Cheltenham Festival roar returns as organisers battle dwindling crowds
At Cheltenham, the noise comes first. The “Cheltenham roar” will roll off Cleeve Hill at lunchtime, the familiar signal that four of National Hunt racing’s biggest days are under way. What will matter after the echo fades is how many throats are behind it — and what those numbers say about a festival recalibrating after a boom-and-bust attendance cycle.
In 2022, the Cheltenham Festival drew a record 280,000 fans through Prestbury Park. Organizers responded with a daily cap of 68,500 the following year as the course brimmed…