When is Cheltenham Festival 2024? Date, TV channel, live stream FREE, how to get tickets and dress code

THE biggest four days of racing all year are nearly here – it’s time for Cheltenham Festival!

Get ready for thrills, spills, Guinness (other drinks are available) and some sensational horse racing.

Each day there will be seven races packed full of the finest equine talent.

The feature race of the week is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but every day will have its own championship race.

On Tuesday it is the Champion Hurdle, on Wednesday the Champion Chase and on Thursday the Stayers’ Hurdle.

It will come as no surprise that the biggest meeting all year sells out quickly – and bosses have put a cap on the number of punters allowed in.

Here, Sun Racing tells you all you need to know about the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

When is Cheltenham Festival 2024?

• Cheltenham Festival will return on Wednesday, March 12.
• It will run between March 12 and Friday, March 15.
• The first race will take place at 1.30pm on each day and the last race at 5.30pm.
• The championship race will be run at 3.30pm each day.

What TV channel will it be broadcast on and can I stream it?

• Cheltenham will be available live on ITV and Racing TV.
• You can follow all the action on SunSport’s Cheltenham Festival live blog.

When is the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2024?

• The Cheltenham Gold Cup will be on Friday, March 15.
• The race will start at 3.30pm UK time.

Can I buy tickets for Cheltenham 2024?

• You can now buy tickets for Cheltenham Festival.
• The tickets come in varying costs for different enclosures.
• You can view all the available ticket options here.

Cheltenham 2024 schedule

Here is the full schedule for Cheltenham 2024:

Champion Day – Tuesday, March 12 

• 13:30 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 
• 14:10 – Arkle Challenge Trophy 
• 14:50 – Handicap Steeple Chase 
• 15:30 – Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy
• 16:10 – Mares’ Hurdle 
• 16:50 – Juvenile Handicap Hurdle 
• 17:30 – National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup 

Ladies Day – Wednesday, March 13 

• 13:30 – Novices’ Hurdle 
• 14:10 – Novices’ Steeple Chase 
• 14:50 – Coral Cup Hurdle
• 15:30 – Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase 
• 16:10 – Cross Country Steeple Chase 
• 16:50 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase Challenge Cup
• 17:30 – Champion Bumper 

St. Patrick’s Thursday – Thursday, March 14 

• 13:30 – Turners Novices’ 
• 14:10 – Pertemps Network Final 
• 14:50 – Ryanair Steeple Chase 
• 15:30 – Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle 
• 16:10 – Magners Plate
• 16:50 – Jack de Bromhead Mares Novices’ Hurdle 
• 17:30 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup

Gold Cup Day – Friday, March 15

• 13:30 – Triumph Hurdle 
• 14:10 – County Handicap Hurdle
• 14:50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
• 15:30 – Cheltenham Gold Cup 
• 16:10 – Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase 
• 16:50 – Mares’ Steeple Chase 
• 17:30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle 

What is the dress code for Cheltenham and has it changed?

Officially there is no dress code at Cheltenham.

But people do tend to dress smartly, with men in suits and women in formal dresses and hats.

However, some restrictions do apply, as organisers warn guests who choose to wear fancy dress to avoid “inappropriate or offensive outfits”, or they may be denied entry.

The organisers eased the dress code last year, stating that they want to make the races more “accessible and inclusive”.

Is Rachael Blackmore riding at Cheltenham 2024? 

Yes. Rachael Blackmore will be riding at Cheltenham in 2024.

Blackmore took the sporting world by storm when she won six races at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021.

She made history that year, becoming the first woman jockey to be crowned leading rider at the meeting.

Blackmore typically rides for top trainer Henry de Bromhead.

They teamed up to win the Grand National with Minella Times in 2021, 12 months before claiming the Gold Cup with A Plus Tard.

Her horses for this year’s Festival have not yet been confirmed.