Event guide

Cheltenham Festival 2027

Four days of jump racing in March at Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire, ending with the Gold Cup. Most of the practical questions are about tickets, bags, parking and where to stay.

Facts checked 2 November 2026 against the sources listed at the end. Britlens is independent: see our editorial policy.

Cheltenham, the Regency spa town in Gloucestershire
Photo: GarfieldJAustin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Tickets for these events are sold only by the organisers' official sellers. Do not buy from resale sites or social media.

Dates and race days

The 2027 Festival runs from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March. [1] The days are Champion Day, Style Wednesday, St Patrick's Thursday and Gold Cup Day. [1] It is a National Hunt (jump racing) meeting whose races include the Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Stayers' Hurdle. [2]

Raceday timings from the Jockey Club FAQs
Time
Gates open10:30 [3]
First race13:30 [3]
Last race17:30 [3]

Tickets and enclosures

There are three enclosures: Club, Tattersalls and Best Mate, which faces the main grandstand across the course near the finish. [4] Seats are limited, so buy a grandstand seat in advance if you want one. [3]

  • Children aged 5 and over need a half-price ticket; under-4s are free but still need a ticket. Under-18s must be with an adult over 21. [3]
  • The racecourse is cashless, except for on-course bookmakers. [3]
  • There is no official dress code; smart clothes are usual, and you should dress for the weather. [1]
Broadway Tower, a folly on a hilltop in the Cotswolds
Photo: Craig Archer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On the day

  • Large bags, holdalls and rucksacks are not allowed in; limited left luggage is outside the enclosures, and all bags are searched. [3]
  • On-site parking needs a pass bought in advance; none is sold on the day. Follow the yellow temporary race signs, not the brown permanent ones. [3]
  • Arrive early to allow for security checks. [3]

Dove dormire

Book early. As well as Cheltenham itself, the racecourse suggests the Cotswolds and nearby towns: Gloucester is about 10 minutes from Cheltenham Spa by train. [5] Our Cotswolds guide covers villages and transport, and Bath and Oxford are other bases with good rail links.

Arlington Row, a terrace of Cotswold stone cottages in Bibury
Photo: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Quick answers

When is the Cheltenham Festival 2027?

Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 March 2027. [1]

Is there a dress code at Cheltenham?

No official one, though smart clothes are usual. [1]

Guide correlate

Fonti

Read on the dates shown. Rules, dates and services change: check the source before you rely on it. Pages marked “not read” refused automated access, so we state nothing from them.

  1. Cheltenham Festival 2027 (opens in new tab), The Jockey Club, read 2 November 2026
  2. Cheltenham Festival (opens in new tab), Wikipedia, read 2 November 2026
  3. Festival FAQs (opens in new tab), The Jockey Club, read 2 November 2026
  4. Enclosures (opens in new tab), The Jockey Club, read 2 November 2026
  5. Commutable travel areas (opens in new tab), The Jockey Club, read 2 November 2026