The 2026 Cheltenham Festival runs from Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13 at Prestbury Park. Racing starts at 13:20 each day and the final race is scheduled for 17:20. In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch the first five races of each day live on ITV1 and ITVX, while Racing TV will show every race from the Festival.
| Key | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Cheltenham Festival 2026 |
| Dates | Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13, 2026 |
| Venue | Prestbury Park, Cheltenham Racecourse |
| Number of Races | 28 |
| Races Per Day | 7 |
| First Race Time | 13:20 |
| Final Race Time | 17:20 |
| Championship Race Time | 16:00 each day |
| TV Coverage (UK) | ITV1 |
| Free Live Stream | ITVX |
| Full Coverage | Racing TV |
| Preview Show | ITV4, 09:00 to 10:00 |
- Event: Cheltenham Festival 2026
- Dates: Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13, 2026
- Venue: Prestbury Park
- TV coverage: ITV1 and Racing TV
- Live stream: ITVX and Racing TV
The Cheltenham Festival returns with four days of racing at Prestbury Park, bringing together many of the leading horses, trainers and jockeys in National Hunt racing.
The meeting features 28 races across the week, with seven races scheduled on each day. Every contest can be watched on television or streamed online for fans unable to attend the Festival in person.
Trainer Willie Mullins is once again expected to have a strong team across the meeting. He will also be targeting success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup after missing out on a third consecutive win with Galopin des Champs last year.
Cheltenham Festival dates and race times
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival runs from Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13.
Racing begins at 13:20 each day, while the final race is scheduled for 17:20.
A championship race takes place at 16:00 on each day of the meeting. The week opens with the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday and concludes with the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.
TV coverage in the UK
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the first five races of each day live on ITV1.
ITV’s coverage begins at 12:45 GMT and runs through to 17:00. The races shown on ITV can also be streamed through the ITVX platform.
Festival preview show
Each morning of the meeting features a preview programme that looks ahead to the day’s racing.
The show runs from 09:00 to 10:00 and is broadcast on ITV4. It is also available to watch online through ITVX.
Watching every race
The final two races on each day will not appear on ITV’s coverage.
Supporters who want to watch every race can do so through Racing TV. The subscription channel provides full coverage of the Cheltenham Festival and is available through Sky, Virgin Media and its online streaming service.
