Cost of Living: Can Jump Racing to Win Back Fans?

1st April 2025

On the face of it, the 2025 Cheltenham Festival was one of the most exciting showcases for national hunt racing in years—thrilling upsets, beaten favorites, 100/1 winners, and short-priced dominating superstars. The banter and friendly rivalry between the Irish contingent and the British was, as ever, on evidence.

Yet, scratch the surface, and there were some issues. Most notably, attendance was down once again – significantly so. For many years, certainly before the pandemic, Cheltenham was the hottest ticket in town. This year, many racegoers eschewed the chance to see the undisputed highlight of the jumps season.

Where did they go instead? Benidorm. Yes, really. This year, punters heading to the Spanish resort became a trend. Pubs put the action on big screens. Social media was awash with comparisons between the cheap booze on offer and the expensive price of a pint in Cheltenham. The option of online horse betting meant the most avid punters could place their bets under the Spanish sunshine.

Some of the arguments lie in the general cost of living across the UK. Cheltenham is not a cheap trip. The ticket prices are pretty reasonable, but the ‘extras’ are brilliant – surging hotel prices, Airbnbs, transport, and so on – these things add up, and many fans fell over themselves to contrast how a trip to Spain was the cheaper option. The organizers were keen to blame the accommodation cost, and they certainly have a point.

Young audience tunes in

There was some good news: ITV’s viewership for the Gold Cup came in at a healthy 1.8 million viewers. The channel also stressed that one-third of these viewers were in the 18-34 bracket. Unsurprisingly, many in racing’s hierarchies – both jumps and flat – see engagement with young people as the key to horse racing’s future.

Nonetheless, there is a sense that more must be done. The Grand National is on the horizon. Traditionally, the event is seen as the most significant individual horse race in the British calendar. Indeed, the event draws in casual fans like few others. Yet, ticket sales for Aintree have also been struggling over the last couple of years.

Is there merit in the argument that it is not the event but the ‘extras’ that are impacting sales? Evidence shows that the attendance drops are due to lower-priced tickets failing to sell. Course bosses argue that this tells us that it is a cost-of-living issue more so than a racing one. The hospitality boxes remain full, leading organizers to pinpoint the blame on, among other things, accommodation providers in the area.

Can more be done?

Yet, there is now debate over what should be done. Even if it is the extra extras that prohibit going to a race day instead of the ticket’s price, some argue that racing authorities can do more. The last thing anyone wants is for the sport to become prohibitive to those on a budget.

Of course, you may argue that this is not limited to racing. Many are feeling the pinch right now. It is also the case that hotel prices and accommodation skyrocket when major events roll into town. Have you ever seen what happens to hotel prices when Taylor Swift plays a concert in a particular city? Yet, it is pertinent for racing because the sport feels at a crossroads regarding mass appeal. Bosses have promised action to remedy the problem: can they deliver?