and a selection of races will be available on ITV. Fans in the UK can watch free on ITV or ITV player. There will be live streams available on the ITV website. If you are out of the country you can watch ITV free using a VPN service such as NornVPN and ExpressVPN for a small cost.
When is Cheltenham Festival?
The Festival begins on Tuesday 12 March and runs until Friday 15 March 2024. The opening day has been labelled Champion Day featuring the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a 2 mile Grade 1 race. This takes place at 15:30. The full race list is:
Champion Day - Tuesday, March 12
13:30 - Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
14:10 - Arkle Challenge Trophy
14:50 - Handicap Steeple Chase
15:30 - Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
16:10 - Mares’ Hurdle
16:50 - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
17:30 - National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
The second day is a chance for fashionistas to look their best as part of Wednesday's Style Day. It also features the Betway Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase, a Grade 1 event jump over 12 fences over the course of 2 miles. After the races Vogue Williams will be performing a live DJ set after racing.
Style Day - Wednesday, March 13
13:30 - Novices’ Hurdle
14:10 - Novices’ Steeple Chase
14:50 - Coral Cup Hurdle
15:30 - Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase
16:10 - Cross Country Steeple Chase
16:50 - Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
17:30 - Champion Bumper
Thursday has been designated as St Patrick's Day and includes the Ryanair Steeple Chase at 14:50.
St. Patrick’s Thursday - Thursday, March 14
13:30 - Turners Novices’
14:10 - Pertemps Network Final
14:50 - Ryanair Steeple Chase
15:30 - Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
16:10 - Magners Plate
16:50 - Jack de Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle
17:30 - Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup
What time is the Gold Cup?
Finally, the fourth day of the festival includes the highlight of the Cheltenham Festival; The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. Covering three miles and two furlongs, it is the biggest race event at Cheltenham and begins at 3.30pm.
Gold Cup Day - Friday, March 15
13:30 - Triumph Hurdle
14:10 - County Handicap Hurdle
14:50 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
15:30 - Cheltenham Gold Cup
16:10 - Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase
16:50 - Mares’ Steeple Chase
17:30 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle
What will the weather be for the Gold Cup?
Long range weather forecasts suggest the weather for Gold Cup day will be around 9 degrees Celsius with light wind and cloud cover. There is currently a 25% change of rain. More accurate weather reporting will be available closer to the date.
