Credit: THE SUNTHE Grand National Festival 2026 gets underway on Thursday at Aintree, with three days of top class racing building up to Saturday’s iconic showpiece.
It promises to be a huge three days, with 21 races and 11 Grade 1 contests on the card, and SunSport has you covered with the latest and best promotions from the UK’s biggest bookmakers. Check them out below!
When is the Grand National Festival 2026?
Racing takes place across three days at Aintree, from Thursday, April 9 to Saturday, April 11.
- On the opening two days, the first race is at 1.45pm and the final race is at 5.15pm.
- On Grand National day, racing starts earlier at 12.45pm, with the final race at 5.00pm.
- The feature race of the meeting, the Grand National, is scheduled for 4.00pm on Saturday.
All races across the festival will be shown live on ITV.
Tote
Betfred
William Hill
Get involved with William Hill, who are offering 3 x £10 free horse racing bets when you sign up and bet £10.
Spreadex
SBK
BOYLE Sports
Paddy Power
Betfair
bet365
talkSPORT BET
Offer: Get up to £35 matched if your first bet loses
BetMGM
Midnite
Sky Bet
Coral
Terms and conditions
*William Hill. 18+. Play Safe. From 00:01 on 18.10.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on sportsbook (excluding Virtual markets). Further terms apply. #ad
*Spreadex. Place a £10 fixed odds single or each-way bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet. 18+ http://www.gambleaware.org .
*Betfair. Place a min £10 bet on Sportsbook on odds of min EVS (2.0), get 5x £10 in Free Bet Builders, Accumulators or multiples to use on any sport. Rewards valid for 30 days. Only deposits via Pay by Bank, Apple Pay or Debit Card will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly.
*Coral. 18+ New UK & ROI Customers only. Min deposit up to £/€50. Min first up to £/€50 bet at minimum odds 1/2 to qualify for up to 1x £/€50 free bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types excl. Free bet valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
BOYLE Sports UK Sports Sign Up Offers will not be available from 10/04/26 10:00 PM to 11/04/26 5:00 PM UK time.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – GambleAware.org
Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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