Cheltenham Racecourse
Home of the Cheltenham Festival and year-round racedays — a must for racing fans and a top ‘big day out’ in the Cotswolds.
Opening hours
Opening is tied to race fixtures and events; gates, hospitality and admission times vary by meeting. Check the current fixture page before travelling.
Location: Cheltenham Racecourse, Evesham Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH
Cheltenham Racecourse is one of the places that defines the town. It is known as the Home of Jump Racing and hosts 16 racedays across the season, ranging from relatively relaxed autumn and spring meetings to the huge four-day Cheltenham Festival.
Why go
You do not need to be a committed racing fan to enjoy a day here. The setting beneath the Cotswold escarpment is part of the experience, and the scale, atmosphere and hospitality make the bigger meetings feel like major events rather than simply an afternoon at the races.
The Cheltenham Festival is the headline occasion and draws enormous crowds, so it needs a different level of planning from an ordinary visit. Accommodation, restaurants and transport around the town become much busier and more expensive. For a first visit where you want to see the course without the intensity of Festival week, one of the other fixtures can be a much easier introduction.
Good to know
The racecourse is on Evesham Road to the north of the town centre. Tickets and enclosure options vary considerably by meeting, so check the official racecourse information before booking rather than assuming every raceday works in the same way.
The venue also hosts conferences, exhibitions, live events and other functions outside racing, so it is worth checking the calendar even if horses are not the reason for your trip.
Who it suits
Come for the racing if that is your thing, but also consider it if you are looking for one memorable event to anchor a Cheltenham weekend. Families may prefer the more relaxed fixtures, while Festival week is much more about the spectacle, crowds and full racing atmosphere.