Last Updated on 09/03/2026 by Andy Clark
Heading to Prestbury Park this week? Before you hit the bar, here’s everything you need to know about what drinks will cost you across the four days of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival — from a pint of Guinness to a bottle of champagne.
The headline news is a welcome one for racegoers. Cheltenham chief executive Guy Lavender confirmed that a pint of Guinness will cost £7.50 — the same price as it was back in 2022 — representing a 30p reduction on last year. Lavender explained the thinking: “Rather than put prices up, which I expect every other venue to do, I felt we should reduce those prices and carry those costs ourselves. It’s a deliberate, purposeful move towards delivering better value for racegoers.”
There’s also a practical change to how you drink at the Festival this year. Restrictions on where drinks are permitted have been lifted — fans can now take their pints out into the open around the course, following a successful trial at Tattersalls in 2025 that also helped revive the betting ring.
2026 Cheltenham Festival Drinks Prices — Full List
Beers & Ciders
| Drink | Price |
|---|---|
| Guinness | £7.50 (half £3.75) |
| Guinness 0.0 | £7.20 |
| Pravha | £7.50 (half £3.75) |
| Aspall Cyder | £7.50 (half £3.75) |
| Non-Alcoholic Lager | £4.10 |
| Doom Bar Can | £7.80 |
Spirits
| Drink | Price |
|---|---|
| Jameson Whiskey | £7.30 |
| Captain Morgan Spiced Rum | £7.00 |
| Smirnoff | £7.00 |
| Gordon’s Gin | £7.00 |
| Gordon’s Pink Gin | £7.00 |
Wine & Champagne
| Drink | Price |
|---|---|
| House Champagne (bottle) | £85.00 |
| Canal Grando Prosecco Extra Dry (bottle) | £46.00 |
| House White (glass) | £10.00 |
| House Red (glass) | £10.00 |
| House Rosé (glass) | £10.00 |
Soft Drinks
| Drink | Price |
|---|---|
| Soft Drinks | £2.99 |
| Mixers | £2.90 |
| Water (Still/Sparkling) | £2.60 |
| Cordial Dash | £0.50 |
Prices correct as of March 2026. Prices may vary by bar location across the course.
How Much Guinness Gets Drunk at Cheltenham?
The numbers are staggering. Around 265,000 pints of Guinness were drunk at the 2025 Festival across a crowd of 218,839 — an average of 1.21 pints per person, and roughly 45,000 more pints than were sold in 2024, despite a smaller attendance.
At £7.80 in 2025, that volume of Guinness brought in over £2 million across the four days. With the price now cut to £7.50, the course needs to sell at least 10,600 extra pints to match that revenue — something they’ll be hoping the more relaxed atmosphere and lower price will help deliver.
An estimated 14,000 to 20,000 bottles of champagne are also sold across the Festival, with purchases tending to rise when the favourites are winning. At £85 a bottle, that’s potentially up to £1.7 million in champagne revenue alone.
What’s Changed at the Bars in 2026
It’s not just the prices that are different this year. More than £1 million has been spent on improving the customer experience at the racecourse, including a new PA system and the creation of a covered food area in the tented village.
Two bars inside the main grandstand — Cottage Rake and Mill House — have been refurbished and merged into a single bar now known as Prestbury View, which reopened at the Showcase meeting in October 2025.
A £15 meal deal has also been introduced, covering a hot main, a side and a drink — with options including gourmet burgers, hog roast, loaded fries, Mexican street food and Irish street food.
Is £7.50 Actually Expensive?
Put into context, it’s not as outrageous as it might feel when you’re handing over a tenner. At a Premier League Darts event at the O2 in London, Budweiser and Stella were selling at £8.95 a pint — and the two-pint option was simply double the price with no discount. For a major four-day sporting event of Cheltenham’s scale, £7.50 for a pint of Guinness is broadly in line with comparable venues — and cheaper than many.
Watching From Home?
If the price of a day at the races isn’t for you, you can follow all 28 races live on ITV Racing throughout the week. For our tips on every race, see the Cheltenham Festival tips hub. If you want to make the most of the free bet offers available this week, our Cheltenham free bets guide covers every sign-up deal from the major bookmakers.
Andy is the founder, owner and editor of thatsagoal.com, with over 20 years of experience in betting on sports. He has a keen eye for stats, particularly when looking at players to be carded, and these form a large part of the bet builder tips you see on the site. As well as creating daily football tips, Andy also keeps thatsagoal updated with all the best bookmaker promotions and offers for our readers. The Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest weeks on the sporting calendar, and his expertise in betting promotions and marketing means you always get the best offers.