It might be 1,300 miles away, but more and more people are choosing to swap Cheltenham for Benidorm during festival week, where cheap drinks and hotels are a plenty.
However, for the sun-seekers arriving on the Mediterranean coastline for festival week this year, there’s been one problem – the weather.
As Prestbury Park basks in warm winter sunshine, in Benidorm, rain has forced t-shirt-wearing race enthusiasts to head inside many of the bars on the strip.
Huge outdoor screens remain rolled up, and uncovered outdoor seating areas are near empty.
“We came to watch Cheltenham in the sun with cheap beer and hotels – but the rain, well, we could be in Cheltenham,” said Daniel Sewell, who is in the popular resort from Monday to Thursday.
As someone who has been to the festival several times – most recently in 2018 – the 35-year-old from Warrington booked the week away with friends as a combined stag do.
For live updates on the Cheltenham Festival – click here for our blog
The group of 14 have filled an apartment, paying a total of £800, while the return flight has cost them £130 each. At Ibrox Bar on Wednesday, they were sharing €10 buckets of five bottled beers.
Meanwhile at Cheltenham, on-the-gate tickets start at £70 and pints of beer, despite being reduced in price this year, cost £7.50.
“I couldn’t have drunk anymore last night if I tried, and I still only spent £50,” said Mr Sewell. However, while the price is right for revellers, the weather hasn’t quite met expectation yet.
Mr Sewell said: “We first got the idea through those pictures on social media of people watching Cheltenham in huge outdoor seating areas, watching big screens, in the sun.
“So far this year, the weather has not been great, but the atmosphere is still really good. I think for some of the people who are not in to racing so much, this is a great way to watch racing.”
For others who would attend Cheltenham Festival for the entire week, also staying overnight in the area, the savings for watching the racing abroad are even greater.
Ronnie Russell, from Hull, who used to attend the festival each year, is in Benidorm for the week having paid £500 for five nights full board in the four-star Hotel Rosamar.
This year is his third festival at the Spanish resort, where people swap the Cheltenham roar on the first race for the “Benidorm bellow”.
“Three years ago it was sunny,” the 67-year-old said. “Last year, and this year so far, we haven’t had the weather, but I’d still rather be here than stuck in the Cheltenham car park and covered in mud.
“We love the €2 pints – but the prices are creeping up, and it’s getting so popular here for festival week you need to book in advance. The experience is still great,”
According to travel retailer On the Beach, bookings at Benidorm during the festival were up 65 per cent compared to last year, with hotels seeing the number of bookings more than double.
Wilma Wallace, from the Ibrox Bar, said: “It started about eight years and it has got bigger every year. We just hope the weather gets better on Thursday and Friday.”
Attendance at Cheltenham has been declining. The overall attendance last year was 218,839, down 5 per cent on 2024. However, on this year’s opening day, attendance was up.
It followed changes including a 30p reduction in the price of draught beer or cider, and a relaxation in outdoor drinking areas. Ladies Day has also returned on Wednesday after a five-year hiatus.
Racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender told the BBC: “It is wonderful to see so many people wanting to engage with and celebrate the event.
“Whether fans are watching from the comfort of their own home, while on holiday in Benidorm or soaking up the unbeatable atmosphere on course, we want them to feel a part of it and we are proud that these four days in March are a key marker in people’s calendars each year.”
