Horse Racing Attendance Report

What are the most popular racecourses? We've analyzed nationwide attendance and Google search data for tickets over the past decade to reveal the top racecourses!
Horse Racing Attendance Report
Steve Madgwick
Steve Madgwick Editor-In-Chief

Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player

It offers more than just a thrilling sport; horse racing is a full-day experience with opportunities to dress up, enjoy facilities like bars and food stalls, and soak in the atmosphere, which is missing when betting with online bookmakers. Which racecourses are the fan favourites? We've analyzed attendance and Google search data over the past decade to unveil the most famous racecourses.

Horse Racing Attendance over the last decade

ascot has the highest average

*Excluding 2020-21


1. Ascot

Total 10-year attendance - 4.87 million
Average attendance per year - 583,204

Over the past decade, Ascot has been the most visited racecourse, with just under 600,000 visitors to races there each year. Several reasons could contribute to this - some sporting and some geography-related. Firstly, Ascot is located close to the capital city of London and even closer to the major airport of Heathrow, making it very accessible for visitors. Also, the course, which has been used for racing since 1711, is one of the most prestigious in the country, hosting the most significant events and enjoying a long-standing association with the Royal Family. 

2. Cheltenham

Total 10-year attendance - 4.09 million
Average attendance per year - 458,096

Cheltenham is a racecourse located in the town of the same name in Gloucestershire, south-west England. It is one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious racecourses, hosting massive events such as the Cheltenham Festival in March and other big races throughout the year. The average attendance over the past ten years is over 450,000 per year and has increased during that time, making it the only racecourse in the top ten most popular to do this. 

3. York

Total 10-year attendance - 2.83 million
Average attendance per year - 329,596

York is the third most attended racecourse in the past ten years, averaging just under 330,000 annually and almost 3 million over the decade. Unlike the two more popular racecourses, York only hosts flat races, making it the most visited flat racing racecourse. 

Racecourses with the biggest attendances per event

olbg racing attendance report ascot has the highest average

RankRacecourseOverall Attendance 2023Number of Race DaysAverage Attendance per Race DayAverage Attendance per Month
1CHELTENHAM435,0721627,19236,256
2ASCOT514,2082619,77742,851
3AINTREE177,619919,73514,802
4YORK289,9721816,11024,164
5CHESTER189,8831512,65915,824
6GOODWOOD223,3321911,75418,611
7CARTMEL68,57997,6205,715
8EPSOM DOWNS68,743116,2495,729
9NEWMARKET243,599396,24620,300
10DONCASTER167,301374,52213,942

1. Cheltenham


2023 total attendance - 435,072
2023 number of race days - 16
Average attendance per race day - 27,192

In the past year of horse racing, Cheltenham had the highest average attendance per day of racing. Despite having around 80,000 fewer visitors annually than Ascot, it hosts ten fewer races and has around 8,000 more visitors per race on average. Some of the biggest races hosted at Cheltenham include the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup, both of which are contested at the Cheltenham Festival in March. 


2. Ascot


2023 total attendance - 514,208
2023 number of race days - 26
Average attendance per race day - 19,777

As well as having the highest overall attendance, Ascot has the second-highest average attendance per race day. In 2023, there were 26 race days at the Ascot Racecourse, viewed by 514,208 fans, resulting in an average of just under 20,000 fans per race. Ascot’s most famous race meeting is the Royal Ascot Festival, Britain’s most valuable race meet, and later in the year, the most significant individual race takes place, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes


3. Aintree


2023 total attendance - 177,619
2023 number of race days - 9
Average attendance per race day - 19,735

Along with Cartmel in Cumbria, Aintree is one of only two racecourses that hosted fewer than ten meetings in 2023. However, only one race truly captures the imagination: the Grand National, one of the world's most iconic and prestigious races. The Grand National is said to have transcended horse racing as it is a significant event in the cultural calendar of Britain, with many Brits making it the only race they watch or bet on during the year. 

Racecourses increasing and decreasing in popularity

Warwick racecourse attendance

RankRacecourseTotal Attendance 2014Total Attendance 20232014 - 2023 Attendance Change2014 -2023 Attendance Change (%)
1WARWICK28,20142,19013,98949.60%
2PLUMPTON26,14338,27112,12846.39%
3NEWCASTLE83,009104,90621,89726.38%
4BANGOR-ON-DEE30,13033,0192,8899.59%
5LUDLOW24,70326,8032,1008.50%
6EXETER26,08027,9881,9087.32%
7CARTMEL64,70368,5793,8765.99%
8BATH47,60948,3517421.56%
9CHELTENHAM428,934435,0726,1381.43%
10GOODWOOD222,391223,3329410.42%

1. Warwick


2014 attendance - 28,201
2023 attendance - 42,190
Change - 49.6%

Sadly, racecourses have seen attendance drop by 17.25% on average, and only ten of the 57 in this study have seen attendance grow. Warwick Racecourse has seen the most significant increase in attendance, with numbers increasing by almost 50% from 28,201 in 2014 to 42,190 in 2024.

2. Plumpton


2014 attendance - 26,143
2023 attendance - 38,271
Change - 46.39%

Plumpton is a jump racing venue in East Sussex that attracted around 38,000 fans in 2023, a rise of over 46% from 2014 when just over 26,000 people were in attendance. The biggest race at the course is the Sussex National Handicap Chase

3. Newcastle


2014 attendance - 83,009
2023 attendance - 104,906
Change - 26.38%

Newcastle Racecourse has seen the third-highest increase in its attendance since 2014. The course, which has been operating since 1882, had a revamp in 2016, with a new all-weather flat course introduced, which allowed more races to take place and attendance to increase. 

kempton park racecourse attendance

RankRacecourseTotal Attendance 20142014 - 2023 Attendance Change2014 -2023 Attendance Change (%)10 Year Attendance Change (%)
1KEMPTON PARK144,19374,926-69,267-48.04%
2SEDGEFIELD25,50013,701-11,799-46.27%
3DONCASTER273,403167,301-106,102-38.81%
4LINGFIELD PARK144,94991,683-53,266-36.75%
5WETHERBY64,50941,358-23,151-35.89%
6WOLVERHAMPTON82,59054,100-28,490-34.50%
7BRIGHTON36,68224,226-12,456-33.96%
8NEWBURY196,458129,835-66,623-33.91%
9CARLISLE48,69432,807-15,887-32.63%
10CHESTER279,671189,883-89,788-32.10%

1.Kempton Park


2014 attendance - 144,193
2023 attendance - 74,926
Change - -48.94%

At the other end of the spectrum is Kempton Park Racecourse in Surrey, located in a park of the same name. The course is home to the King George VI Chase, which takes place on Boxing Day every year. Unfortunately, numbers have almost halved at Kempton Park since 2014, dropping from 144,193 to just 74,926 in 2023. 

2. Sedgefield


2014 attendance - 25,500
2023 attendance - 13,701
Change - -46.27%

While Newcastle racecourse has increased its attendance, Sedgefield, in the neighbouring County Durham, has seen a dramatic fall in the number of fans visiting. In 2023, there were 13,701 fans, over 10,000 fewer than in 2014, when there were 25,500. 

3. Doncaster


2014 attendance - 273,403
2023 attendance - 167,301
Change - -38.81%

Doncaster is one of the biggest and most famous racecourses in the country and is home to the world-famous St Leger Stakes race, which takes place in September. In 2014, Doncaster was the sixth most attended racecourse in the country, with almost 275,000 fans in attendance, but in 2023, it was only the eighth most popular, with just over 167,000 fans. 

Which racecourses do people really want to visit?

which racecourse do people want to visit

RankRacecourseNumber of Google Searches (SEP 23 to AUG 24)
1ASCOT94,100
2AINTREE12,530
3HAYDOCK PARK11,070
4CHELTENHAM9,820
5NEWBURY8,670
6AYR8,280
7NEWMARKET7,020
8CARTMEL6,490
9DONCASTER6,220
10CHESTER6,040

1.Ascot, 94,100 annual Google searches:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it is the most attended racecourse, Ascot has the most Google searches by people searching for tickets by a country mile. At just under 100,000, there are over 80,000 more searches for Ascot tickets than any other course. 

2. Aintree, 12,530 annual Google searches:

Aintree Racecourse has the second-highest number of searches, with around 12,500 people searching for racecourse tickets there. However, the actual Grand National race, which takes place there, has a higher number, as it is better known than the racecourse it is run on.  

3. Haydock Park, 11,070 annual Google searches:

Another racecourse near Liverpool is the third most searched-for racecourse by those looking for tickets. Haydock Park Racecourse tickets were searched just over 11,000 times in the past year. 

Which racecourses are people becoming more interested in visiting?

which are people becoming more interested

RankRacecourseNumber of Google Searches (SEP 21 to AUG 22)Number of Google Searches (SEP 22 to AUG 23)21/22 to 22/23 ChangeNumber of Google Searches (SEP 23 to AUG 24)22/23 to 23/24 Change3 Year Search Change
1MUSSELBURGH1601,9901143.75%5,640183.42%3425.00%
2KEMPTON PARK1301,020684.62%3,160209.80%2330.77%
3KELSO80470487.50%1,840291.49%2200.00%
4HAMILTON PARK802,0502462.50%1,680-18.05%2000.00%
5MARKET RASEN1201,160866.67%2,480113.79%1966.67%
6CARTMEL3202,880800.00%6,490125.35%1928.13%
7PONTEFRACT110260136.36%2,210750.00%1909.09%
8STRATFORD-ON-AVON170490188.24%2,680446.94%1476.47%
9FFOS LAS100290190.00%1,570441.38%1470.00%
10BEVERLEY140360157.14%2,150497.22%1435.71%

1. Musselburgh


2021-2022 searches - 160
2023-2024 searches - 5,640
Increase - 3,425%

Musselburgh Racecourse (previously known as Edinburgh Racecourse) is referenced in the classic 1963 war movie, The Great Escape, in which one of the allied POW characters was a Scottish Jockey. Sixty years later, Musselburgh is increasing in popularity, as searches have risen dramatically in the past three years. 

2. Kempton Park


2021-2022 searches - 130
2023-2024 searches - 1,020
Increase - 2,331%

Perhaps surprisingly, given that actual attendances have dwindled dramatically in the past decade at Kempton Park, it is the racecourse with the second-highest increase in ticket searches. 


3. Kelso


2021-2022 searches - 80
2023-2024 searches - 1,840
Increase - 2,200%

Another Scottish racecourse completes the top three, as Kelso has also seen a rise of just over 2,000% in total Google searches. Located in southern Scotland, just over the border from England, it is easy for fans from both nations to attend. 

Flat Racing vs Jump Racing - what are the attendance differences?

flat racing vs jump racing

The attendance figures show that flat and jump racing are almost identical in popularity. Although there were over 30 million total attendees over the past ten years for flat races, compared to just under 20 million for jump races, there are far fewer jump race fixtures.

Race Type2023 AttendanceNumber of Race DaysAverage Attendance per Race Day
Flat2,966,9569203,225
Jump1,863,8815973,122
Difference1,103,0753233.19%

For instance, in 2023, the average attendance at flat races was 3,225 per race day, compared to 3,122 at jump races. This constitutes a slightly higher average attendance for flat races, 3.19%, to be precise.

Race abandonments

In the past year, a far more jump race dyas were abandoned than flat race days, around 9% more. This is slightly higher than the average difference over the past five years, which is closer to 7% more abandonments in jump-race days. 

A major reason for this is that jump races tend to take place in the winter and spring, whereas flat races are most prominent in summer. The weather is usually drier and fairer in summer, allowing better conditions for successful racing. 

race abandonments


race abandonments over the last 5 years


Author Commentary

“The racing industry has faced many battles in the past decade to get attendees through the gates in the UK, and like many other sports, the Covid-19 Pandemic provided even more difficult circumstances to contend with in 2020 and 2021. 

“It’s even been mentioned in several press outlets recently that a potential smoking ban in the UK could be a further deterrent to turn people away from going to racing events, and with such questions in mind, how deep should we be looking into UK horse racing attendance trends?

The team at OLBG are proud to be involved in the UK racing trade, and as part of our latest Racing Attendance Report, we wanted to compare and contrast attendance figures over the past 10 years per racecourse, seasonally, and per race type. 

‘Ascot ranks as the most visited racecourse over the past decade with just under 600,000 race visitors each year, and with Royal Ascot registering as one of the most esteemed events in the racing calendar, interest in this racecourse comes as no surprise; 94,100 Google searches were made relating to Ascot between September 2023 and August 2024.

‘The numbers of attendees at major UK racecourses always see a major boost due to headline festival events, but it is paramount we highlight some of the courses that people are becoming more aware of and interested in visiting. Musselburgh is one of those, and over the past three years, search numbers for the racecourse have increased by more than 3,000%!

Methodology

Total attendances for racecourses over the past ten years were sourced from https://www.hblb.org.uk/attendance. We then calculated the average attendance per year. (2020 and 2021 figures were excluded from the calculation as lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted them.) 

We also calculated the average monthly attendance and the average attendance per race day by dividing the total attendance in 2023 by the number of races that took place, sourced from HBLB. 

We also discovered the total attendance for flat and jump races during the ten years and in 2023. We then calculated the average attendance per race day for each race type. 

Google Keyword Planner was used to find total searches for visiting each race track on Google. We found the total number of searches for ‘ venue racecourse tickets’ between September 2023 and August 2024.

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