Cheltenham Festival 2026 runs from Tuesday, March 10 to Friday, March 13. In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch the meeting live on ITV and Racing TV.
ITV will show free-to-air coverage each day from 12:30 to 17:00, while Racing TV will provide full subscription coverage throughout the Festival.
| Key | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Cheltenham Festival 2026 |
| Dates | March 10 to March 13, 2026 |
| Venue | Cheltenham Racecourse |
| TV Coverage (UK) | ITV and Racing TV |
| ITV Coverage Time | 12:30 to 17:00 each day |
| Free Live Stream | ITVX, Bet365 |
| Racing TV Channels | Sky 424, Virgin Media 536 |
| Preview Show | The Opening Show |
| Preview Show Time | 09:00 to 10:00 on ITV4 |
| Festival Highlight | Cheltenham Gold Cup at 16:00 on Friday, March 13 |
- Event: Cheltenham Festival 2026
- Dates: March 10 to March 13, 2026
- Venue: Cheltenham Racecourse
- TV coverage: ITV and Racing TV
- Live stream: ITVX and Racing TV
Watch Cheltenham Festival LIVE streaming with Bet365 here
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The Cheltenham Festival returns next week and racing fans can watch the action live on television with full coverage, analysis and commentary throughout the meeting.
Often described as “the greatest show on turf”, the four-day event features some of the biggest races in National Hunt racing. The highlight of the week is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, which will be run at 16:00 on Friday, March 13.
TV coverage in the UK
Most of the racing will be shown live and free on ITV. The broadcaster will screen coverage from Cheltenham Racecourse each day between 12:30 and 17:00.
The first six races on each day of the Festival will be shown on ITV1. Viewers can also watch the coverage online through the ITVX streaming service.
ITV’s broadcast window ends at 17:00, which means the final race on each day, scheduled for 17:20, will not appear on the free coverage.
Racing TV coverage
Full coverage of the Festival will also be available on Racing TV through its subscription service.
Racing TV can be watched on Sky channel 424 and Virgin Media channel 536.
Festival preview show
Each morning of the Festival begins with The Opening Show, which looks ahead to the day’s racing and discusses the leading contenders.
The programme runs from 09:00 to 10:00 and is broadcast on ITV4. It is also available to stream through ITVX.
