Q3 Racecourse Attendances Confirmed

1,618,031 racegoers attended a British racecourse in the third quarter (Q3) of 2026, as confirmed by figures collated by the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) and analysed by the RCA.

York’s flagship Skybet Ebor Festival saw an increased attendance of 3.4% (image courtesy York Racecourse)

Q3 (July, August and September), the busiest in terms of race volume in the British racing calendar, includes many of the sport’s flagship flat festivals alongside a plethora of socially-themed days which are integral to the local community. The period is also where the sport faces the greatest degree of competition from the wider sports and leisure sectors, which this year included the men’s FIFA World Cup. 2026 also saw the nation experience unprecedented and successive heatwaves which had a significant impact on British racing and the public’s desire to participate in outdoor events.

2026 Q3 Attendance Snapshot

Across 386 fixtures, the total attendance of 1,618,031 represents a year-on-year decrease of 61,355 attendees, or 3.7%, whilst the average attendance of 4,192 represents a year-on-year decrease of 3.1%. Taken against 2024 figures from the same Q3 period, 2026’s total attendance represented an increase of 0.7% and the average attendance was marginally down by 0.04%.

Impact of Heatwaves & FIFA Men’s World Cup

As referenced above, the summer heatwaves led to major disruption for the sport during Q3. Official heatwaves were declared on 4^th July, 28^th July, 2^nd August and 9^th August (the sixth of 2026), during which time the Environment Agency declared a drought across significant proportions of England and Wales. British racing saw 19 fixtures abandoned in Q3 alone; more than the total lost in 2024 and 2025 combined in the same period. Extreme heat also saw a number of fixtures moved to a new location or to a new start time; ticketing data suggests that such moves will result in an attendance drop, sometimes by as much as 90%.

The FIFA Men’s World Cup entered the round of 32 phase on 1^st July, with England remaining in the tournament until the semi-finals. Whilst many racecourses incorporated the World Cup into the raceday experience, the lure of the national game resulted in clear attendance decreases at fixtures adjacent to these football matches. Insight from the RCA and GBR Data Insight Programme suggests that evening and Saturday fixtures in direct competition with England matches in July were the most affected, with some fixtures showing a 25% decrease in advance ticket sales.

Racecourse Attendance Growth

Q3 sees many racecourses host their flagship events, either in terms of the racing on offer or social racedays which are considered ‘must-attend’ within the local community. A number of racecourses posted considerable attendance increases across a range of events, including: York’s Skybet Ebor Festival (+3.2%) and Music Showcase Saturday with Tom Grennan (+22.8%), Shergar Cup at Ascot (+13.2%), The Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster (+16.2%), Ladies Day at Cartmel (+30.4%), Visit Malta Hungerford Saturday at Newbury (+34.8%), Chester’s Family Fun Day (+15.4%), Skybet Go Racing In Yorkshire Summer Festival at Ripon (+19.8%) and the Betway Summer Plate Ladies Day at Market Rasen (+8.6%).

January-September (Q1-Q3 Attendance Snapshot)

Alex Eade, Chief Executive of the Racecourse Association, commented: “Racecourses have worked incredibly hard this year to market and host a range of signature events whilst navigating the ongoing climate challenge and direct competition from the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

“With these factors in mind, Q3’s attendance returns demonstrate a resilient response to circumstances which in other years may have dramatically impacted us. Ongoing challenges currently affecting the core jumps season means we should be braced for the rate of abandonments to continue into Q4.

“We should not lose sight of the positive underlying data which demonstrates the sport’s popularity and resilience. We have highlighted multiple racecourse success stories here, and overall trends regarding ticket sales, revenue and new customers to the sport continue to develop positively.”