Racecourse Attendances Rise in First Quarter of 2024

A total of 681,476 racegoers visited a British racecourse from January-March across 294 fixtures, giving an average attendance of 2,319. Both figures represent an increase on comparative dates from 2023—2.5% on the total attendance (664,974) and 4.6% on the average attendance (2,217). However, it is important to note that the first three days of the Easter weekend fell in Q1 this year as opposed to in Q2 in 2023 and so the full picture will be clearer at the end of the second quarter.

Q1 Attendance Snapshot

The sport’s new tiered racing product, Premier Racing, has seen some significant attendance increases at fixtures designated as Premier for 2024. Kelso’s Morebattle Hurdle Day recorded its highest attendance since 2015 and Uttoxeter’s Midlands Grand National fixture saw a 15% increase on racegoers enjoying the Staffordshire centrepiece.

The Easter weekend, a major event in the racing calendar, saw 50,679 racegoers attend a British racecourse, with 9,088 at Newcastle for the All-Weather Championships Final Premier Fixture.

These totals would have been higher were it not for key abandonments at Musselburgh and Newton Abbot on Easter Saturday due to waterlogging. Due to the change in dates, the first three days of the Easter weekend fell in Q1 this year as opposed to Q2.

Abandonments, primarily due to wet weather, saw 36 fixtures lost in Q1 of 2024. This was an increase from 31 compared with the same period in 2023, which is perhaps unsurprising when considering Met Office data. The South of England saw its wettest February since Met Office records began in 1836, whilst the country as a whole saw a 27% increase in rainfall in March. The efforts of racecourse groundstaff teams to maintain surfaces in spite of these conditions demonstrates their continued excellence and professionalism.

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the RCA, commented: “The small, but encouraging, increase in attendances to British racecourses in Q1 of 2024 is welcome news although optimism should be tempered by the timing of Easter in 2024. Racecourses continue to face significant financial headwinds and are constantly aspiring to offer the best experience to all visitors, from a raceday experience perspective for paying customers to the best racing surface, facilities and competitive prize money for participants.

“Whilst it is very early days, the increased attendance at some of our Premier fixtures is heartening to see. Premier Racing was designed to promote the highest quality racing, and it is great to see the public react favourably. Work to promote our sport, be it at Premier or Core fixtures, continues at pace as we look forward to major promotional campaigns launching this summer.

“We are all aware of the very wet weather, however seeing the Met Office statistics brings into perspective the challenge our members have faced in fulfilling their fixtures. My sincere praise goes to the Groundstaff who work tirelessly in difficult conditions to ensure their racing surfaces remain ready to race.”