Cheltenham Borough Council is launching a town management plan to handle tens of thousands of visitors arriving for the Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire. The horse racing event will take place from Tuesday, 10 March to Friday, 13 March 2026.
Daily attendance limits have been reduced from 68,500 to 66,000 people to help manage crowds and improve the experience for everyone in the area. This reduction is intended to ease pressure on local transport and services during the busiest times of the week.
Visitors must book all parking at the racecourse in advance this year, as there will be no parking tickets available to buy on arrival. To help people move safely around the town at night, the council is also placing taxi marshals at ranks in Montpellier and the Promenade.
Gloucestershire Police will open a dedicated community hub on the High Street, and officers on horseback will patrol the town centre on all four nights. These safety measures follow a successful test of the Ask for Angela scheme in January, which showed that local businesses are prepared to help people who feel vulnerable.
The ‘Love our Turf’ campaign will also return to encourage visitors to stay on designated walking routes and respect residential property. Extra street cleaning teams and temporary toilets will be positioned across the town to manage the increased pressure on public facilities during the event.
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