The Jockey Club has unveiled a number of planned changes to next year’s Cheltenham Festival in Gloucestershire, including to the race programme and for those who attend the famous four-day event.

The announcement concerning next March’s event from March 11 to 14 was made against the backdrop of falls in attendance over the past two years.

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Visitor numbers at the 2022 festival, which was the first with full crowds after the pandemic, was reportedly a record 280,627, but dropped to 240,603 in 2023 and then to 229,999 in 2024.

Ian Renton, The Jockey Club’s managing director of Cheltenham Racecourse, said the changes followed an extensive review which began after the 2024 festival.

“As part of the process of reviewing this year’s Festival we analysed data and extensive feedback, including surveys, one-to-one meetings and focus group sessions to seek views ranging from those who come every year all the way through to people who have never visited The Festival to find out why,” he said.

“Throughout the course of this review process there have been three distinct strands which have been impossible to ignore – value for money, the need to provide the best experience possible and the competitiveness of the race programme.

“We understand that when people are paying to attend premium events they expect a premium experience and that has been at the front of our minds when committing to significant investment to improve our car parks, launching a park and ride system and offering more course-facing areas to enjoy a drink while watching the racing.

“We also know that, at a time when we are all impacted by the rising cost of living, value is more important than ever. That’s why we have looked carefully at discounts to racegoers for multi-day packages, food and drink and even working hard to find solutions to the increasing cost of accommodation through our partnership with Venatour Racing.”

In terms of the race programme, among the changes, five races will be altered from next year, with the Turners Novices’ Chase being downgraded from a Grade One contest to a handicap chase.

The National Hunt Chase for amateur jockeys will also become a handicap and opened up to professional riders from 2025.

Meanwhile, for racegoers, among the changes, they are set to have more course-facing areas to enjoy a drink, aimed at easing queues. There will also be “more hard-standing ‘trackway’ will be laid in Cheltenham Racecourse’s grass car parks than ever before”.

Including in other alterations are that ticket prices will also be frozen at the 2024 level, while racegoers buying a ticket for any day be given a 20% discount on any tickets purchased for other days of the event.

Groups of six people will also be able to save 10% on ticket prices when booking together. Previously this discount was offered only to groups of 15 or more.