Cheltenham Festival Dates 2026: Race Week Guide

Healy Racing PhotosThe Cheltenham Festival is the biggest event in the jumps racing calendar, with four days of thrills and spills in the Cotswolds countryside at what is regarded as 'the greatest show on turf'.

Dubbed 'the Olympics of horse racing', this is high-class equine competition as the best of British and Irish jumps racing comes together to compete for the crown jewels of the sport.

For four days in mid-March, the eyes of the wider sporting world are truly fixated on Cheltenham in a way that is unmatched for horse racing.

There are 28 races across four days and we've got all the information you need to know about the Cheltenham Festival.

About Cheltenham Racecourse

The Cheltenham Festival takes place at Prestbury Park in the heart of the Cotswolds countryside. The season at Cheltenham runs from October-April typically, with The Festival as the centrepiece.

There are two main courses at Cheltenham, the Old Course and the New Course. Both the Old and New courses are left-handed and undulating and have stiff fences that place a premium on sound jumping.

Both also feature a long climb in the home straight up the famous 'Cheltenham Hill'. The hill demands courage and stamina from competing horses, exposing weak finishers, and the nature of races at Cheltenham can change dramatically during the final stages as horses fail to 'come up the hill'.

Cheltenham 14 March 2025 Inothewayurthinkin and Mark Walsh win The Gold Cup
Healy Racing PhotosThere is also a Cross Country Course at Cheltenham, which weaves around parts of the Prestbury Park infield, turning left and right, jumping over a selection of natural and man-made obstacles incorporating banks, ditches, hedges, water, and timber rails. This is used only for the Cross Country race during The Festival.

Cheltenham 2026 Dates

The Festival takes place in March each year, for four days from Tuesday until Friday.

In 2026, the Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday, March 10 until Friday, March 13.

Cheltenham's Championship races

Each day of the Cheltenham Festival centres on the feature race. Traditionally there are four Championship races at Cheltenham.

Tuesday: Champion Hurdle

Wednesday: Queen Mother Champion Chase

Thursday: Stayers' Hurdle

Friday: Cheltenham Gold Cup

These are the most coveted races at Cheltenham and their history is woven into the fabric of the sport. The Ryanair Chase, on day three, now competes with the Stayers' Hurdle as a fifth Championship in the eyes of many racing fans.

Cheltenham Festival Races - Grade 1s

How many races are there at the Cheltenham Festival? There are 28 races split evenly across four days at Cheltenham. Thirteen of those races are at Grade 1 level, the top tier in National Hunt racing.

This year's races at the Cheltenham Festival are:

Day 1, Champion Day - Tuesday, March 10

13:20 - Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m abt 1/3f

14:00 - Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (Grade 1) Abt 2m

14:40 - McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race (Registered as the Fred Winter) (Premier Handicap) 2m abt 1/2f

15:20 - Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3m 1f

16:00 - Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m abt 1/2f

16:40 - Sun Racing Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Premier Handicap) 2m abt 4f

17:20 - National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Novices’ Handicap Steeple Chase) (Class 2) 3m abt 6f

Day 2, Ladies Day - Wednesday, March 11

13:20 - Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m abt 5f

14:00 - Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 3m abt 1f

14:40 - Cup Handicap Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap) 2m abt 5f

15:20 - Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase 3m abt 51/2f

16:00 - BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) Abt 2m

16:40 - Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Premier Handicap) Abt 2m

17:20 - Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby) (A Standard Open NH Flat Race) (Grade 1) 2m abt 1/2f

Day 3, st. Patrick's Day - Thursday, March 12

13:20 - Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m abt 1f

14:00 - Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) 2m 4 1/2f

14:40 - Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m abt 4 1/2 f

15:20 - Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) Abt 3m

16:00 - Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4 1/2f

16:40 - Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap) Abt 3m

17:20 - Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145) 2m abt 4 1/2f

Day 4, The Gold Cup - Friday, March 13

13:20 - JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m abt 1f

14:00 - William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m abt 1f

14:40 - Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase (Grade 2) 2m abt 4 1/2f

15:20 - Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Abt 3m

16:00 - Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1) 3m abt 2 1/2f

16:40 - Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase 3m abt 2 1/2f

17:20 - Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle 2m abt 4 1/2f

The Prestbury Cup

The Cheltenham Festival has a long standing tradition of bringing together the best of British and Irish racing to compete against each other.

The Prestbury Cup was introduced in 2014, with either Britain or Ireland taking the spoils for having the most winners across the four days of The Festival.

Britain took victory in 2014 and 2015, while 2019 was a tie, but it has been an era of Irish domination with the visiting party successful in nine of the last 10 years, including a landslide 23-5 'green-wash' in 2021.

FAQ Cheltenham 2026 Dates

What's the best day to go to Cheltenham?

The "best" day depends entirely on your preferences: Tuesday is beloved by racing purists for the famous "Cheltenham Roar," while Friday's Gold Cup Day provides the ultimate, high-stakes finale. Alternatively, you might prefer the glamorous fashion of Style Wednesday or the lively, Guinness-filled party atmosphere of St Patrick's Thursday.

What time do Cheltenham Races start?

Gates open at 10:30 AM on all four days of the Cheltenham Festival, with the first race starting at 1:20 PM.

When is the Cheltenham Gold Cup?

The 2026 Cheltenham Gold Cup will take place on Friday, March 13th at 4:00 PM.

When is Cheltenham next year?

The 2027 Cheltenham Festival next year is expected to take place in mid-March.