Cheltenham Festival 2026 guide: dates, races, star-times, full schedule of events, prize money & Live TV Coverage for Gold Cup.
The One of the First Major Horse Racing event in UK, Cheltenham Festival 2026 dates have been announced and racing fans can look forward to four days of explosive action.
This year Cheltenham Festival takes place between Tuesday, March 10th and Friday, March 13th.
The first race on the first race-day, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle starts at 1:30pm and the Cheltenham Gold Cup takes place on the final day, the 13th of March 2026, at 4.00pm.
And now those Cheltenham festival dates have been released we can look forward to 28 races across four days as the equivalent of the equine Olympics takes place at Prestbury Park.
Plenty of key questions looks set to be answered. Can Galopin Des Champs retain his Gold Cup crown? Will we see another shock winner in the Stayers’ Hurdle? And can Constitution Hill remain unbeaten with another victory in the Champion Hurdle?
What are the dates of Cheltenham Festival 2026?
This year’s Cheltenham Festival 2026 will be staged over four days between Tuesday 10th March to – Friday 13th March.
Yes, horse racing lovers can get prepared for the biggest jumps meeting of the season by circling these four key dates in March and then either racing to get their holiday requests in at work or start to plan how they can navigate four ‘sick days’ in the middle of March.
As always, the Cheltenham action, which starts on Tuesday 10th March, gets underway with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – the race that is well-known for creating the famous opening day Cheltenham roar.
2024 Cheltenham Festival Dates
Tuesday 10th March 2026: Champion Day
Wednesday 11th March 2026: Style Wednesday
Thursday 12th March 2026: St Patrick’s Day
Friday 13th March 2026: Gold Cup Day
2026 Cheltenham Festival Race Times
Here are the race-times for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival and a little look at which races punters can look forward to on each of the four days.
The finale of the Festival is, of course, Gold Cup Day. While the attention focuses on the 4:00 race, our tipsters have bets and predictions for every race..
Gates open at 10:30 on each of the four days of the Festival. First race at 13:30 and the last race at 17:30.
Full schedule and timings for Cheltenham Festival 2026 are subject to change.
Where to watch live Cheltenham Festival on TV Channel.
All the main races will be shown live on ITV1 and if you want to watch every single race then Racing TV is the channel you need..
There are two options when it comes to watching Cheltenham on TV from home - ITV Racing and Racing TV.
Almost all of the races from The Festival will be available to watch for free on ITV Racing, while Racing TV provides full coverage and is available through Sky and Virgin Media.
All Times UK. BST.
A variety of ticket options are available for all four days and you can find the details on the Jockey Club's website.
where to get tickets.
Where to watch Cheltenham Festival races Live Streaming
Live streaming Cheltenham is another option if you don’t have Sky or Virgin media, or you can’t watch from your television. ITV Racing and Racing TV will both be live streaming the Cheltenham Festival races – including the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Set up an account - You will need to create an account to access ITV and Racing TV online. Make sure this is set up before The Festival starts – you don’t want to miss any of the action!
Check your internet connection - If you’re watching The Festival via livestream, make sure you have a reliable internet connection, either via WiFi or your smartphone’s data. If you are using smartphone data, make sure your package will cover the usage.
What is the full Cheltenham Festival events schedule 2026, dates, race-times, Full Prize Money.
All Times UK. BST.
Tuesday 10th March – Champion Day
Seven races are scheduled for Day One of the Cheltenham Festival. The feature race of the day is the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a 2 mile Grade 1 race. This takes place at 16:00.
1.20pm The Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y
2.00pm The Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 199y
2.40pm The Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m 87y
3.20pm The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 3m 1f
4.00pm The Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 87y
4.40pm The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 2m 4f 44y
5.20pm The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase 3m 5f 201y
Wednesday 11th March – Ladies Day
On the second day of of the Cheltenham Festival, the highlight is the BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase 2026. Runners in this Grade 1 event jump over 12 fences over the course of 2 miles.
It is the highlight of the traditionally known ladies day and is off at 16:00.
1.20pm The Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 5f
2.00pm The Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) 3m 80y
2.40pm The Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m 5f
3.20pm The Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase 3m 6f 37y
4.00pm The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) 1m 7f 199y
4.40pm The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) 1m 7f 199y
5.20pm The Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Grade 1) 2m 87y
Thursday 12th March – St Patrick’s Day
One of the key dates for Cheltenham Festival 2026 is St Patrick's Day, as it marks the third day of racing. The feature race of the day is the 16:00 Ryanair Steeple Chase (Grade 1)
1.20pm The Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) 2m 179y
2.00pm The Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) 2m 4f 127y
2.40pm The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 4f 56y
3.20pm The Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y
4.00pm The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) 2m 4f 127y
4.40pm The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap.) 2m 7f 113y
5.20pm The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase 3m 2f
Friday 13th March – Cheltenham Gold Cup Day
The focus of the day will be The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, as the name suggests. Over three miles and two furlongs long, this is the premier race of the event. It will begin at 16:00, and the winner will take home the 2026 Gold Cup.
1.20pm The JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 179y
2.00pm The William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) 2m 179y
2.40pm The Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) 2m 4f 127y
3.20pm The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m 7f 213y
4.00pm The Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) 3m 2f 70y
4.40pm The St James's Place Festival Hunters’ Chase 3m 2f 70y
5.20pm The Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle 2m 4f 56y
Where to buy tickets for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.?
A variety of ticket options are available for all four days and you can find the details on the Jockey Club's website.
where to get tickets.
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