Glam Cheltenham 2025 revellers including Georgia Toffolo & Zara Tindall pulled out fashion stops on day one of racing

CHELTENHAM Festival is back with a bang, and racegoers have pulled out all the fashion stops for the event.

Royalty and A-listers alike have dressed to the nines to kickstart the iconic festival, with Zara Tindall and newly married Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo leading the fashion pack.

i-ImagesGeorgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo opted for a bridal white style in a two-piece Julia Wade set, following her recent wedding[/caption]

James WhatlingRacing fan Zara Tindall looked chic in a navy coat and dress, with a yellow fascinator adding a pop of colour[/caption]

i-ImagesOne glam gusted rocked the tweed look in a mini skirt and matching blazer[/caption]

PABritish fashion designer Jade Holland Cooper stunned in a three-piece tweed ensemble[/caption]

PAOne guest went bold with a floral two piece with mustard-coloured accessories[/caption]

PAThe headpieces at Cheltenham have so far not disappointed this year[/caption]

i-ImagesA group of glam racegoers have donned stylish tweed and suit ensembles for the festival[/caption]

i-ImagesGuests have opted for an array of eye-catching headpieces for the occasion[/caption]

Around 250,000 Cheltenham fans are expected to flock to the famous Gloucestershire racecourse for the four-day racing event.

While many opted for their chicest tweed ensembles, others have opted to spice their look up with feather-adorned fascinators and daring heels. 

As well as sipping champagne and watching the horses, there has also been the chance for attendees to celeb-spot too.

Princess Anne’s daughter Zara, 43, looked smart in a navy coat and dress, with a bright yellow headpiece stealing the show. 

Meanwhile, Toff looked bridal in a white tweed two-piece from Julia Wade and patent leather boots from Yves Saint Laurent.

TV beauty Georgia and Brewdog founder James Watt secretly tied the knot in Aberdeenshire and guests received just 48 hours’ notice. 

Last year saw a change to the historic Ladies Day – which is taking place tomorrow – with the day being rebranded as Style Wednesday.

While the day typically saw guests, celebrities and royalty alike show off their high fashion ensembles, the event is now open to both men and women.

The Cheltenham awards panel also included a new ‘slow fashion’ awards ceremony, which included vintage outfits, or those put together from charity shops or online resellers.

Famous meet

Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham racecourse has hosted racing since 1815 and is one of the highlights in the racing calendar.

This year the Cheltenham Festival started on Tuesday March 11 and will run until Friday March 14.

Today is known as the Champion Day with Unibet Champion Hurdle as the main race.

Following Style Wednesday, St Patrick’s Day is the focus for the third day, and Gold Cup Day takes place on Friday and will see The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup take place.

PAOne woman painted the town red in a bold coat and even bolder feather headpiece[/caption]

PATwo stylish racegoers beamed as they arrived for the start of the racing[/caption]

PAA couple matched in beige tweed looked Cheltenham ready as they arrived[/caption]

Two pals matched in red and black as day one of racing kicked off todayPA

PATwo revellers opted for bold suits that were sure to stand out at the Gloucestershire racecourse[/caption]

Cheltenham dress code

For more than 200 years, punters have been instructed to wear traditional formal dress, with elaborate get-ups a common sight at racetracks like Cheltenham.

However, in 2023, The Jockey Club, which runs 15 racecourses including Cheltenham, relaxed the rules and changed the policy to make racing more “accessible and inclusive”.

The dress code for Cheltenham Festival is now whatever makes people feel “comfortable and confident”, the Jockey Club has said.

The previous dress code advised men to wear suits and women to wear cocktail dresses.

Now, spectators will be allowed to wear whatever they like at the event, including jeans, trainers and even tracksuits.

However, offensive fancy dress, offensive clothing of any kind and replica sports shirts are still banned.

While spectators won’t be discouraged from dressing smartly if they want to, they will no longer be restricted from certain enclosures based on what they’re wearing.

The Jockey Club has said the old dress code had been “rather outdated in the 21st Century”, and wants spectators to be comfortable in the changeable British weather.

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