Cheltenham Festival tickets – A beginners guide to purchasing tickets to the Festival
A general view of the stands at the Cheltenham Festival.
Whilst many will be enjoying the best flat racing has to offer during the summer and early autumn months, fans of National Hunt racing will be eagerly awaiting the start of the new season and the momentous day when tickets to the Cheltenham Festival finally go on sale.
For over 150 years, Prestbury Park racecourse has welcomed the best hurdlers and chasers on the planet through its gates in the middle week of March. All the greatest names in the history of the sport have sought fame and fortune at the Cheltenham Festival and you cannot be considered the best in the business until you have tasted success on the famous Prestbury Park turf.
Whether you are a National Hunt racing fanatic, or a complete newbie when it comes to horse racing, a day spent at the Cheltenham Festival would be an occasion you wouldn’t forget in a hurry. Finding the perfect tickets for you can be a painstaking task, but, fear not, we are here to help!
Here are a few hints and tips that could come in handy if you are purchasing tickets to the Cheltenham Festival…
Cheltenham Festival Hints & Tips
- All four days of the Cheltenham Festival feature a variety of top-quality races, including thrilling novice contests, exciting handicaps, and prestigious Graded races. Tickets for the opening Tuesday and Gold Cup Friday sell out a little quicker than the middle two days, but those in attendance on Ladies Wednesday or St Patrick Thursday can still look forward to a truly stellar card.
- Some tickets can be purchased on the day, but if you are serious about attending the Festival, leave nothing to chance and book in advance. Gold Cup Day is now sold out for the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.
- Best Mate and Tattersalls Enclosure tickets are best suited to casual punters, who enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Cheltenham betting tip ring and the feel of the steel railing beneath their hands as they cheer their horses home.
- Purchasing a racecard is a must when you attend the Cheltenham Festival. Not only does it provide you with a detailed look at all the races that day, but it contains feature articles, tips to the races and acts as a wonderful memento of your day at Prestbury Park. Racecards can be bought on the day, or are added as part of a package if you book certain hospitality packages.
- If you are traveling to Cheltenham in a party of 15 or more than Group 15 ticket options are perfect for buying in bulk. You can save yourself a substantial amount of money if you book Group 15 tickets in advance.
- The Guineas Grandstand is a hugely popular ticket option, especially with the army of Irish fans who make the yearly pilgrimage to Prestbury Park. As you would expect, tickets in this area are highly sought-after and sell out quick, but if you can bag yourself either Club or Tattersalls tickets in the Guineas Grandstand, the atmosphere will be electric!
- Another go-to spot during the Festival is the Final Flight Bar, situated in the Club Enclosure right on top of the winning post. Final Flight Package tickets may scale the upper echelons of many punter’s budgets, but the atmosphere is incredible and the view of the finishing line is, quite frankly, unrivaled.
- If the culinary offering served up in the many refreshment stalls is not refined enough for your palette, then one of Cheltenham’s various Restaurant Packages could be perfect for you and your party as you punt on all the Cheltenham specials.
- All in all, there are ten Restaurant Packages available, ranging from the Moscow Flyer Package, right up to the Core On Course – which includes a champagne reception, a six-course tasting menu, and premium beers, wines and soft drinks. Obviously, the level of cuisine you will consume goes up as the price of the package increases, but with every restaurant package, you will receive general Club admission, an official racecard and car parking tickets for one or two people.
- Private Box packages can also be purchased if you want to enjoy the action from a more secluded setting. However, if you are attending the Cheltenham Festival for the very first time, we highly recommend you share your experience with the throngs of passionate fans, who are all at Prestbury Park for the same reasons you are – to have a fantastic day out, soak in the atmosphere and witness sporting history being written.
So, if we’ve convinced you to purchase tickets to the “greatest show on turf”, keep our website in your bookmarks, as we will be uploading all the important Cheltenham Festival news and Cheltenham Festival tips between now and the middle week of March!