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https://www.racingpost.com/news/festivals/cheltenham-festival/lots-of-people-are-doing-it-and-you-can-understand-why-race-fans-plump-for-costa-del-cheltenham-over-the-festival-aBYzG7k3t6dR/
A video of holidaymakers watching the Cheltenham Festival on a big screen at a Benidorm hotel was viewed more than five million times on X
and offered a window into a growing phenomenon.
The festival remains a popular attraction, but attendances are down and some of those missing are deciding to trade the Cotswolds for the Costa del Sol and similar spots, viewing a trip to the continent as a cheaper, sunnier alternative to attending the four-day meeting.
In Spain there is a warm welcome for Cheltenham lovers. The Mad Ass, an Irish sports bar in Benalmadena between Torremolinos and Fuengirola, began promoting itself as a place to watch the festival in mid-February, while down the coast in Fuengirola Christy's Irish Gastropub screened all 27 races, from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday to the Martin Pipe on Friday.
Steven Orme, a postman in his early 50s from Wigan, has attended the festival with a group of friends for 25 years but was not there this time, deciding to watch from Costa Adeje in Tenerife instead.
He flew out with two friends the day before the festival and paid £600 for flights and accommodation in a villa – the same figure he said he would spend on tickets alone for the four-day meeting.
Orme said: “It was really good and we've already said we're doing the same next year. We were there on Monday afternoon and we found a bar that would have the racing on. They had big tellies and we asked if we needed to book a table – they said no, just be here an hour before the first and you'll get one.
"That was us for the week. Every day we got a table, they had food on and we watched the racing and had a really good week. There were a lot of people watching the racing and I have friends who went to Benidorm and they said that was rammed. We got bets on okay, we had the sun and I had a few winners as well.
"The villa and the flights cost me about £600 last week and when we've been going to Cheltenham we've had seats in the grandstand and ended up paying about £800 for the four days' tickets. It's a bit of a no-brainer for us now. We're all jump racing fans and always will be but it got to the point where they were pricing it silly.
"That's why we made the decision to do something else. We gave it a go and we've all come back and said we'll be doing it again next year. In some ways that's a shame because I've had a lot of good years at Cheltenham and have some lifetime memories, but you wonder if you are getting value for money and I don't think you are any more at Cheltenham."
Lee Wilson and Jack Flaherty, two racing-mad neighbours and veteran racegoers from Surrey, flew out with nine friends the day before the festival bound for Benalmadena.
Wilson said: “It was a fantastic week. We’re talking about doing it again next year because it was far preferable to sit outside in the sun and watch the racing on the television.
“It’s getting quite popular and the bars were quite busy, almost to the point of you needing to get into them between 10.30am and 11am to secure a good table. We had a great spot in front of the screen, but another group tried getting in there 30 minutes before the racing started on Gold Cup day and that wasn’t happening.
“I would have preferred a few extra hours in the morning to have a look around and chill out a bit, but we couldn’t because everywhere was so popular. We were paying £3 for drinks and the prices were ridiculously good.”
The attendance across Cheltenham’s four days dropped by 11,000 and early prices have now been frozen for 2025, but Wilson believes that may be too late, particularly with falling field sizes and the dominance of Willie Mullins making many races uncompetitive.
He said: “I’ve been going 26 years now and I just can’t see how Cheltenham can reclaim the crowds. The attendance was down this year and the prices have driven a few people away, but it’s not just the attendance, I think the festival itself was quite underwhelming. In the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, five of the seven runners were Willie Mullins horses.
“If you ask me now about either going to the festival or going to Plumpton in May, I’d be picking the latter. The racing is competitive enough, you’ll get good weather and it’s easy access.”
Key account manager Rory Dowd used to travel to the festival from Ireland but this year decided to go to Tenerife with a group of friends. The 36-year-old said the cost of Cheltenham had become prohibitive.
He said: "I’ve been to the festival ten times and my grandfather went 40 times, but the cost is too high. We came over for Trials day in January and that was brilliant. The hotel we stayed in for two nights was €491 and the same hotel for the same number of nights during the festival was €2,194."
Dowd and his friends booked a table at McGuires Irish bar, which served lunch and a beer on arrival each day for €50.
"I’ve seen that lots of people are doing the same as us and you can understand why. I do still go to Cheltenham, just the lesser meetings like Trials day, and we already have our hotel booked for that next year.”
A video of holidaymakers watching the Cheltenham Festival on a big screen at a Benidorm hotel was viewed more than five million times on X
and offered a window into a growing phenomenon.
The festival remains a popular attraction, but attendances are down and some of those missing are deciding to trade the Cotswolds for the Costa del Sol and similar spots, viewing a trip to the continent as a cheaper, sunnier alternative to attending the four-day meeting.
In Spain there is a warm welcome for Cheltenham lovers. The Mad Ass, an Irish sports bar in Benalmadena between Torremolinos and Fuengirola, began promoting itself as a place to watch the festival in mid-February, while down the coast in Fuengirola Christy's Irish Gastropub screened all 27 races, from the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Tuesday to the Martin Pipe on Friday.
Steven Orme, a postman in his early 50s from Wigan, has attended the festival with a group of friends for 25 years but was not there this time, deciding to watch from Costa Adeje in Tenerife instead.
He flew out with two friends the day before the festival and paid £600 for flights and accommodation in a villa – the same figure he said he would spend on tickets alone for the four-day meeting.
Orme said: “It was really good and we've already said we're doing the same next year. We were there on Monday afternoon and we found a bar that would have the racing on. They had big tellies and we asked if we needed to book a table – they said no, just be here an hour before the first and you'll get one.
"That was us for the week. Every day we got a table, they had food on and we watched the racing and had a really good week. There were a lot of people watching the racing and I have friends who went to Benidorm and they said that was rammed. We got bets on okay, we had the sun and I had a few winners as well.
"The villa and the flights cost me about £600 last week and when we've been going to Cheltenham we've had seats in the grandstand and ended up paying about £800 for the four days' tickets. It's a bit of a no-brainer for us now. We're all jump racing fans and always will be but it got to the point where they were pricing it silly.
"That's why we made the decision to do something else. We gave it a go and we've all come back and said we'll be doing it again next year. In some ways that's a shame because I've had a lot of good years at Cheltenham and have some lifetime memories, but you wonder if you are getting value for money and I don't think you are any more at Cheltenham."
Lee Wilson and Jack Flaherty, two racing-mad neighbours and veteran racegoers from Surrey, flew out with nine friends the day before the festival bound for Benalmadena.
Wilson said: “It was a fantastic week. We’re talking about doing it again next year because it was far preferable to sit outside in the sun and watch the racing on the television.
“It’s getting quite popular and the bars were quite busy, almost to the point of you needing to get into them between 10.30am and 11am to secure a good table. We had a great spot in front of the screen, but another group tried getting in there 30 minutes before the racing started on Gold Cup day and that wasn’t happening.
“I would have preferred a few extra hours in the morning to have a look around and chill out a bit, but we couldn’t because everywhere was so popular. We were paying £3 for drinks and the prices were ridiculously good.”
The attendance across Cheltenham’s four days dropped by 11,000 and early prices have now been frozen for 2025, but Wilson believes that may be too late, particularly with falling field sizes and the dominance of Willie Mullins making many races uncompetitive.
He said: “I’ve been going 26 years now and I just can’t see how Cheltenham can reclaim the crowds. The attendance was down this year and the prices have driven a few people away, but it’s not just the attendance, I think the festival itself was quite underwhelming. In the Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, five of the seven runners were Willie Mullins horses.
“If you ask me now about either going to the festival or going to Plumpton in May, I’d be picking the latter. The racing is competitive enough, you’ll get good weather and it’s easy access.”
Key account manager Rory Dowd used to travel to the festival from Ireland but this year decided to go to Tenerife with a group of friends. The 36-year-old said the cost of Cheltenham had become prohibitive.
He said: "I’ve been to the festival ten times and my grandfather went 40 times, but the cost is too high. We came over for Trials day in January and that was brilliant. The hotel we stayed in for two nights was €491 and the same hotel for the same number of nights during the festival was €2,194."
Dowd and his friends booked a table at McGuires Irish bar, which served lunch and a beer on arrival each day for €50.
"I’ve seen that lots of people are doing the same as us and you can understand why. I do still go to Cheltenham, just the lesser meetings like Trials day, and we already have our hotel booked for that next year.”
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Replies: 104
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i no 3 groups of lads who go to chelt every yr who now go to spain,2 groups to tenerife one group to beni, as 90% of lads now bet on phone,enhanced odds places etc,etc,your not even missing the betting ring buzz at chelt anymore,like above a no brainer for many
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I can well understand groups of mates who used to go to the festival now getting together elsewhere to watch it. What I don't really get is the part about going abroad to watch it.
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I set the trend by watching the 1985 GN in a bar in Benidorm. Unfortunately the commentary was in Spanish and they even translated the horses' names. I had no idea what had won.
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Good morning go ballistic
An hour in front in Spain which gives you a couple of hours by the pool or on the beach in superb weather before enjoying a nice lunch with a couple of drinks then choosing either an in door bar or an outdoor bar to watch the racing with terrific sound systems,after racing live entertainment or a nice meal no traffic no taxis,at the weekends you can watch the six nations or games like united and Liverpool and everything at ridiculously low prices. Other than that I don’t see the attraction |
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The betting jungle is long gone
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But you do have to put up with all those half naked girls getting in the way of Alice Plunkett on the telly.
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Starting to see quite a few now coming to Jersey as well..
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Surely all the beach hotels in Spain are full of illegal immigrants like in the UK?
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how did Whitley Bay do ?
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Hi jimnast. Hope you're well.
I don't mind a week somewhere warm. Just not Cheltenham week, and preferably playing golf during the day. Seems to me you could have all that over here (except the sun), but without time and costs of travelling and without any issues accessing betfair. I spend much of that week trying to get my head around the form - a holiday just seems like it would get in the way. |
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its a jolly boys outing theyve saved up for all yr,where did you have your stag do , IN YOUR KITCHEN ?
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yeah they probably spend more on drink than anything else
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Travelled to tenerife costa adeje this year for Cheltenham place was bouncing nice n warm had our own table every day with bookies their taking sterling and euros great atmosphere and lovely n warm and better still was the fact that it turned into a free holiday after having a cracking few days,certainly beats paying to go to chelt in cold weather and I will be doing the same next year with the mrs and a few friends and their partners
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I went to Lloret De Mar on the Wednesday morning. 6 days, after 4 in London.
3 days watching ITVX in the afternoon, bets placed in London beforehand, but BF easily accessible (VPN). Warm weather, didn't wear a jacket once, decent hotel, a day in Barcelona and another in Girona. Loved it. |
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Railroader, I love Costa Adeje. If you don't mind, where exactly did you watch it? A hotel?
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Loads of us use to go to Cheltenham every year, but the prices went through the roof, accommodation went through the roof,
Beer and food is a rip off. So we stopped and went to Fuengirola one year, 4 star full board Mon-Sat £217. Booze at 2 euro a pint. We've been there and Tenerife ever since, so much cheaper than Cheltenham, easy to get a bet on, And thousands will start to follow, Especially with the same trainer winning the same races, odds on favs, no competition unless its a handicap. The greedy racecourse and the greedy hotel owners have shot themselves in the foot, and unless something drastic is done, it'll continue on a downward decline. |
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Had the pleasure of running a Gold cup day here in Jersey at one of our leading Hotel/Restaurant. Great crowd, mixture of people from Wales, The Wirral South ondon plus a large table of app 35 scousers, Great food and plenty of drink above all fantastic atmosphere no aggro trouble whatsoever.
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all well and good but you cant get a bet on betfair.
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As railroader says, vpn sorts it
This is the first year for a while I haven't been to Benidorm for Cheltenham week... Had some stuff to sort out here... Should be back out for next year hopefully I've also got an independent bookie that I ring or text as back up to get my Placepots and multiples on if the vpn doesn't work All my single race by race bets out there done with the bookie in the bar... Just have to be aware of limits if you're putting multiples on |
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Last Suspect won it Salmon Spray.
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Mighty... Hywel Davies? Without googling
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Correct Reg. Arkle colours.
Anne Duchess Of Westminster |
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.... trainer Tim Forster
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Harlequins bar in Las Americas long gone. proper spot for the racing, none of this old woman sitting taking bets, place had its own bookies office in the corner of the pub
 must've been very friendly with the chief of police  |
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Which hotel was it Jerseyboy ?
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, geoff m wrote:
all well and good but you cant get a bet on betfair. Ya can through you're network provider and through WiFi if u use a vpn Thanx for that Railroader but ive not a clue what you are on about. It cost me an arm & a leg with £600 down the swannee when Constitution Hill defected. Took a laptop (dont do mobile phones) clicked on via local bar network & barred due to spanish regs. |
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vpn takes your location and makes it look like you're in a different location, which you can choose. eg Manchester.
works for most except 356. using your phone (which you don't do) without the wifi switched on also works. |
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Hulk... When you say using your phone without Wi-Fi switched on... You still have to use a vpn, don't you?
I'm not too tech savvy either And are you saying 356 won't work even with a vpn? If so, why not? |
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Jerseyboy
Never been to jersey could you please tell me what kind of weather to expect festival week and give me a few examples of cost ? |
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Ime well go ballistic hope you are two,I totally agree about it getting in the way of a holiday and said to the wife I couldn’t just do this for 4 days like most ,we had two weeks there so had plenty of time for other things,the hour later start is a big plus for the form work.
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Hulk
Harlequins was around at the time of churchills ,the royal and Garfield’s it was much better in those days the books now have no personality or manners . I see maquires got a mention in the post I watched a few races in there in January most of the time there’s entertainment on you can hardly see or hear anything. |
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reggie
no vpn required on phone as long as wifi is switched off. soon as you switch that on and connect to a network they'll know where you are. 356 won't work with a vpn, didn't last time i tried, on any of my 27 accounts. very unfair of denise presume she can work out you're using a vpn and won't allow it. |
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Hulk I'm gonna try that next time I go, no need for Wi-Fi if I've got a mobile signal
Just use mobile data I'll be out again next month, tend to go every 2 months for a week Bit confused though... Are you saying even 365 will work if you've got WiFi switched off? Thanks for your time and sorry if I'm being thick |
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Geoff/Reg
Download IP Vanish VPN, it works fine with BF in all European countries (and Asia). It costs several euros per month, but in your case, just use it while your abroad and cancel the subscription. |
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Yes, Reg. once logged in you can switch your WiFi back on. Will still work so long as your page doesn’t refresh. Never quite sure of the roaming costs abroad, even though you get a text when you land saying it won’t cost you any more, it always does!
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I use TunnelBear, it’s free and works fine. Can never get on B365 with it though. Does that one, Andrew?
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Cheers AIS, will do but awaiting Hibby reply to see if I even need a vpn if all I need to do is switch off WiFi
Had no problems in November in getting on here and 356 but in January I couldn't get on... But I had switched from Vodafone to Tesco mobile so thought that might have something to do with it? Sounds unlikely though reading on here |