We’ve rounded up the 2026 Cheltenham Festival preview nights across the UK and Ireland to make sure you know which horses to keep a close eye on when the action gets underway at the Cheltenham Festival four-day National Hunt racing bonanza.
Cheltenham previews have a host and a panel of experts, including jockeys, trainers, pundits and other members of the media – all there to share tips, predictions, and insider knowledge of the runners, riders and more. Most previews in this list have limited tickets available, so if you can make a date near you then it’s best to get tickets as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.
Cheltenham Festival preview nights 2026: England and Wales
Friday 20 February
Venue: The Victory Suite, Fratton Park, Portsmouth FC
Time: 7pm
Price: £7.50, proceeds to Injured Jockeys Fund
Tickets: trybooking.com
Wednesday 25 February
Venue: Glastonbury Wedding & Events Venue, Glastonbury
Time: 7pm
Price: £20 (includes ploughman’s supper)
Confirmed panel: Alice Plunkett, Harry Cobden, Johnson White, Joe Tizzard and Darren O’Dwyer
Tickets: glastonburyweddingvenue.co.uk
Tuesday 3 March
Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Time: 7.30pm
Price: £20 (includes light meal)
Confirmed panel: Luke Harvey, Christian Williams, Jack Tudor, Sean Bowen and Nick Scholfield
Tickets: eticketing.co.uk
Venue: The News Building, 1 London Bridge Street, London
Time: 7pm
Price: £5 (includes drink)
Confirmed panel: Matt Chapman, Rich Ricci, Davy Russell, Ben Pauling, Nick Luck and Steve Mullen
Tickets: thesun.co.uk
Wednesday 4 March
Venue: Hexham Auction Mart, Hexham
Time: 7pm
Price: £12, proceeds to Injured Jockeys Fund and Racing Welfare
Confirmed panel: Andrew Thornton, Gordon Brown, Ryan Mania and Stephen Darbyshire
Tickets: hexham-racecourse.co.uk
Venue: The Holford Arms, Tetbury
Time: 6.45pm
Price: £25 (includes hog roast), proceeds to Racing Welfare, Leighterton School PTFA and local charities
Confirmed panel: Olly Murphy, Jamie Snowden and The Racing Life Podcast Team
Tickets: Call Naomi on 07702 720920
Thursday 5 March
Venue: Forde Abbey, Chard
Time: 7pm
Price: £35 (includes free-flow drinks reception and canapes)
Confirmed panel: Alice Plunkett, Jeremy Scott, Nico de Boinville and Tom Malone
Tickets: horse-events.co.uk
Venue: The Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse
Time: 7pm
Price: Members free, public £10
Confirmed panel: Sir AP McCoy, Barry Geraghty, Jane Mangan, Leonna Mayor and Gavin Cromwell
Tickets: thejockeyclub.co.uk
Venue: Mister Shenanigans, Coventry
Time: 7.45pm
Price: £10
Confirmed panel: Derek Thompson, Olly Murphy and Tom Ellis
Tickets: skiddle.com
Friday 6 March
Venue: Slaithwaite Cricket Club, Huddersfield
Time: 7.30pm
Price: £20 (includes drink on arrival)
Confirmed panel: Kate Tracey, Aidan Coleman, Henry Brooke
Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk
Venue: Baildon Cricket Club, Shipley
Time: 7.30pm
Price: £15 (includes drink on arrival)
Confirmed panel: Derek Thompson, David Carr and Tom Scudamore
Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk
Venue: The Owls At Standish, Standish
Time: 7.30pm
Price: £12.50
Confirmed panel: Stephen Darbyshire, Adam Smith and Lee Jones
Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk
Venue: Horwood House, Milton Keynes
Time: 6.30pm
Price: £90 (includes three-course meal and wine), proceeds to Ride High
Confirmed panel: Gina Andrews, Billy Aprahamian, Dave Orton, Stuart Edmunds and Charlie Hammond
Tickets: ridehigh.org
Venue: Clavell & Hind Brewery, Cheltenham
Time: 7pm
Price: £32 (includes burger, fries and first drink), proceeds to Racing Welfare
Confirmed panel: Tom Bellamy, Willy Twiston Davies, Robert Bellamy, Nico De Boinville and Alan King
Tickets: eventbrite.co.uk
Saturday 7 March
Venue: Ashton Under Lyne Golf Club, Manchester
Time: 7pm
Price: £15
Confirmed panel: Dan Barber, Martin Dixon, Graham Cunningham and John Parrott
Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk
Cheltenham Festival preview nights 2026: Ireland
Monday 16 February
Venue: Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery
Time: 8pm
Price: €20, proceeds to Reenascreena National School Development Fund
Confirmed panel: Richie Forristal, Jane Mangan, Aubrey McMahon and Johnny Dineen
Tickets: Call 086 8550859
Saturday 21 February
Venue: The Tower Hotel & Leisure Centre, Waterford
Time:7.30pm
Price: €22
Confirmed panel: Shark Hanlon, Paddy Flood, Darragh O’Keefe, Declan Queally, Johnny Dineen and Sean Flanagan
Tickets: eventbrite.ie
Wednesday 25 February
Venue: Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel, Adare
Time: TBC
Price: TBC, proceds to Clionas Foundation
Tickets: Not yet on sale
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