Third Quarter Attendances Maintain Positive 2025 Trend at British Racecourses

Attendances in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 increased across British racecourses, according to data returned to the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and analysed by the Racecourse Association (RCA).

Doncaster’s Betfred St Leger Festival saw a 4.7% attendance increase (image courtesy Doncaster Racecourse)

A total of 1,679,386 racegoers visited a British racecourse in July, August and September, an increase of 72,925 from 2024 (4.5%). This provides an average attendance of 4,328, as there were 386 fixtures staged with 6 abandonments.

The third quarter of the year represents the sport’s largest in terms of attendance share given the expanse of the fixture list across the summer. The sport hosts a number of key fixtures and festivals during this period, with Newmarket’s Debenhams July Festival (5.9%), the Qatar Goodwood Festival (11%), York’s Skybet Ebor Festival (2.9%), Ladies Day at Beverley, presented by Porsche Hull (9.2%), Doncaster’s Betfred St Leger Festival (4.7%) and the Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup Festival (4.4%) all seeing an uplift in year-on-year attendances.

Attendances soared 11% at the Qatar Goodwood Festival (image courtesy Goodwood Racecourse)

Q3 Attendance Snapshot (July-September)

Year-to-Date Attendance Snapshot (January-September)

These figures bring the cumulative attendance from January-September to 4,109,294 an increase of 4.9% compared with the same period in 2024. Whilst the campaign remains ongoing, the early reporting from ‘The Going is Good’, the sport’s national marketing campaign led by Great British Racing (GBR), suggests it has made a strong impression on the public. Figures from GBR confirm a 60% increase in racecourse website traffic, which includes double the number of millennial audiences (aged 29-44) than in the comparative period in 2024. A full campaign report from GBR will be shared in due course.

Ladies Day, presented by Porsche Hull, at Beverley was once again East Yorkshire’s must-attend summer event (image courtesy Beverley Racecourse)

The positive attendances were also aided by the warm summer, with provisional Met Office data showing that summer 2025 was officially the warmest on record with a mean temperature of 16.10°C, surpassing the previous record of 15.76°C set in 2018. September did turn wetter, providing a welcome relief to ground conditions, with 132% of the average rainfall. Highest totals compared to average were seen in northern England and Wales.

David Armstong, Chief Executive of the RCA, commented: “It remains encouraging that attendances continue to increase across British racecourses. The Q3 figures represent the second consecutive quarter in which we have seen a clear increase, and I’m particularly enthused that the busy summer season has again proven a hit with customers.

“The quarter’s key racedays and festivals resonated with the public, with seasoned racing fans and once-a-year day trippers attending in high numbers, which demonstrates the wide appeal of these marquee events.

“Whilst we await the full campaign report, the early metrics from the Going Is Good campaign make for encouraging reading. The sport recognises the importance of reaching a younger demographic, and the uplift in millennial audiences engaging with racecourse content must be considered a positive sign.

“I believe the sport is well positioned to maintain this momentum. The RCA and GBR’s continued investment in our Data Insight Programme gives us a live window into the data behind our ticket sales, and the second season of Champions: Full Gallop, due to air on 17^th October on ITV, ensures we will be in living rooms nationwide outside of our traditional broadcast windows.”