Summary
Cheltenham Racecourse set a new attendance record with over 44,000 people attending its New Year's Day event in 2026. The event attracted more visitors than any previous New Year's Day event and even beat previous records from the Cheltenham Festival.
Key Facts
- Cheltenham Racecourse had a record attendance of 44,151 on New Year's Day 2026.
- This is the first time the event has sold out.
- The previous record for New Year's Day was 38,374 set in 2023.
- Attendance was higher than the 41,949 people at the Cheltenham Festival's Wednesday event in 2025.
- The standout race was the Relkeel Hurdle, won by Kabral Du Mathan.
- Cheltenham's chief executive noted the growth of the event and the diversity of the crowd, including over 5,000 children attending.
