The Decrease in Attendance at UK Racing and Other Spectator Sports

Reflecting on the Past Decade: Key Moments and Trends

Looking closer at horse racing attendance in the UK from 2014 to 2023, we can see that the sport has weathered its fair share of challenges. The total attendance figures tell a story of highs and lows, with 2015 standing out as the peak year when 6,128,072 spectators passed through the gates.

A peak that, compared to the previous year of 2014, saw an increase of nearly 300,000 people through the turnstiles. Although the increase may not seem monumental, it marked a continuation of growth that had defined the sport’s popularity in the early 2010s.

However, it is at this peak where the numbers begin to slide. By 2019, attendance had dropped to 5,624,994 – just over an 8% decline from the 2015 high; although this cannot be considered catastrophic, it reflects a gradual cooling of interest.

A cooling of interest or, at the very least, a shift in how people were consuming the sport and although there would be an 8% decline in the space of just four years, no forecaster could envisage what would happen in 2020.

That was the year when the seismic shock of the pandemic took hold in 2020 and a year when attendance fell off a cliff to just 654,537. This figure, a staggering 89% drop from the year prior, illustrates the scale of disruption caused by restrictions on live events.

As restrictions eased, the sport began to claw its way back. By 2022, total attendance reached 4,838,401, with a slight dip to 4,833,944 in 2023. However, the average attendance per meeting remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

In 2023, an average of 3,184 spectators attended each meeting—still far from the 4,116 seen during the sport's high watermark in 2015. While the recovery has been steady, these figures suggest horse racing is still returning to its former glory.

It is not just the sport's appeal that drives course attendance throughout the country. External factors, such as economic pressures and changes in entertainment habits, are likely to play a significant role in shaping the future of the sport.

Envisioning the Future: Predictions and Possibilities

A future that may not see racing on each day of the week, and when looking at the attendance data per day since 2014, courses may soon decide to lessen their overheads by running only at weekends:

Saturdays stand out as the undisputed peak, with an average attendance of 6,033 per meeting; this is no surprise, given that weekends traditionally draw larger crowds, making it the industry's busiest and most lucrative day.

In contrast, while still an important day for racing, Sundays show a more modest turnout. With a total attendance of 3,928,827 and an average of 2,995 per meeting, Sunday sees fewer meetings, just 1,312 and generally lower attendance per event compared to the peak on Saturdays.

The difference in figures between these two days demonstrates the weekend effect, where fans are more inclined to attend or tune into races on a Saturday when they have more leisure time.

The rest of the week sees a more gradual decline in attendance. Though strong, with an average attendance of 3,798 and 9,589,653 across 2,525 meetings, Fridays still fall short of the numbers on Saturdays.

Thursdays and Wednesdays also perform well compared to Monday and Tuesday, with average attendances of 2,246 and 1,870, respectively, but they cannot quite match the weekend's pull. Not to forget, the bumper crowds at the Cheltenham Festival will have enhanced these figures.

Mondays and Tuesdays round out the week with the lowest numbers, where the average attendance per meeting is 1,465 and 1,541, The consistent trend across these figures shows the weekends still capture the lion’s share of the sport’s audience – even if it is decreasing year on year.

Course by Course

Another way we can split this data is by looking at it from an individual course perspective: 

When we examine the attendance data from various UK racecourses, a distinct hierarchy emerges, with some venues outperforming others in total attendance and average crowd size, this can be explained by the courses that stage the highest-profile races.

Unsurprisingly, Cheltenham tops the table with a total attendance of 4,085,207 across 167 meetings, equating to an average attendance of 24,462 per meeting in the ten years from 2014 to 2023.

These figures highlight the quality of racing, the loyal following, and the prestige attached to its events, particularly during the Cheltenham Festival. At the same time, there is a similar prestige attached to Ascot.

The home of Royal Ascot follows closely behind with 4,858,128 in total attendance and an impressive 17,413 average per meeting across 279 events – figures that highlight its status as a major player in UK racing.

Other prominent racecourses like Aintree and York are also featured at the top. Aintree, home to the iconic Grand National, recorded 1,487,091 attendees across just 84 meetings, generating a strong average of 17,703 per meeting.

By comparison, York saw 2,830,268 total attendees go through its turnstiles at an average of 14,975, and in doing so, it continues to draw substantial crowds year after year – with it being one of only five courses to generate an average attendance of over 10,000.

On the other hand, racecourses like Newmarket and Chester, with 2,761,248 and 2,078,552 in total attendance, respectively, see lower average numbers per meeting, reflecting perhaps the wider variety of events held and the varying levels of fan engagement across the calendar.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are venues such as Lingfield and Kempton Park, which may have a larger number of meetings across the sample but also see their attendance more thinly spread as a consequence.

Lingfield Park, with 1,074,098 in total attendance over 915 meetings, records a low average attendance of just 1,174, while Kempton Park, with 994,791 attendees and 791 meetings, averages 1,258 per meeting.

These figures suggest that while the frequency of events at these tracks may be high, the ability to attract large crowds to each meeting is more limited. This highlights the regional and often niche appeal of these tracks.

To add further context, we can also look at the peaks and troughs of each course per year:

Over the past decade, attendance at major UK racecourses has generally seen a gradual decline from 2014 to 2023, excluding the impacts of COVID-19. At Ascot, average attendance dropped from around 23,500 in 2014 to about 20,500 in 2023, reflecting a slight decrease.

Cheltenham experienced a drop from around 29,800 in 2014 to 27,000 in 2023, indicating a steady decline. York saw a noticeable fall from 19,700 in 2014 to 16,100 in 2023, while Newmarket, consistently lower in attendance, dropped from about 9,000 to 6,250 over the same period.

Chester's attendance decreased from 18,600 in 2014 to 13,600 in 2023, and Goodwood, which had attendance at the West Sussex-based course of around 12,000 in 2014, showed a modest decrease to 11,700 by 2023.

Doncaster saw a steady decline from 7,800 in 2014 to 4,800 in 2023. While Aintree’s numbers decreased from 25,380 in 2014 to 19,735 in 2023 to go along with Haydock Park’s figures also falling from 5,500 to 4,850 over the same period.

Other notable racecourses, like Sandown Park, Newbury, and Wetherby, also saw drops in attendance over the decade, with similar patterns of decline, further illustrating the broader trend of decreasing engagement in UK horse racing, aside from the obvious Covid-related anomalies.

Below the Surface

If we have highlighted the individual courses and how they feel the pinch, what about the type of racecourse? Does a particular style of racing have the ability to weather the storm?

For jump racing, attendance dropped from around 3,892 in 2014 to 3,525 in 2023, reflecting a steady decline. By comparison, Flat racing saw a similar downward trend, with attendance decreasing from 4,185 in 2014 to 3,311 in 2023.

With both types of racing, we can see that attendance increased in 2015 and then primarily held flat until the apparent disruption of 2020. Since the enforced pause in activity, the same attendance values have struggled to match at the start of the sample.

Mixed racing, while having a much smaller attendance overall, experienced a drop from 6,234 in 2014 to 5,569 in 2023. The attendance numbers for mixed racing were notably volatile throughout the period, though the general trend still indicates a drop during the decade.

This also begs the question as to whether the surface can be a key indicator on racing attendance:

For the All-Weather Tracks, attendance has steadily decreased from its 2017 of 1,183 peak to 921 in 2023, though there were fluctuations, particularly in 2020, which saw a significant dip to 402 due to the pandemic.

Despite the challenges, AWT attendance rebounded somewhat after 2020, but overall numbers remain lower compared to previous years as it struggles to match the average attendance of the 2010s.

Turf racing has generated higher attendance numbers, though it also experienced a gradual decline. Starting at 4,963 in 2014 – with its peak of 5,158 a year later, attendance then dropped to 4,200 by 2023.

There was a sharp drop in 2020 (from 4,840 in 2019 to 1,388 in 2020) due to the pandemic, but Turf events have seen a steady recovery and relatively stable figures post-COVID, even as the long-term decline remains evident when comparing to earlier years..

Not Just Racing

Horse racing attendance in the UK has declined, while Premier League football remains strong with increasing attendance despite rising ticket prices. 

Other sports, including greyhound racing and athletics, face challenges. Greyhound racing has seen declining attendance due to factors like online betting, increased TV coverage, and animal welfare concerns. 

Athletics struggles with reduced TV prominence and competition from football for media attention. 

The fragmentation of sports broadcasting limits visibility for sports like athletics and cricket, making it harder to attract new fans. As these sports resume post-2021, they face identity crises in staying relevant.

Sources

Sources

https://www.hblb.org.uk/attendance

https://ukgreyhoundracing.com/greyhound-racing-history

https://oxford-stadium.co.uk/blog/how-popular-is-greyhound-racing-in-the-uk/