Racecourse attendance figures released for first half of 2025

2,430,225 racegoers visited a British racecourse in the first half of 2025 across 704 fixtures, according to official figures collated by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).

This represents a 5.1% increase year-on-year, whilst the average attendance figure of 3,452 is a 3.5% increase.

The half-year total is buoyed by a strong second quarter of the year, with fixtures from April-June accounting for 1,763,912 racegoers, an 8.3% year-on-year increase compared with the same period in 2024 (1,629,576).

A number of major fixtures during the first half of the year have formed a key part of this growth. Aintree’s Grand National Festival (+4.1%), Chelmsford City’s Good Friday Festival (+42%), Newmarket’s Guineas Festival (+13.2%), Chester’s May Festival (+7.9%), York’s Dante Festival (+6%), Newbury’s Lockinge Festival (+8.4%), Royal Ascot (+4.8%) and Uttoxeter’s Summer Cup Day (+20%) all posted significantly increased attendance returns.

Launched in May, the sport’s national campaign The Going Is Good has started to deliver the excitement and must-see nature of attending horseracing across Great Britain. The campaign, in parallel with racecourses’ local marketing, has aided a positive spring and start to the busy summer season which should help future attendance returns across the remainder of the summer and beyond.

32 fixtures in the first half of 2025 were lost to abandonments, with 30 of these occurring at jump fixtures. This is a decrease of 24 from 2024, when 56 fixtures in total were abandoned. Named storms in the first quarter of 2025 caused some disruption to the fixture list, however a relatively calm second quarter has encouraged racegoers to pursue outdoor activities and make the most of all that British racecourses have to offer. Met Office data shows April and May were the warmest and sunniest on record whilst June was the warmest ever recorded with two official heatwaves.

H1 2025 Attendance Snapshot (January-June)

Q2 2025 Attendance Snapshot (April-June)

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the RCA, commented: “I am pleased to see the half-year attendance returns demonstrate a strong period of growth. Underlying trends have been positive for some time, and it is reassuring that they have begun to manifest into firm numbers; a 5.1% overall increase is a major achievement during this testing time for both British racing and the wider economy.

“This of course is not something which occurs overnight. Racecourse teams have worked tirelessly to develop the marketing and operational plans to promote and host these events.

“Whilst the campaign is in its early phase, I think the impact of the sport’s national campaign The Going Is Good is beginning to be seen. I look forward to seeing how it progresses into the third quarter of the year alongside natural highlights in the calendar, including multiple Group 1 flat racing festivals, the final classic of the season and the new jump racing season.

“It would be remiss not to address the ongoing campaign to #AxeTheRacingTax. Racecourses are fighting hard to maintain the sport’s position as the second most attended in Britain, and these attendance numbers are a clear sign that our efforts are having a positive effect. However, if the harmonisation plans go ahead and racing’s arguments are not heeded, this will severely limit the ability of racecourses to market and host racedays at current levels. Government must take note of the popularity of horseracing, and what it stands to lose if irreversible damage is done to our sport.”