Major Changes on the Horizon for Cheltenham Festival: Chief Exec Open to New Ideas After 20 Years

Table of Contents

• Potential Schedule Change for Cheltenham Festival
• Attendance Issues
• Future Plans and Considerations
• Travel Deals

The CHELTENHAM Festival may undergo significant changes as organizers look to address declining attendance figures.

Guy Lavender, who became the chief executive earlier this year, has acknowledged that the final day of this premier event could potentially be rescheduled to the following day.

Cheltenham Festival may see its schedule adjusted under new proposalsCredit: Getty Attendance at the Festival has been declining for the past three yearsCredit: The Times

Traditionally, the event takes place from Tuesday to Friday, but there is a possibility it could shift to a Wednesday through Saturday schedule.

Lavender commented to the Racing Post : “We are open to exploring a variety of ideas and concepts, and this is one that I believe deserves more consideration. However, we are still far from reaching a consensus or making a decision.”

This idea was initially proposed in 2022 but was quickly abandoned after discussions across the industry.

Attendance at the flagship event has decreased by over 60,000 in the last three years, and Lavender has recently confirmed a series of updates for the Festival.

The maximum daily attendance has been set, ticket prices have been frozen, and further modifications are being considered.

He added: “We have just announced a number of changes for 2026, but we have not yet finalized plans for future years.

“We are just beginning to evaluate a range of options, and at this stage, it is merely a concept.”

“There are clear advantages and disadvantages, but I believe it is certainly worth further exploration.”

The Cheltenham Festival was extended from three to four days in 2005, and adjusting the schedule could potentially enhance attendance.

Lavender expressed: “I believe we can grow and enhance the festival in the coming years.

“I think [moving Cheltenham back a day] certainly merits investigation, but we are still quite a distance from forming a solid opinion or making a decision.

“We would need to engage with various partners and conduct financial modeling to assess the risks and opportunities.”