Cheltenham Festival 2026: Brits watching the race in Benidorm

According to travel retailer On the Beach, Benidorm is gearing up for its biggest ever Cheltenham Festival with bookings up 65% over the week compared to last year and hotels recording a 225% increase in bookings.

So why do people decide to watch sports abroad rather than the event itself?

Those heading to warmer climates point to the lure of sunshine, cheap food and drink and a more relaxed experience free of crowds and queues.

Stephen Dall, 39, has been going to Benidorm for the festival since 2020 after making the switch due to increased costs.

“We used to go to Cheltenham every year,” Dahl told BBC Sport. “We were always bringing players together, whether we were managing from Liverpool or staying there, that was our thing.

“We had to stay further and further away from Cheltenham [because of accommodation costs] Then we paid £60 for a taxi to a small village, which is why we started doing it one day because it became more and more expensive.”

In the end, they chose to try Benidorm which he says “wasn’t as popular” six years ago as it is now, and despite a slight increase in cost since then, he believes it’s still the best value for money.

Dahl has not turned his back on racing, in fact he “now goes to race meetings more” than he did previously, but he says spending “at least £150 a day” at Cheltenham can’t be justified, which is why he can’t see himself ever returning.

After increasing popularity in recent years, going to Benidorm has piqued the curiosity of some loyal Cheltenham attendees.

Racing Lee, who hosts the Only Fools Love Horses racing podcast, will be in Cheltenham for the first two days of the festival, but will then travel to Spain to experience Thursday and Friday – Gold Cup day – with his friends in Benidorm.

This will be Lee’s first time traveling abroad for the festival after attending for 14 years and he decided to split up his week because he couldn’t “miss everything”, but also wanted to “try the alternative and see what other people are talking about”.

“The overall festival experience is unparalleled,” he says, “but when things are half the price elsewhere? Sometimes you have to take the value!”

He charged me £300 for two nights in Cheltenham when he booked in September, and about the same price for three nights in Benidorm, where he booked in January.

He added: “Benidorm offers value, but Cheltenham offers the real atmosphere.” “So, it’s everyone for themselves, and here’s a great festival wherever you see it!”

In an ironic twist, despite a dry and mild afternoon in Cheltenham on the first day of the meeting, those who had flown into Benidorm sat under gray skies and avoided the occasional downpour.