Cheltenham in 2024
21st December 2023
JANUARY
New Year’s Day Racing at Cheltenham Racecourse (1st January)
Start the new year in style with some thrilling and high-quality racing action. There will be seven highly-competitive races on the day with Graded and Listed contests. Couple that with some fantastic free family entertainment and live music in both The Village and The Centaur. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
Festival Trials Day (27th January)
Gear up for the final opportunity to see the best of British racing before the Cheltenham Festival. Last year saw some epic races and great clues on who is going to triumph in March so get ready to mark your card. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
MARCH
Craft Festival (8th-10th March)
This lovely festival never fails to inspire. With 100 of the finest designer makers from across the UK, there’s pretty much everything you could want here: jewellery, ceramics, furniture, textile artists, glass and much more. www.craftfestival.co.uk
Cheltenham Festival (12th-15th March)
It’s the big event we’ve all been waiting for. Even more so in 2024, with Cheltenham celebrating 100 years of the Gold Cup. Running across four breath-taking days, enjoy 28 races at stake, 14 Grade 1 races and many priceless moments. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
APRIL
The April Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse (17th-18th April)
The Festival fever continues at this wonderful two-day meeting. Once again, it’s a brilliant day out, with high-quality racing, while you soak up the spring sunshine shining over the famous Cleeve Hill and hallowed Cheltenham turf. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
FRESH: Art Fair (26th-28th April)
This inspiring art fair is pretty hard to beat: 50 galleries. 500 artists. 5,000 artworks all in one place. From exciting new talent to famous names like Hockney, Banksy, Picasso and Matisse, there will be original prints and paintings, sculpture, glass and ceramics from as little as £100 to £30,000 or more. www.freshartfair.net
MAY
Cheltenham Jazz Festival (1st-6th May)
One of the UK’s best-loved jazz festivals, soak up a carefully-curated mix of international jazz icons, up-and-coming jazz names and one-off festival performances. Little ones haven’t been forgotten either, with the festival’s fantastic Jazz for Schools programme. www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
Race Night ft. Hunter Chase Racing (3rd May)
With a party atmosphere and fun vibe, this unmissable evening meeting allows both amateur riders and trainers to compete for the ultimate dream of winning at the Home of Jump Racing with seven fiercely fought Hunter chases. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
JUNE
Cheltenham Science Festival (4th-9th June)
Nothing is off-limits at this fascinating and brain-challenging festival. With a creative programme curated to spark curiosity, all the big names are here with the world’s greatest scientists, futurologists and thought-leaders helping make sense of the world around us. www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival (21st-23rd June)
The UK’s best chefs and wine experts will be descending on Cheltenham this summer. Alongside the stunning talent, there will be cheese masterclasses, a BBQ grill stage, wine tastings and a prosecco bar, not to mention some incredible live music. www.cheltenhamfooddrinkfestival.co.uk
JULY
Cheltenham Music Festival (6th-13th July)
Launched in 1945, this long-standing, much-loved festival celebrates classical music. With a rich and diverse programme featuring the world’s biggest classical names, there’s something for everyone, from glorious chamber music to alternative experiences with classical music. www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
SEPTEMBER
Cheltenham International Film Festival
This film festival may be fairly new to the scene but it’s already packing a punch. Sir Stephen Frears, Timothy Spall and Ken Loach plus the cast of the BBC’s wildly successful Boiling Point were just a few of the big names who attended in 2023, with much more planned for this year. www.cheltfilm.com
OCTOBER
Cheltenham Literary Festival
The world’s first literature festival, Cheltenham ‘Lit Fest’ leads the way in highlighting the written and spoken world, presenting the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers. www.cheltenhamfestivals.com
The Showcase at Cheltenham Racecourse
The wait is over. The Showcase opens the 2024/25 Cheltenham season – and, once again, there’s plenty to enjoy. Alongside exhilarating racing, there will be special Q&A sessions with racing legends, setting the scene for the forthcoming season. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
NOVEMBER
The November Meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse
It’s true that all roads lead to the Cheltenham Festival but the magic starts at The November Meeting. With three days of thrilling races and an electric atmosphere, it’s the perfect chance to spot the potential winners of the season. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk
DECEMBER
The Christmas Meeting
Add another element of celebration to the festive season with a weekend of top-quality racing. But that’s not all. Off-track, there is a Christmas Extravaganza themed raceday, including Santa’s Grotto and plenty of Christmas carols. www.thejockeyclub.co.uk