Cheltenham Festival

Celebrities Who Love Cheltenham Festival – The Famous Faces You Might See At Prestbury Park

1 hour ago

| BY Ben Chopping

Being such a colossal sporting event, and what with the rich and famous loving the occasional flutter, it’s not a surprise that the list of Cheltenham Festival celebrities grows longer with each passing year.

It’s not known exactly who you’ll be able to spot up in the VIP boxes and suites each year, but plenty of the famous faces at Cheltenham Festival have caught the bug and continue to come back for more racing and betting action.

We might get a completely new batch of famous Cheltenham attendees in 2026, but here’s who we’ve clocked in the past and who’ll have a stake in the Cheltenham Festival betting as owners.

Famous Cheltenham Attendees Amongst the Fans

From national royalty to famed actors, singers, and designers, the Cheltenham Festival celebrities list spans them all. Here’s a look at some of the biggest stars to be seen at the racecourse in recent years:

British Royals: It’s not uncommon to spot the iconic equestrian Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall at the Cheltenham Festival, while the Princess Royal and Queen Consort, Anne and Camilla, respectively, have also been among the famous faces at Cheltenham Festival.
Jade Holland Cooper and Julian Dunkerton: With Ladies’ Day such a big event at the festival, it’s not a surprise to see fashion designer Jade Holland Cooper and her husband, the founder of Superdry, in attendance.
Idris Elba: One of Britain’s finest working actors, Idris Elba has joined Holland Cooper and Dunkerton at the Cheltenham Festival in the past, as have Lily Allen and Luke Evans.
Nick Knowles: The beloved British television presenter is a local of the Cheltenham Racecourse, so is often seen swelling the ranks of fellow TV celebrities, like Kirsty Gallacher, at Cheltenham Festival.
Even More Actors: Stroud-based star Jamie Dornan, Emilia Fox, Ben Miller, and Alexander Armstrong have all featured as famous faces at Cheltenham Festival.
Sporting Heroes: Olympians Amy Williams, Sam Quek, Victoria Pendleton, and Andy Murray have all been spotted in the Cheltenham crowd in previous editions, as has cricketer Jonny Bairstow.

2026 Cheltenham Festival Celebrities Who Own Horses

Celebrities aren’t always just horse racing fans: some are all-in as owners. With a few Cheltenham Festival celebrities seeing their horses run in 2026, some fans will turn to the specialist bet builder to make a star-struck wager where all of celebrity horses come in.

These are the celebs with horses set to run in the 2026 Cheltenham Festival:

Harry Redknapp: The former Premier League manager of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, and Queens Park Rangers sees his horse, The Jukebox Man, as in with a shot at the 2026 Gold Cup.
Sir Alex Ferguson: The legendary Manchester United boss has his hopes in Caldwell Potter (Novices’ Handicap Chase) and Protektorat (Ryanair Chase) after losing Live Conti to injury.
Christian Horner and Geri Halliwell: The popstar and former Red Bull Racing head own Lift Me Up, who’ll be running in the Hunters’ Chase on the last day of the festival.

All that’s left to do now for viewers and attendees of the four-day celebration of British racing is to spot who the new celebrities at Cheltenham Festival will be in 2026.