'Cause for optimism' as average attendances at British racecourses rise for third consecutive year

A small rise in average attendances at British racecourses in 2024 has been described as a "cause for optimism", and signalled a third straight annual increase since the Covid pandemic.

There was a small fall in total visitors to British racecourses last year, with numbers submitted to the Horse Betting Levy Board revealing a 0.7 per cent drop to 4,799,730 from 4,833,944 in 2023. 

But 15 fewer fixtures meant the average attendance in Britain rose from 3,392 to 3,404, a 0.4 per cent increase.

Average crowds at British jumps fixtures rose by 1.4 per cent from 3,525 to 3,575.  On the Flat they fell by 0.2 per cent from 3,311 to 3,304.

Racecourse Association (RCA) chief executive David Armstrong said the figures were "particularly encouraging" when taking into account some of the "headwinds" facing the entertainment sector and represented a positive overall trend.

He said: "2024’s annual attendance figures demonstrate a year of consolidation, which is particularly encouraging considering the sport is in the midst of undertaking significant measures to enhance the product on offer. 

"While the total attendance figure is a reduction from 2023, the average attendance per fixture has risen and has done so consistently since 2022.

“Given the wider economic difficulties impacting households across the country, and the increased amounts of on-demand domestic entertainment, these figures give us cause for optimism. Horseracing is unique among major sports in that we attract customers looking for elite sport and a fantastic social occasion; our racegoer data confirms we combine both the sports and leisure markets in sometimes polarising fashion.

"While sports attendances across major events have been growing, it is not the case in the leisure market: for example, a recent report audited by KPMG suggests that 67 per cent of British consumers are actively choosing to spend less on dining out, and the British cinema box office has decreased by 20 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels. These examples highlight the challenging environments which racecourses must compete within to secure customers."

Challow Hurdle day: a popular meeting in 2023Credit: Edward Whitaker

Newbury's chief executive Shaun Hinds labelled the attendance for Newbury's Challow Hurdle card "extraordinary" in December, with similar trends witnessed at other racecourses across the festive period, and those initial findings are supported by strong statistics for the fourth quarter of the year.

In that time, 880,846 racegoers visited a British track, a healthy 12.9 per cent increase on the same timeframe in 2023. 

Well-performing fixtures last year included Kelso's Morebattle Hurdle card (highest since 2015) and Uttoxeter's Midlands Grand National card (15 per cent increase).

Two of the sport's highest-profile Flat meetings, Royal Ascot and Epsom's Derby meeting, enjoyed attendance boosts of 2.7 and 4.6 per cent respectively.

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