Cheltenham Festival attendance plunges as cost of living crisis blamed
The cost of living crisis is being blamed for a drop in attendance at the Cheltenham Festival this year.
The festival, the highlight of the National Hunt racing calendar, attracts tens of thousands of people to the Regency town on the edge of the Cotswolds every year.
It is matched by a rise in local hotel rates, with visitors charged an average of £3,000 for a four-night stay. The cheapest hotel room on the eve of the festival this year cost £399 for one night.
This year was of the festival’s climax, the Cheltenham Gold Cup – and on Friday, it was a sell-out with around 68,500 at the venue.
