Why Thousands of Brits Are Swapping Cheltenham for Benidorm During Festival Week

The Rise of 'Costa del Cheltenham'

The Cheltenham Festival may be the crown jewel of jump racing, but a growing number of British fans are choosing to watch it from more than a thousand miles away — sprawled across a sun-lounger in Benidorm rather than standing in the mud at Prestbury Park.

What was once an unusual decision has rapidly become a full-blown trend. Thousands of racing enthusiasts are now flocking to Spain's Costa Blanca during Festival week, drawn by the promise of cheaper drinks, warmer weather, and a far more relaxed atmosphere than the bustling Gloucestershire racecourse can offer.

The Numbers Don't Lie

The scale of this shift is staggering. According to travel retailer On the Beach, bookings to Benidorm for Cheltenham Festival week have surged by 65% compared to the previous year, with hotels in the resort reporting a remarkable 225% increase in reservations. Industry insiders are already calling it the biggest ever Cheltenham-themed Benidorm gathering on record.

Some fans have even coined a nickname for the phenomenon — 'BeniChelts' — capturing the unlikely but increasingly popular marriage between British horse racing culture and Spanish holiday resorts.

The Cost Factor: Cheltenham vs. Benidorm

So what is really driving people away from one of Britain's most beloved sporting events? The answer, almost universally, comes down to money.

Stephen Dahl, a 39-year-old racing fan from Liverpool, made the switch back in 2020 after years of attending the Festival in person.

"We used to go to Cheltenham every year," Dahl explained to BBC Sport. "We'd get the lads together, run a coach from Liverpool or stay over — it was our thing."

But as accommodation costs crept further from the racecourse and transportation expenses mounted, the experience became increasingly difficult to justify. Paying £60 for a taxi from a remote village to the venue was the final straw.

"We started doing just the one day because it was getting more and more expensive," he said. "Spending at least £150 a day at Cheltenham just can't be justified."

Dahl made the switch to Benidorm and has never looked back. Far from abandoning racing, he now attends more race meetings than ever before — he has simply chosen to redirect his Festival budget elsewhere.

The Split-Week Solution

Not everyone is willing to abandon Cheltenham entirely. Some devoted fans are finding creative compromises.

Racing Lee, co-host of the Only Fools Love Horses racing podcast, will attend the Festival for its opening two days before boarding a flight to Benidorm to catch Thursday and Friday — including the prestigious Gold Cup Day — with friends in Spain.

After 14 consecutive years of attending in person, this marks his first venture abroad for the Festival. He admits he simply could not bring himself to skip it altogether, but was equally curious about the alternative experience everyone has been talking about.

"The overall Festival experience is like no other," he said, "but when things are half the price elsewhere? Sometimes you have got to take the value!"

The numbers back him up. He paid £300 for two nights in Cheltenham, booking back in September. By comparison, he secured three nights in Benidorm for a similar price, booking just a few months later in January.

"Benidorm offers value, but Cheltenham offers the true atmosphere," he added. "So each to their own."

The Loyal Cheltenham Faithful

Of course, not everyone has been swayed by the allure of cheap sangria and Spanish sunshine. For many racing purists, there is simply no substitute for the real thing.

Matthew Turner, 38, has been attending Cheltenham Festival for the better part of two decades and still feels that same electric charge walking through the gates each year.

"There's something about Cheltenham and seeing the best horses race each other on the best stage," he told BBC Sport. "It's like seeing all the best players in a World Cup final."

Turner views the Festival as the pinnacle of the sport and the atmosphere as truly irreplaceable. However, even he acknowledges the financial reality facing casual racegoers.

"When I first started going, I was in the Best Mate Enclosure for £30 — now, even with the early bird discount, it's at least £50," he noted. "If you compare that to a return flight to Benidorm, the numbers start to make sense for people who are not deeply in love with racing itself."

He and a group of friends once made the switch themselves, securing hotel and flights for three nights in Spain for just £200 — a figure that speaks volumes about the value gap between the two experiences.

"You're never going to get those people back," Turner said of casual attendees. "They're not in love with Cheltenham the way I am."

Turner has since returned to attending in person, though even he is staying near Stroud this year due to the prohibitive cost of accommodation closer to the venue.

An Ironic Twist in the Weather

In a moment of delicious irony, as Cheltenham's opening day basked in dry and mild conditions, many of those who had flown to Benidorm in search of guaranteed sunshine found themselves sheltering beneath grey skies and dodging unexpected showers. The Spanish sunshine, it seems, is not always as reliable as the brochure suggests.

Cheltenham Fights Back

Facing a three-year decline in attendance figures — despite expecting approximately 220,000 visitors through the gates this week — Cheltenham Festival organisers have begun taking steps to win back price-conscious fans.

This year saw the introduction of an extended early-bird ticket window, allowing more racegoers access to discounted entry for a longer period. Meanwhile, food and drink options have been expanded across the venue, and in a notably symbolic gesture, the price of a draught pint of beer or cider has been reduced by 30p to £7.50.

Whether these measures will be enough to stem the tide of fans heading south remains to be seen. For now, the party in Benidorm shows no signs of slowing down.