Cheltenham races slash the price of a pint of Guinness as whole host of changes for Festival confirmed

CHELTENHAM races have announced a whole host of changes for this year’s Festival – including the new price of a pint.

Bosses are looking back in a bid to go forward as they declared the cost of a Guinness will return ‘to 2022 levels’.

GettyThe price of a pint of Guinness at Cheltenham for this season’s racedays and Festival has been cut[/caption]

SplashWednesday of Festival week will once again be Ladies Day – for the first time since 2019[/caption]

Ladies Day will also make a comeback to the Wednesday of Festival week and the maximum crowd numbers will be cut once again.

The changes apply across every Cheltenham fixture this season.

But the focus will be on March’s Festival – the pinnacle of the jumps season and biggest betting week of the year.

The real headline-grabber among the revamped racedays is the price of a Guinness.

It will be slashed from £7.80 to £7.50 and apply across all 16 racedays at the track in 2025/26.

Spirits have also benefitted from ‘minor reductions’ while, for the first time, Prosecco will be available.

Punters will now be able to take their drinks anywhere around the venue too following the removal of all restrictions.

In a bid to improve the raceday experience the overall capacity at the track will be cut from 68,500 to 66,000.

Explaining that specific decision, which comes after a previous reduction in 2022, an official statement confirming the changes read: “The overall capacity at the 2026 Festival will be reduced from 68,500 to 66,000 each day.

“This follows a full review of racegoer feedback and will allow us to sell to an optimal capacity and deliver the highest level of customer experience for everyone.

“We believe that reducing the capacity will not only help ease overcrowding in certain areas on the racecourse, whatever the weather, but also make for a more enjoyable experience for racegoers making their way to and from the racecourse.”

For the first time since 2019, Wednesday of the Festival will once again be the traditional Ladies Day.

ReutersCheltenham bosses have cut the maximum crowd figure for next year’s Festival[/caption]

While improvements to the food and drink offering and a new PA system to make commentary more clear will add to the raceday experience.

While there have been positive talks with local hotels regarding better-price accommodation during Festival week.

Cheltenham CEO Guy Lavender said: “Those attending major events expect a premium experience, from the welcome they receive as they approach the venue to the moment they leave.

“We made a number of changes last year and have continued to look at ways to improve both the range of options and quality of service and facilities for all of those who join us at Cheltenham.

“We know that value for money is one of the most important factors for people to consider when deciding which events to attend and that is especially the case at The Festival.

“I’ve said previously that value for money is not always driven by reducing prices and can often be achieved by improving the quality of the offering.

“There are certain things we can do on course like reducing the price of a pint and improving our facilities.

“However, there are other factors which influence people’s decisions on whether to attend, like hotel prices, that are not entirely within our control, which is why we are continuing to work with Venatour to secure better value for our visitors.

“We look forward to welcoming racegoers back when the season starts so they can see the enhancements the team have been busy making and as always welcome their feedback.”