While a huge draw in online betting circles each year, the spectacle of the Cheltenham Festival at the racecourse is what has truly elevated the annual jump racing meet to legendary status.
Hundreds of thousands of people will descend on the local area over its Tuesday to Friday run, generating some truly crazy numbers for the Cheltenham Festival records and that famed ‘Cheltenham Roar.’
Just to get a glimpse of what’ll be going on down in the Gloucestershire town this week, here’re some Cheltenham Festival facts and statistics.
How Much Beer is Drunk at Cheltenham Festival?
It’s estimated that 265,000 pints of Guinness is drunk at Cheltenham Festival. On top of Guinness, race-goers can also get themselves a pint of lager or cider, so the real amount of beer consumed is much higher than that figure.
The 265,000 approximate of Guinness pints in 2025 actually marked an increase in sales despite the decrease in attendance. Some 45,000 more pints were drunk by 11,000 fewer patrons over the course of the festival.
Coming into the 2026 event, it was reported that ticket sales were greater than in 2025, and the price of a pint has been cut from £7.80 to £7.50. Plus, patrons aren’t going to be restricted on where they can take drinks in 2026.
So, it looks like Cheltenham Festival beer consumption is primed to reach a new high this year.
How Many People Attend Cheltenham Festival?
A humble 218,839 was the 2025 Cheltenham Festival attendance figure. It marked a decrease of around 11,000 people from 2024 and a low for Cheltenham Festival numbers, with the 41,949 Wednesday showing being the smallest since 1993.
However, last year was the first under new leadership at the Cheltenham Racecourse, with 2026 being the true proving ground for all of their new incentives, promotions, events, and efforts to enhance the experience.
Part of this has been to reduce congestion in and around the venue by bringing down the capacity cap down from 68,500 each day to 66,000. This puts a limit on the 2026 Cheltenham Festival attendance at 264,000.
How Much Money is Bet on Cheltenham Festival?
With horse odds available online and bookmakers competing in the betting ring at the course, you can bet that a lot is wagered on this iconic occasion each year.
It’d be almost impossible to collect exact Cheltenham Festival statistics on all bets places across the four days, but reports place the figure in the multi-millions of pounds, with some estimating over £500 million being staked.
Cheltenham Festival Facts: The Gold Cup
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the centrepiece of the whole festival, earning the most eyes and the most bets when for the 16:00 race on the Friday. Here are some recent Cheltenham Gold Cup facts to keep in mind for 2026:
- Doubling Up: From 2019 to 2024, each winning trainer did so in back-to-back years, with Willie Mullins (2019, 2020), Henry de Bromhead (2021, 2022), and Mullins again (2023, 2024) setting a trend that Gavin Cromwell (2025) could continue in 2026.
- Three-Year Age Bracket: All ten of the last ten Cheltenham Gold Cup winners have been seven at the youngest and nine at the oldest.
- Experience is Key: Nine of ten Gold Cup champions have at least placed at the Cheltenham Festival, won a Grade 1 chase somewhere, and won over 3 miles or more before.
Given the interest in the 2026 event and the buzz around its biggest races, it seems inevitable that many of these Cheltenham Festival records and statistics will be broken this year.
