Aintree Festival 2027 The Complete Three-Day Guide, Tickets, Enclosures, and How to Plan the Trip from Birmingham
Here is something the official Aintree website will never tell you. The Grand National is the race. But the festival is the story.
Three days. Three completely different experiences. Three enclosures with three different atmospheres. Thousands of people who book the same enclosure on all three days and spend the middle day wondering why Thursday’s relaxed atmosphere has disappeared. And thousands more who booked only Grand National Day because that is what you do and spent the train home back to Birmingham quietly wondering whether Ladies Day might have been more fun.
The Randox Grand National Festival 2027 runs Thursday 8 April to Saturday 10 April at Aintree Racecourse, Ormskirk Road, Liverpool, L9 5AS. It is the biggest three-day jump racing festival in the world. Over 150,000 people attend across the three days. The Grand National on Saturday, 10 April, starts at approximately 4:00pm. I Am Maximus, who won in 2024 and 2026, attempts to become only the second horse in history to win the race three times. Red Rum is the only horse who has ever done it. He won in 1973, 1974, and 1977.
The question of whether to attend one day or all three is not asked often enough. Most people default to Grand National Day because that is the race. This guide makes the case for the full festival, explains what each day delivers, prices every enclosure, and maps the full trip from Birmingham.
If you want transport sorted before you start reading, an event chauffeur from Grand Executive covers Birmingham to Aintree in approximately 1 hour 45 minutes via the M6. For a group attending multiple days, a pre-booked vehicle on each race day removes the Merseyrail calculation entirely.
What Is the Aintree Festival?
The Aintree Festival is the formal name for the three-day Grand National meeting held every April. The Jockey Club markets it as the Randox Grand National Festival. Racing fans call it Aintree. The rest of the UK calls it Grand National weekend.
It is jump racing at its absolute peak. Three days of Grade 1 championship racing followed by the most famous steeplechase in the world. The festival draws the best horses from Ireland and Britain, the best trainers and jockeys, and a crowd ranging from serious racing professionals to first-time racegoers who once watched the National on television and decided this was the year they would be there in person.
Here is the contrarian view that no competitor page will give you: Opening Day is the best value race day in the entire British jump racing calendar. That is not a mild opinion. It is a position worth holding. Thursday 8 April 2027 delivers Grade 1 championship racing, manageable crowds, easy parking, Aintree at its most accessible price point (from £34 for advance tickets), and the full atmosphere of the Grand National fences without the Saturday crush. The people who attend Thursday only and miss Saturday are not missing the race. They are making a considered choice that the racing matters more than the spectacle. Both are valid. Most guides never present it as a choice.
When Is the Aintree Festival 2027?
Thursday, 8 April 2027 — Opening Day
Friday, 9 April 2027 — Ladies’ Day
Saturday, 10 April 2027 — Grand National Day
The Grand National race itself starts at approximately 4:00pm on Saturday. Gates open from 6:00am on all three days. The first race is typically from around 1:45pm on each day.
The festival always falls in the first or second week of April. The exact date moves annually based on the Good Friday calendar. The 2027 dates were confirmed by the Jockey Club in 2026 and are fixed.
What Happens on Each Day?
Opening Day: Thursday, 8 April 2027 The Racing Fan’s Choice
Opening Day is the quietest and most underrated. The racing card includes the Maghull Novices Chase (Grade 1), the Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1), and the Manifesto Novices Chase (Grade 1). Three Grade 1 races on the opening day of a festival are extraordinary by any standard. You are watching the best young horses of the season compete for championship honours.
The crowd on Thursday is smaller than Friday or Saturday. Parking is easier. The parade ring is accessible. You can stand at the rail without fighting your way through 40,000 people. The fences are clearly visible from multiple points around the course. The atmosphere builds across the day as the racing gets better with each successive card.
Tickets from £34 advance. Under-17s are free with a paying adult. Maximum 3 children per adult.
Who should book Thursday: racing fans who want Grade 1 competition in a manageable crowd. Groups who want to attend multiple days without the full Saturday budget. Anyone whose priority is seeing the horses and the racing rather than the social occasion.
Ladies’ Day: Friday, Aintree Festival 2027: Three-Day Guide, Tickets and Travel
9 April 2027 The Social Event of the Year
Ladies’
A group of eight people who have planned their outfits since January is not there primarily to watch racing. They are there for the experience of being at Aintree on Ladies Day — which is a specific experience that does not exist anywhere else in the UK racing calendar. The Style Award judges walk the enclosures in the early afternoon. The atmosphere in the Festival Zone at 3pm on Ladies’ Day is genuinely something to experience.
Full guide: our Aintree Ladies Day 2027 complete guide covers tickets, style awards, dress code, and transport in dedicated detail.
Grand National Day: Saturday 10 April 2027 The Main Event
The race: 34 horses. 30 fences. 4 miles and 514 yards. Approximately 600 million global television viewers. I Am Maximus bids to join Red Rum in racing history.
The atmosphere on Grand National Day is unlike any other sporting event in Britain. The entire country is watching the same 10 minutes of sport simultaneously. Standing in the Festival Zone at 4pm on a Saturday in April with 70,000 other people who have all picked their horse and committed their hope to it is something that television broadcasts but cannot replicate.
Full guide: our Grand National Day Tickets 2027 complete guide covers tickets, enclosures, the I Am Maximus narrative, and everything the official site does not tell you.
The Complete Aintree Festival Ticket Guide 2027
The most comprehensive ticket pricing list available for 2027. Based on confirmed 2026 pricing with the note that 2027 prices will be confirmed when released. Prices have historically increased 2-5% year on year.
Grand National Day (Saturday 10 April 2027) — 2026 Prices as Guide
| Enclosure | Price From (2026) |
|---|---|
| Embankment | £44.10 |
| Festival Zone (Tattersalls) | £81 |
| West Tip Seats | £134.10 |
| Lord Sefton Terrace | £161 |
| Earl of Derby Terrace | £161 |
| Garden Club | £184 |
| Lord Daresbury Roof | £196 |
| Princess Royal Roof | £196 |
| Lord Sefton Seats | £233 |
| Earl of Derby Seats | £233 |
| Queen Mother Seats | £222-262 |
| Platinum Lounge Seats | £270 |
Ladies’ Day (Friday, 9 April 2027)
Tickets areAintree Festival 2027: Three-Day Guide, Tickets and Travel
approximately £50-65 for the Festival Zone. Earl of Derby Terrace from approximately £85. Garden Club from approximately £125. Full pricing is confirmed when 2027 tickets go on sale.
Opening Day (Thursday 8 April 2027)
Tickets from £34 advance. This is the most accessible entry point into the Grand National Festival. Under-17s free.
Three-Day Packages
The Jockey Club offers three-day hospitality packages. Private box hire for all three days. Contact the venue directly for pricing; it is negotiation territory rather than published price lists.
Which Enclosure for Which Day?
Here is the editorial opinion no official site will give you.
Opening Day: Festival Zone or Embankment. The Embankment puts you closest to the early fences at affordable prices. The Festival Zone gives you the full Aintree experience without Thursday’s crowds. There is no reason to pay for the Garden Club on Opening Day; the premium is for social atmosphere, and the social atmosphere is quieter on Thursday.
Ladies Day: Festival Zone is where the Style Award judges circulate. The Red Rum Garden is inside the Festival Zone. If you are attending for Ladies Day specifically, the Festival Zone is your enclosure. The Earl of Derby Terrace gives slightly better racing views. The Garden Club or higher is for corporate groups who want dedicated facilities.
Grand National Day: Festival Zone for your first visit. You get parade ring access, the winners’ enclosure, multiple viewing points around the course, and direct exposure to the race atmosphere. The Embankment (£44.10) is the budget option — you see the early fences, including Becher’s Brook, but you are not on the main course for the finish. Worth considering for a second or third visit once you know the course.
The honest assessment of the premium enclosures: The Garden Club (£184) and above on Grand National Day offer private bars, covered viewing, and a quieter environment. Whether that is worth £100+ more than the Festival Zone depends entirely on what you value. For a first visit, the atmosphere in the Festival Zone among 70,000 people is irreplaceable. For a fifth visit with corporate clients, the premium facility becomes the right choice.
Planning a Three-Day Aintree Festival Trip from Birmingham
The question that nobody answers for Birmingham visitors is whether to commute or stay in Liverpool. Here is the honest analysis.
Option 1: Commute each day from Birmingham
Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street: 1 hour 10 minutes. Merseyrail to Aintree: 20 minutes. Total each way: approximately 1 hour 35 minutes.
For one day, this works well. For three consecutive days, it becomes exhausting. Leaving Birmingham at 9am on Thursday, arriving back at 7pm, then repeating Friday and Saturday leaves you tired by the time the Grand National actually runs.
Option 2: Stay in Liverpool for the full festival
Two nights, Thursday and Friday. Return home Saturday evening after the National. This is the approach that lets you experience the full festival properly.
Liverpool hotels during Grand National Festival weekend: book now. Availability disappears months in advance, and prices increase significantly in the weeks before. Book now regardless of what month you are reading this.
Recommended hotels near Liverpool centre (30 minutes from Aintree by Merseyrail): Hilton Liverpool City Centre, Marriott Liverpool, Premier Inn Liverpool City Centre, and Travelodge Liverpool Central. Book directly. Festival weekend rates are typically £150-300 per night for standard rooms.
Option 3: Day trip each day by chauffeur
The Grand Executive group chauffeur option covers Birmingham to Aintree in 1 hour 45 minutes. For a group of 6 attending on multiple days, pre-booking a return chauffeur on each day costs approximately £35-50 per person each way. The vehicle collects from the same point, the return journey is pre-arranged, and nobody navigates public transport in smart dress three days running.
For corporate groups attending all three days, this is the standard approach. One vehicle booking per day. Named driver. Fixed price.
The Budget Calculator: How Much Does the Full Aintree Festival Cost?
Here is the maths nobody presents for a Birmingham visitor attending all three days.
Budget version (per person from Birmingham):
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Opening Day ticket (embankment, advance) | £44 |
| Ladies Day ticket (Festival Zone) | £65 |
| Grand National Day ticket (Embankment) | £44 |
| Liverpool hotel (2 nights, Premier Inn) | £200 |
| Train Birmingham to Liverpool return | £50 |
| Merseyrail x3 days | £15 |
| Food and drinks (3 days, £40 per day) | £120 |
| Total | £538 |
Premium version (per person from Birmingham):
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Opening Day ticket (Festival Zone) | £81 |
| Ladies’ Day ticket (Earl of Derby Terrace) | £85 |
| Grand National Day ticket (Festival Zone) | £81 |
| Liverpool hotel (2 nights, Hilton) | £400 |
| Group chauffeur share (3 days) | £200 |
| Food and drinks (3 days, £80 per day) | £240 |
| Total | £1,087 |
The three-day Aintree Festival costs £500 to £1,100 per person depending on how you approach it. That is a significant but not extraordinary sum for three days of championship racing and one of Britain’s greatest sporting occasions.
Why 2027 Is a Historically Significant Year
Red Rum won the Grand National in 1973, 1974, and 1977. No horse has won it three times since. Red Rum also finished second in 1975 and 1976. He did not win those years. He came back in 1977 and won again.
I Am Maximus won in 2024 and 2026. He did not run in 2025 (Nick Rockett won that year at 33/1). He has returned in 2027 at 12/1 ante-post-favourite to attempt what has not happened in 50 years.
Whether he achieves it or not is irrelevant to the question of whether to attend. You are watching the attempt either way. You are present for the moment; either the record is equalled or the horse that looked capable of it is beaten by the unpredictability that makes the Grand National what it is. Both outcomes are worth being there for.
This is the argument for 2027 specifically rather than any other year. The narrative context makes it the most significant Grand National since Red Rum himself. The people who were at Aintree in April 1977 knew what they were watching. The people at Aintree in April 2027 will know it too.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Aintree Festival 2027?
Thursday 8 April to Saturday 10 April 2027. Opening Day Thursday, Ladies Day Friday, and Grand National Day Saturday. The Grand National race itself runs at approximately 4:00pm on Saturday, 10 April.
How much are Aintree Festival tickets for 2027?
Based on 2026 pricing: Opening Day from £34. Ladies’ Day is from approximately £50-65. Grand National Day from £44.10 (Embankment) to £270+ (Platinum Lounge). Confirm the current 2027 pricing via the Jockey Club’s official website when released.
What is the best day to attend the Aintree Festival?
Depends on your priority. Grand National Day for the race. Ladies’ Day for fashion and social atmosphere. Opening Day for the best value and most accessible racing. All three for the full experience.
How do I get from Birmingham to Aintree for the festival?
Train from Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street (1h 10m), then Merseyrail to Aintree (20 min). Total approximately 1h 35m each way. Group chauffeur via Grand Executive Chauffeurs covers the 90-mile journey in 1h 45m at a fixed price. For multiple days, pre-booking a vehicle each day is the most convenient approach.
Should I stay in Liverpool or commute from Birmingham for the festival?
Staying in Liverpool for two nights (Thursday and Friday) and commuting home Saturday evening after the race is the recommended approach for anyone attending more than one day. Commuting three consecutive days from Birmingham (3.5 hours total daily travel) is tiring by Grand National Day.
What is the difference between the Festival Zone and the Embankment?
The Festival Zone (Tattersalls) gives full access, including the parade ring, winners’ enclosure, and multiple viewing points around the course. It is the main social enclosure. The Embankment is cheaper and gives views of the early Grand National fences (including Becher’s Brook) but not the main course or the finish. Both are legitimate choices depending on your priority.
Are there dress code requirements for the Aintree Festival?
No official dress code. Come dressed to feel your best. Sportswear, trainers, team colours, and fancy dress are not permitted in premium enclosures. Ladies’ Day brings the most creative and formal dressing. Opening Day and Grand National Day are smart casual, with many people choosing to dress up regardless.
Who won the Grand National in 2025 and 2026?
Nick Rockett won in 2025 at 33/1, ridden by Patrick Mullins, trained by Willie Mullins. I Am Maximus won in 2026 at 9/2 favourite, ridden by Paul Townend, trained by Willie Mullins. I Am Maximus also won in 2024. He goes for a historic third win in 2027.