Cheaper pints set to go down well with punters

Cheltenham bid to bring back crowds

- BY BRIAN FLANAGAN

CHELTENHAM has cut the price of a pint of Guinness by 40c in a bid to counteract the falling crowds.

Attendances plummeted in 2025 to just 218,839 (down from 230,000 in 2024), with the Wednesday's Champion Chase card drawing just 41,949 racegoers, the lowest crowd at the festival since the 1990s.

The slide in figures, from a high of 280,000 in 2022, followed criticism of the pricing of tickets, food and drink, and accommodation in the Cheltenham region.

Cheltenham chief executive Guy Lavender promised to address the issue and yesterday the Jockey Club, who manage Cheltenham, announced a series of changes off the track for the new season.