The Brits travelling in their thousands to 'Costa del Cheltenham'

The Cheltenham Festival - the pinnacle event of the jump-racing calendar - is up and running, but this year thousands of the sport's fans have travelled to the Costa Blanca to follow the action.

In an increasingly common break from the norm, thousands have descended on Spanish destinations - in particular Benidorm - to watch the racing from Prestbury Park.

The two places are 1,300 miles apart, but those swapping the 'Cheltenham Roar' for the 'Benidorm Bellow' say the cost of attending the Festival is often more than they pay for a few days in the Spanish sunshine.

According to travel retailer On the Beach, Benidorm is set for the biggest ever Cheltenham Festival with bookings up 65% for the week compared to last year and hotels recording a 225% increase in bookings.

So why are people deciding to watch sport overseas and heading to BeniChelts, as some have termed it, rather than at the event itself?

Those heading to warmer climes point to the lure of sunshine, cheaper food and drink and a more laid-back experience free of crowds and queues.

Stephen Dahl, 39, has been going to Benidorm for the Festival since 2020 after making the switch because of increasing costs.

"We used to go to Cheltenham every year," Dahl told BBC Sport. "We would always get the lads together, whether we'd run a coach from Liverpool or stay over, it was our thing.

"We were having to stay further and further away from Cheltenham [because of accommodation costs] and then paying £60 for a taxi to a little village, so because of that we started doing the one day because it was getting more and more expensive."

In the end, they chose to try Benidorm which he says was "not as popular" six years ago as it is now, and despite a small increase in cost since, he believes it is still better value for money.

Dahl has not turned his back on racing - in fact he "goes to more race meetings now" than he did previously - but he says spending "at least £150 a day" at Cheltenham cannot be justified and that is why he cannot see himself ever going back.

And following a surge in popularity in recent years, going to Benidorm has even caught the curiosity of some staunch Cheltenham attendees.

Racing Lee, who presents the Only Fools Love Horses racing podcast, will be at Cheltenham for the first two days of the Festival, but is then flying out to Spain to experience Thursday and Friday - Gold Cup Day - with his friends in Benidorm.

It will be Lee's first time going abroad for the Festival after attending for 14 years, and he has decided to split his week because he could not bring himself to "miss it all", but he also wanted to "try the alternative and see what others are talking about".

"The overall Festival experience is like no other," he says, "but when things are half the price elsewhere? Sometimes you have got to take the value!"

Lee paid £300 for his two nights in Cheltenham when he booked in September and it was around the same price for three nights in Benidorm, booking in January.

"Benidorm offers value, but Cheltenham offers the true atmosphere," he added. "So each to their own and here's to a great Festival wherever you may be watching!"

In an ironic twist, despite a dry and mild afternoon in Cheltenham on the first day of the meeting, those who had flown out to Benidorm sat beneath grey skies and dodged occasional showers.

But Benidorm isn't for everyone.

Matthew Turner, 38, has been attending Cheltenham Festival for nearly 20 years and says he still gets "that buzz" walking in and seeing the track.

"There's something about Cheltenham and seeing the best horses race each other on the best stage," he told BBC Sport. "It's like seeing all the best players playing in the World Cup final to me."

As an avid racing fan, Turner views the Festival as "the pinnacle of the sport" but also understands why some regard it as a "no-brainer" to go abroad.

After a conversation about the cold British weather, Turner and his friends swapped the south west of the UK for the Spanish east coast and "got a hotel and flights for three nights for £200".

He said that if "you're genuinely not that fussed about the racing" and simply go "to have a drink and win a little bit of money" then he understands why the cost of Cheltenham Festival is unappealing.

"When I first started going, I was in the Best Mate Enclosure for £30 and now – even with the early bird – it's at least £50. If you're comparing that to a flight to Benidorm when you're doing two or three days at the Festival then it is cheaper," he adds.

"You're never going to get those people back now. They're not in love with Cheltenham in the same way that I am."

Turner has since returned to the Festival but will be staying near Stroud this year because of accommodation prices in the town.

In an attempt to win people back over, Cheltenham Festival has made some changes.

An additional discounted ticket window was available this year, meaning more people had the opportunity to buy early at a reduced rate for longer, and while there will be an increase in food and drink options, a pint of draught beer or cider will be reduced by 30p to £7.50.

Daily capacity has been reduced from 68,500 to 66,000 to avoid overcrowding too - although no attendance on the first three days in 2025 topped 56,000.

Ladies' Day, which was famous for being a celebration of fashion and glamour, also returns after being known as Style Wednesday in recent years.

In 2025, day two saw the smallest Festival crowd since 1993 with 41,949 spectators at the track, but event organisers hope restoring tradition will reflect in ticket sales.

And the changes may be working - 57,242 paid through the gate on the Festival's opening day on Tuesday, which is up from 55,498 last year.

Speaking to BBC Sport about the popularity of going to Benidorm, Cheltenham Racecourse chief executive Guy Lavender said: "It is wonderful to see so many people wanting to engage with and celebrate the event.

"Whether fans are watching from the comfort of their own home, while on holiday in Benidorm or soaking up the unbeatable atmosphere on course, we want them to feel a part of it and we are proud that these four days in March are a key marker in people's calendars each year.

"We're looking forward to welcoming more than 220,000 racegoers through the gates across the four days and as anyone who has joined us here before will know, nothing feels like being at Cheltenham!"