Cheltenham Festival 2026 Dates
The Cheltenham Festival, held annually at the iconic Cheltenham Racecourse, is one of the most eagerly anticipated events and a cornerstone of the National Hunt racing calendar.
The four-day festival is held in March and, in 2026, is scheduled between Tuesday, March 10, and Friday, March 13. You will find all the top horses, jockeys and trainers at the Cheltenham Festival, and this year is expected to be no different.
The latest odds from the UK’s top bookmakers for the Cheltenham Festival can be found on the Oddschecker website. The race times for the 2026 meeting are listed below.
Day 1: Champion Day - Tuesday, 10th March 2026
Champion Day at the 2026 Festival is set to be one for the history books. The Unibet Champion Hurdle (16:00) is the day's feature race.
The race times for Day 1 of the 2026 meeting are listed below:
- 13:20: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ (Grade 1) - 2m - Hurdle
- 14:00: The Arkle Novices’ Chase (Grade 1) - 2m - Chase
- 14:40: The Hallgarten and Novum Wines Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) - 3m abt 1f - Chase
- 15:20: The Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) - 3m 1f - Hurdle
- 16:00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) - 2m - Hurdle
- 16:40: The TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) - 2m 4f - Chase
- 17:20: The Princess Royal National Hunt Novices’ Handicap Chase - 3m 5f - Chase
Day 2: Style Wednesday - Wednesday, 11th March 2026
Style Wednesday boasts the Queen Mother Champion Chase, with Marine Nationale and Sir Gino as the current favourites. Willie Mullins’ Majborough is also well in the running.
The race times for Day 2 of the 2026 meeting are listed below:
- 13:20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) - 2m abt 5f - Hurdle
- 14:00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase - 3m - Chase
- 14:40: The BetMGM Cup Hurdle - 2m abt 5f - Hurdle
- 15:20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase - 3m abt 5½f - Chase
- 16:00: BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) - Abt 2m - Chase
- 16:40: The Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap) - 2m - Chase
- 17:20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper - 2m - Bumper
Day 3: St. Patrick’s Thursday - Thursday, 12th March 2026
Back-to-back feature races await bettors on Day 3, St. Patrick’s Thursday. Don’t miss the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (15:20) followed by the Ryanair Chase (16:00). Lossiemouth is the favourite for the earlier hurdle, with Teahupoo and Ballyburn the clear favourites for the chase.
The race times for Day 3 of the 2026 meeting are listed below:
- 13:20: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) - 2m 1f - Hurdle
- 14:00: Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase - 2m 4f - Chase
- 14:40: The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) - 2m 4f - Hurdle
- 15:20: The Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle (Grade 1) - 2m 7f - Hurdle
- 16:00: The Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) - 2m 4f - Chase
- 16:40: The Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap) - 2m 7f - Chase
- 17:20: The Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap Chase - 3m 2f - Chase
Day 4: Gold Cup Day - Friday, 13th March 2026
The one we’ve all been waiting for is Day 4 of the 2026 Festival, Gold Cup Day. Can Galopin Des Champs return to winning ways following his 2nd place finish behind this year's favourite, Inothewayurthinkin?
The race times for Day 4 of the 2026 meeting are listed below:
- 13:20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1) - 2m - Hurdle
- 14:00: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle Race (Premier Handicap) - 2m - Hurdle
- 14:40: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (Grade 2) - 2m 4f - Chase
- 15:20: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) - 3m - Hurdle
- 16:00: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (Grade 1) - 3m 2f - Chase
- 16:40: St. James’s Place Festival Hunters Chase - 3m 2f - Chase
- 17:20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle - 2m 4f - Hurdle
Changes to the Race Programme for 2026
The Jockey Club announced a few small changes to the 2026 Cheltenham Festival programme. The changes are as follows:
- The Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (a Grade 1 mares’ hurdle) has been moved from Day 1 (Tuesday) to Day 3 (Thursday). It will now be run on the New Course instead of the Old Course.
- the TrustATrader Plate Handicap Chase (2m4f handicap) has been brought forward and will now be staged on the same day as the Unibet Champion Hurdle day (Day 1).
- On Day 3 (Thursday), the schedule has also been reshuffled: the Ryanair Chase will be run around 4 pm, and the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle will be about 40 minutes earlier at 3:20 pm.
FAQs
When is the 2026 Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival 2026 will be held from Tuesday, March 10, to Friday, March 13.
How many races are held during the festival?
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival features 28 races evenly spaced over four days (seven per day).
What are the key races at the festival?
Each of the 28 races at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival offers something unique. However, the key races of the event are the headline races listed below:
- Champion Day: The Unibet Champion Hurdle
- Style Wednesday: The BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase
- St Patrick’s Thursday: The Ryanair Chase and Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle
- Gold Cup Day: The Cheltenham Gold Cup
When is the Cheltenham Gold Cup?
The Cheltenham Gold Cup is at 16:00 on Friday, March 13, 2026.
What happens if a race is cancelled due to weather?
In the event of poor weather, race organisers will provide updates as to the next steps, including potential rescheduling of the event.
How can I watch the Cheltenham Festival?
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival will be broadcast on ITV Racing and Racing TV. Viewers can tune in on their televisions or live stream online.
