CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2024 PRICING

Very true , really enjoyed the 3 day festial back 20 years ago and got used to the 4 day festival but the costs of it all have gone crazy , accomadation is another area that has risen hugely in recent years forcing regular attendees out of cheltenham town, many people i know in ireland that used go every year are not going or going for two days only type stuff.
What was a club price ticket 10 years ago compared to 2024 prices and compare that to peoples wage increase over the same period??

I'm sure I paid £55 for club tickets in 2016 when Sprinter Sacre won it's second Champion Chase. So early bird prices in 2014 was probably under £50.

Is Gillespie stil there?

Gillespie left years ago.

And so has Renton.

I left last year
and i live locally

Lucky.
Just packed going down in the morning  got a badge WITHOUT  the festival.
Ronnie.

I agree  stopped going after many years a few years ago.

Chester is the same but worse

they are both off my agenda know.

went to ffos las champion hurdle recently. it was great , good racing , great place and people, not too expensive and not too crowded. drinks were dear but overall a good event and well worth the visit,

stopped going the year dessie won as it was starting to be taken over by the football rowdies.was a great place for national hunt followers till greed took over.i think we paid 100 for the 3 days

Costs nothing to watch on ITV racing ,you can get four beers for £6 from a supermarket, eat your own sandwiches without being searched before you enter the living room , have a tea without having to queue and don't risk "wet feet". Sadly the days of punters bringing in pies and cakes in the bookies have gone as well . You'll probably find two people playing the machines and one punter waiting for the dogs.

Mamoleeds.
It was the price of the hotels that made me call it a day.
Hope you are well.
Ronnie.

maj of hotels in chelt now for uber rich or weekend millionires and wont be coming down,as maj of these  racegoers, would  just pay in full anyway to keep the room for next yr, its getting like indenture tkts at wimbledon certain rooms only available when people die and so few and far between snapped up straight away so no need  to reduce room prices

Similar story with hotels for the November meeting. I used to travel over in a group from ROI for many years pre-Covid. Considered going back again this year but when I checked bog-standard hotel prices they were treble/quadruple what they had been four years ago. So sadly will not be returning until prices become more realistic (which is probably never). Shame, as love Cheltenham as a town on top of the racing.

Monach.
Glad to say for the last few years we have got a nice apartment in Montpellier overlooking the park 1 minutes walk to the wine bar, cote and the ivy we have it for the Oct Nov Dec and trials day 70 quid a night yes 70.
Ronnie.

Just glad I had great times there in the 80s & 90s when it was largely a “proper racing crowd”

£20 in members 1983 Gold Cup.

That's a great deal Ronnie. Something I foolishly never considered. Even the Holiday Inn Express are looking for circa 350 a night. And they will get it. Enjoy your trips to the Cotswolds. A magnificent place.

I’ve been going to Cheltenham for many years and think I’ve got it sussed now. I’ve done Guinness Village, £50 areas in the shopping zone and hospitality.
Firstly it’s not a cheap week and needs planning 12 months in advance. We pay about £600 each for a 6 double room house 15 mins from the track for 5 nights. So that is affordable compared with Hotels.
The second big money saver is getting membership that is £450. Not only is it the same cost as 4 individual days club entry you get the other 8 meetings thrown in. Membership gives you access to 3 different bars and certain seating areas.
The biggest advantage to having membership is you can book member seats at the festival. These seats allow you access to the member’s Insurance Bar where only seat owners are allowed in. This is the least busy area in the racecourse. Bars are easy to get drinks and there is a coffee shop and bookies included in the area. The cost of the seats for the festival is about £300 but the seats are the best in the house and worth every penny to guarantee a seat in the bar and less crowded environment.
Therefore memberships, seats and house don’t come cheap. About £1350 for the week….plus drinks.

We are going Friday and Saturday and Nov and Dec meetings so you can knock £300 off that cost for entry so I personally think £1k is the actual cost for the Festival.

It’s not for everyone and money is getting very scarce. The individual day prices are ridiculous and my solution only really works if you go all 4 days. But I can guarantee that it’s the best way to do the Festival in relative comfort.

One thing I would stay well away from are the restaurants. £600+ . I’ve never had a good meal or experience as you are squashed in like sardines.

Here come the fodder bang up the prices folks…..

Cheltenham will always sell out. That's why they fleece the public, knowing that. Even the well off wealthy are struggling with cost of living.

Chester should be avoided. The only good thing about Chester is the women in June and July meetings. (but still not worth parting with your hard-earned)

The cost of hotels is what finally put me off. After COVID, the place I had stayed at for years put the cost up 70% and moved to pay on booking (from pay on the day). No thanks.

Manoleeds is spot on - watch on on TV, drinking reasonably-priced beers, in the warm. You can rewind to make sure you see everything and mute the idiot talking heads. You can even share in the collective wisdom of the Betfair forum.

There are plenty of other meetings that are worth going to with none of the hassle and 5% of the cost.

Did same as Hibore for 15 years , Whatley Manor , followed by Dormy House .Annual Membership plus reserved seats . Stopped when it went 4 days and not regretted it once , plus punting far more successful since I stopped going .

its a busy day when you go and apart from those dedicated to their punting,when your going with a group of friends,nightout,breakfast getting to track,drinkie before racing,with todays betting markets your basically betting blind at the course ,hard to keep up with moves,nr,s,ground etc etc
other than the experience of been there the armchair is now by far the best chelt punting experience

£28 for 2 (not even pints) of Guinness and a glass of wine.
Ages to get out the car park
and a fortune to get in.
i stopped going 5 years ago.
They can Poke it

Dambuster - agreed on the drinks. Add in the fact that the servers cannot properly pour the Guinness as well.

That’s madness those prices and she was saying other day she’d like to go but it’s a 3kplus do when you add it all up, so we choose a month in Tenerife instead, the other problem is it’s hard now to make it pay with mullings and he used to fund it

speaking of cheltenham ...excellent r post article by paul kealy today .

We use to go all 4 days, last year a few of the boys went to Gran Canaria all inclusive for the week and watched it at the beach bar.
there were loads of expats and one guy was taking the bets. it was cheaper then the festival

did the lad at the bar taking bets  implement affordability checks

Oct 27, 2023 -- 11:57AM, 1st time poster wrote:

did the lad at the bar taking bets

Yes 1st time, and Passports as well .
The funny thing was, the guy who had the bar was an ex copper and the Spanish police use to have a coffee in there amongst all the cheering,
they couldn't believe how there was so much interest in Horseracing

fancy giving it a go,anyone no what bar MONEYTREE drinks in,

I watched for free from the coach park last time excellent view of the action ....just as good as the Best Mate....

Oct 25, 2023 -- 7:37PM, nineteen points wrote:

stopped going the year dessie won as it was starting to be taken over by the football rowdies.was a great place for national hunt followers till greed took over.i think we paid 100 for the 3 days

Ha. I was there that day too, all 3 days. Remembering thinking, 'crikey, it's busy enough here. Was a miserabl wet old day as well, that Thursday. 34 years ago.

Read this load of tosh from the RP/Cheltenham press office. Trying to make the price of a pint seem reasonable....

https://www.racingpost.com/news/britain/punters-thrilled-to-be-back-at-cheltenham-and-get-the-first-winner-up-before-racing-begins-aAA9I8M4Ydgk/

freebie/corporate newsboy always trys to justify if by comparing it to buying a drink in ronnie scotts london

The last time I went to the festival was whenever Golden Friend won a 3m handicap. Never felt the urge to go back!

personally i dont mind a tenner for a lager in ronnie scotts its the 50 quid for the obligatory crevat dress code i take exception to 

personally i dont mind a tenner for a lager in ronnie scotts its the 50 quid for the obligatory crevat dress code i take exception to