Ever Evolving Cheltenham

Cheltenham Racecourse has announced a series of further improvements to the customer experience ahead of the 2025/26 season and next year’s Cheltenham Festival.

Building on the successful changes introduced for 2024/25, the Racecourse continues to focus on three key areas:

Experience: Delivering a world-class raceday for all attendees.

Value: Providing better value for money for all racegoers.

Racing: Ensuring The Festival race programme reflects its status as the pinnacle of Jump racing.

Chief Executive Guy Lavender, who joined in January and oversaw his first Festival earlier this year, said:

“We were pleased with the changes introduced last season, which were very well received both in terms of the race programme and customer experience. We were always clear this is an evolution, not a revolution, and that success would be measured by the experience of our racegoers, not attendance. The positive feedback from 2025 – along with encouraging ticket sales for next year – shows that the changes worked.

Cheltenham is the jewel in the crown of Jump racing. We want every racegoer to feel they are stepping into somewhere truly special. Over the coming seasons we’ll review everything from the racecourse layout and enclosure structure to membership, hospitality, and food and drink. The changes announced today are another step forward, and I can guarantee there will be further enhancements for 2027.”

While today’s announcement focuses on off-track improvements, the race programme for the 2026 Festival remains under review.

Read the press release