The Season: Cheltenham Festival 2026 gets the events season off to a flying start
The Cheltenham Festival 2026 has been bathed in beautiful sunshine this week. The opening days have attracted thousands of keen racegoers, with fashionistas and royalty also in attendance to watch the action on the track.
Cheltenham Festival 2026 marks the official start of The Sloaney’s renowned guide to the British Social Season. The 2026 dates have recently been released for The Season. Racing events feature heavily among the most prestigious sporting occasions to attend this summer, with Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood also key highlights for the diary.
However, there is no better way to start The Season than with a visit to Cheltenham for The Festival. The bright spring weather looks set to continue this week, with blustery conditions building for the latter part of The Festival.
The champagne bars and shopping village have been very busy, as have the various hospitality offerings. The Green Room was packed on Wednesday with celebrity guests enjoying the special occasion. This has become one of the hotspots at the Cheltenham Festival in recent years, with tickets highly desirable.
TV presenter, Mark Durden-Smith, did an excellent job of overseeing proceedings, with his entertaining compering. Celebrity guests included a number of rugby players, such as Mike Tindall and Jeremy Guscott, as well as high profile content creators, like Louise Boyce, who wore a stylish tweed outfit for the day.
Tips from racing legend AP McCoy were gratefully received by the guests who enjoyed a champagne reception that was followed by excellent food and wine.
The Queen, who is a joint patron of the Jockey Club, was in attendance for Ladies Day. She was spotted speaking with Rachael Blackmore, who is expecting her first child, in the parade ring. Zara Tindall was also among the VIP guests at Cheltenham Festival 2026 and she was pictured speaking with Carole Middleton. Actor, James Nesbitt, was also present in the Royal Box.
The Gold Cup lies ahead on Friday. There are 70,000 guests expected to visit the racecourse to watch top jockeys and racehorses compete in the most famed race of the festival. You can discover more about the event here: Cheltenham Festival 2026 | The Jockey Club
