Horse racing, and more specifically the Cheltenham Festival has suffered a declining interest with attendances to the four days dropping year on year.
The four days that take over the town of Cheltenham are upon us but the jockey club have been forced to make changes to the prestigious event to encourage punters back to the famous Prestbury Park.
Racing TV’s Ash Symonds was full of praise for the removal of drink restrictions, “I think that’s a really positive change, it makes it a massively more enjoyable experience”, with this season racegoers able to enjoy a drink trackside.
Previously drinking by the barriers next to the track had been banned.
A packed out Cheltenham paddock applauding Constitution Hill before the Supreme is a completely surreal experience.
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) March 10, 2026
Didn’t expect to feel this way, but so many people have come out to celebrate his jumping career.
Quite an incredible moment, in all truth.pic.twitter.com/81vDZNxGJu
Other amendments include a reduced capacity, a price reduction on alcohol and cheaper tickets to try and stop the declining attendance.
A pint of Guinness will be reduced from £7.80 to £7.50, a return to the 2022 prices.
Since a record crowd of 280,627 in 2022 for the first Festival post-covid. Last year’s attendance of 218,839 was 22% lower than the 2022 peak.
Symonds explains, “It’s a big thing but it is just the cost and money really for punters and that’s probably the reason why they’re not coming anymore.
“I think what they are offering value-wise is better than they were five years ago so hopefully it continues on that trend.”
However, horse racing enthusiasts have, in recent years’ adopted Benidorm for the week as a Cheltenham abroad, enjoying racing in the sun for cheaper than a visit to Gloucestershire.
More and more people are heading to BENIDORM to watch the CHELTENHAM Festival as prices rise.
— Stephen R Power (@racingblogger) February 25, 2025
Cheap flights, hotels, food & €1 pints with sunshine seems to be the BIG attraction!
What's your thoughts on this, would you go to Spain to watch Cheltenham?pic.twitter.com/Wq8stB9xu4
Symonds believes, “The hotels and the businesses around the place like they’ve really squeezed the life out of the place.
“It’s such a shame because it’s a nice vibrant place to be.”
Physical changes are also happening to the racecourse in an attempt to improve the customer experience when it comes to food and drink.
“I’m probably more positive on the Cheltenham Festival and horse racing than I was maybe a couple of years ago” he continued.
“I like the Prestbury View Bar, it is probably quite a nice addition to the old stand,” he continued.
Away from the track broadcasters like ITV are doing their best to increase viewership of the sport on their ITV Racing show.
“I think we have started to embrace social media and the changing climate more,” Symonds said.
“I’ve seen YouTuber’s like Calfreezy, AB and Bambino Becky, venturing into the sport, promoting it and the other side of social media is huge for racing.
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in the UK but comes under extreme criticism from animal welfare groups who claim the sport is cruel and unnecessarily deadly.
The Racing TV employee thinks, “education about the sport,” is the key to is long term success.
“Education about the horse welfare and just making tracks a nice place to be, like they are with the drinks now, it just makes it a better experience.
“I’m probably slightly more positive than I was but I think so there’s definitely a long way we can go in the sport.”
