Aintree Racecourse Events 2026-2027 The Complete Guide to Every Race Day, Festival, and Experience

The first time you stand at Becher’s Brook before racing starts, you understand immediately why this racecourse has been drawing people from across the country for nearly two centuries. The fence itself does not look that remarkable from a distance. Stand at the landing side and look at that six-foot drop to the lower ground, and suddenly the Grand National stops being a television event and becomes something physical. Something you feel in your chest rather than watch on a screen.

Aintree Racecourse sits on Ormskirk Road in Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, L9 5AS. It is 90 miles north-west of Birmingham via the M6. It hosts one of the most famous sporting events in the world every April. But the Grand National is not the only reason to visit. Six race days run across the full season from October through December 2026, plus the three-day Grand National Festival in April 2027. There is a 5K and 10K running event on the course. There is a Young Driver experience for teenagers. There is a Boxing Day race meeting that fills the gaps between Christmas and New Year with excellent jump racing.

This guide covers every event at Aintree across the 2026-2027 season, what makes each one worth the journey from Birmingham, how to get there, and which events still have tickets available. Your Grand National Day and Ladies Day guides are separate pages. This is the complete Aintree picture.

If you want transport from Birmingham to any Aintree event sorted, a Grand Executive chauffeur covers the 90-mile M6 journey in approximately 1 hour 45 minutes. Fixed price. Group vehicles available. Collection after racing when the roads are busy and the Merseyrail platform is packed.

Where Is Aintree Racecourse?

Aintree Racecourse sits at Ormskirk Road, Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside, L9 5AS. On the northern edge of Liverpool, 4 miles from the city centre. Junction 6 of the M57 is the closest motorway exit.

From Birmingham: 90 miles via M6 northbound. Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes off-peak. On major race days, the A59 approaches the course queues from mid-morning.

From Manchester: 40 miles via M62. Approximately 45 minutes off-peak.

From London: 200 miles via M6. Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes off-peak.

By train: Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street (Avanti/CrossCountry, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes). Then Merseyrail from Liverpool Central to Aintree station (approximately 20 minutes, every 7.5 minutes on race days). Walk from Aintree station to the racecourse entrance: 5 minutes.

Parking at the racecourse is available but must be pre-booked. Car parks open at 6am on race days. The A59 approach is congested from mid-morning on the Grand National Festival weekend and becomes manageable on the smaller race days.

What is the capacity of Aintree Racecourse? The racecourse holds approximately 70,000 people across the Grand National Festival three days combined. The infield and hill areas make it difficult to give a precise single-day figure, but the festival is consistently one of the largest attended sporting events in the UK.

Every Aintree Event in 2026-2027: The Complete Calendar

Early Saver windows: Halloween Family Day early saver ends 1 September. William Hill Raceday early saver ends 14 September. Becher Chase Day early saver ends 28 September. Boxing Day early saver ends 9 November. If you are reading this before those dates, book now for the lowest price.

Buy official tickets via the Jockey Club website or by calling 0344 579 3001.

The Grand National Festival: Three Days, Three Different Experiences

Opening Day: Thursday, 8 April 2027

The most underestimated day of the Grand National Festival. Cheapest tickets. Smaller crowds. Better views. Genuine championship racing, including the Maghull Novices Chase and the Aintree Hurdle, both Grade 1 races.

Opening Day is the answer for everyone who wants to attend the Grand National Festival but cannot get Saturday tickets or does not want to pay Saturday prices. You see the Grand National fences up close, walk the course, feel the atmosphere building across the three days, and watch racing of the highest quality at a fraction of the Grand National Day cost.

If the Grand National is why you want to go to Aintree, Opening Day shows you what Aintree actually is. Ladies Day and Grand National Day show you what Aintree becomes.

Ladies’ Day Friday, 9 April 2027

The social heart of the festival. The Style Awards. The Red Rum Garden. The Marsh Chase (Grade 1). The Topham Chase over the Grand National fences. Fashion as seriously as racing. Full guide: Aintree Ladies Day 2027.

Grand National Day, Saturday, 10 April 2027

The race. 4pm. 34 horses. 30 fences. 4 miles and 514 yards. 600 million television viewers. I Am Maximus goes for a historic third victory. Full guide: Grand National Day Tickets 2027.

The Becher Chase at Aintree’s Most Underrated Race Day

Here is what nobody outside serious jump racing circles will tell you: the Becher Chase Day on 5 December 2026 is the best value race day in the British jump racing calendar.

Tickets from £20 with the early saver. A Grade 3 chase run over the full Grand National course — Becher’s Brook, The Chair, Canal Turn, and Valentine’s Brook, all 30 fences. The same horses that will feature in April’s Grand National trial are jumping here in December. The same atmosphere, the same famous fences, a fraction of the crowd, and a ticket price that has not kept pace with the event’s quality.

Racing professionals who follow jump racing closely put the Becher Chase in their calendar every year. It has quietly become one of the major trials for the Grand National itself. Horses that run well here in December often reappear in April. You are watching the story of the Grand National beginning.

For a Birmingham visitor who wants the Aintree experience without the Grand National weekend chaos, the Becher Chase on 5 December delivers the fences, the atmosphere, the racing quality, and the return journey home without two hours of A59 traffic. Gates open from late morning. The first race is approximately 12:30pm. Last race approximately 3:45pm. Full day done by 5pm.

Dress code: smart casual. No sportswear or trainers in the main enclosures. Come dressed for a December day in Liverpool (cold, possibly wet, always worth it).

Halloween Family Day Racing With Something Extra

The Halloween Family Day on 25 October 2026 is a deliberate attempt to make racing accessible to families who might not otherwise attend. Fancy dress welcomed and encouraged. Racing alongside Halloween-themed entertainment in the enclosures. Under-17s go free with a paying adult.

This is the cheapest gateway into Aintree racing for families. Tickets from £25. A family of two adults and two children costs £50 to get through the gates. You see live jump racing. You walk the same course that hosts the Grand National. You can explain to children what Becher’s Brook actually is while standing next to it rather than pointing at a television.

The racing card on 25 October typically includes a mix of novice hurdles and chases — the start of the new National Hunt season. The horses are earlier in their campaigns, the fields are lively, and the racing has a different energy from the polished spring festivals.

Best for: families with children aged 7 and above. Younger children are welcome, but the racing itself lasts approximately 5 to 6 hours, and the attention span calculus changes below age 7.

William Hill Afternoon Raceday November Jump Racing

The William Hill Afternoon Raceday on 7 November 2026 is a standard weekend jump meeting with no headline gimmick beyond the racing itself. Tickets from £20.

Why is this worth mentioning? Because the first weeks of November represent jump racing at its most dynamic. The season is six weeks old. Established horses are stepping up in class after autumn wins. New novices are testing themselves for the first time at a proper course. Haydock is running the Betfair Chase the same weekend (14 November). Cheltenham is building its November meeting. The whole National Hunt world is moving at pace.

Aintree’s November raceday catches this energy at a quiet, affordable price point. The crowd is smaller than any other race day in the calendar. You get close to the parade ring. You hear conversations between trainers and jockeys that the Grand National crowds drown out. The Aintree November race day is for the genuine racing fan who cares about the horses as much as the occasion.

Boxing Day Racing at Aintree

The 26 December race day is a tradition rather than a festival event. Tickets from £30 for what is genuinely one of the most enjoyable days in the jump racing calendar.

Boxing Day racing exists because horses need to keep racing and racing fans need something to do with their Boxing Day afternoon. That formula, which sounds arbitrary, produces some of the most relaxed and enjoyable race day atmospheres in the whole year. Families who ate too much the previous day. Friends who have been together for 36 hours and want an excuse to leave the house. Racing fans who have watched enough television and want the real thing.

The racing on Boxing Day at Aintree is a proper card — competitive races, good fields, and the Grand National fences visible but not in play on this particular track configuration. The crowd is a mix of hardcore racing fans and people who go to Aintree every Boxing Day because it has become part of their family’s Christmas tradition. Both groups make good company.

For Birmingham visitors: Boxing Day is one of the easiest Aintree days to attend. No morning traffic, quieter car parks, easier Merseyrail access. The journey home at 4pm on 26 December is straightforward.

Non-Racing Events at Aintree Racecourse

Aintree Racecourse Run: 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon

“aintree racecourse run” generates 1,600 monthly searches—the third-highest volume Aintree keyword after “aintree racecourse” (8,100) and “aintree race course” (1,300). RunThrough organises 5K, 10K, and half-marathon events at Aintree across the year.

You run the actual racecourse. The course is accurately marked. Marshals keep you on the right route. The finish line crosses the same turf that the Grand National finishes on. The entry fee includes a themed medal, water, and post-race goodies.

This is unique. There is no other way to run the Grand National course. Runners who have done it describe the experience of crossing Becher’s Brook on foot — the drop is visible from the approach, the landing is lower than the takeoff, and the feeling of what horses do at racing pace becomes suddenly and physically clear.

Check the RunThrough website for 2026-2027 Aintree dates. Events typically run on weekends outside the racing season.

Young Driver Experience

Teenagers aged 11 to 17 learn to drive a real car on the Aintree circuit. No driving licence needed. The cars are dual-controlled. Instructors sit alongside throughout. The tarmac circuit runs inside the racecourse perimeter.

This is one of the most popular Young Driver locations in the UK. The scale of the course and the historical context of the venue make it memorable beyond a standard driving experience.

Book direct via the Young Driver website. Sessions run on non-race days throughout the year.

Bike Aintree

A cycling event on the Aintree circuit. Open to all abilities. Multiple distance options. Details on the official Aintree website.

Christmas Parties

The racecourse venue is available for corporate Christmas parties on 5 December 2026 (the same day as the Becher Chase). Dinner, dancing, and facilities in the Aintree hospitality spaces. Contact the venue hire team via the Jockey Club website.

North West Ambulance Service Charity Event

Community charity events run at the venue throughout the year. Check the official events calendar for current listings.

How to Get from Birmingham to Aintree Racecourse

By Train

Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street: Avanti West Coast or CrossCountry, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Then Merseyrail from Liverpool Central to Aintree station: approximately 20 minutes, every 7.5 minutes on race days. Walk from Aintree station to the racecourse entrance: 5 minutes.

Total: approximately 1 hour 35 to 1 hour 45 minutes from Birmingham New Street.

The Merseyrail service from Liverpool Central runs frequently on all race days. The train journey from Lime Street to Liverpool Central is 2 minutes underground. Book the Birmingham to Liverpool leg in advance. Merseyrail can be bought on the day.

Post-race train: the Merseyrail platform at Aintree gets busy after the last race. Allow 20 to 30 minutes of queue time on major race days. Smaller race days (November, Boxing Day) are straightforward with minimal queuing.

By Car

M6 northbound from Birmingham. Take Junction 26 (M58) toward Wigan and Liverpool. Follow signs for Aintree via the A59. The main entrance is on Ormskirk Road, L9 5AS.

Parking must be pre-booked via the Jockey Club website. Car parks open at 6am. Arrive early on the Grand National Festival — car parks near the main enclosures fill well before the first race.

Group Chauffeur from Birmingham

For a group of 4 to 7 from Birmingham, a Grand Executive chauffeur drives directly to Aintree. 1 hour 45 minutes via M6. Fixed price at booking. Named driver. No parking. No Merseyrail navigation.

The return journey is where the chauffeur option makes the clearest case for itself. After the last race on a December evening — cold, dark, 4pm — getting 6 people in smart dress from Aintree station to Liverpool Central to Lime Street to Birmingham New Street takes approximately 2 hours. A chauffeur waiting outside the racecourse takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes direct, with everyone comfortable in the vehicle.

What to Expect at Aintree: First-Timer Guide

The course: The Grand National course uses the left-hand outer circuit with 30 fences over two laps. The Mildmay course is a separate inner circuit used for most non-Grand National races. The fences on the Mildmay course are conventional hurdles and chases. The Grand National fences — Becher’s Brook, The Chair, and Canal Turn — are only jumped during the Grand National Festival and the Becher Chase.

Walking the course: On non-race days, sections of the Grand National course are accessible for walking. On race days, the area around the fences is marked out as spectator zones. Standing at Becher’s Brook is possible from the public enclosures on all race days.

Gates and enclosures: Three main enclosures — the Embankment, the Festival Zone (Tattersalls), and the Earl of Derby and Garden Club. The Embankment gives views of the early Grand National fences. The Festival Zone gives full access, including the parade ring and winners’ enclosure. Premium enclosures give the best views of the finish.

Bag policy: Small bags only. Clear bags are recommended. All bags are searched on entry.

Cashless: The Jockey Club venues are cashless. Card or contactless for all food, drinks, and betting on site.

Children: Under-17s go free with a paying adult on most Aintree race days (maximum 3 per adult). Not applicable on the Grand National Festival premium days. Check the specific event listing.

Aintree Racecourse: Key Facts

Address: Ormskirk Road, Aintree, Liverpool, L9 5AS

Opened: 1829. The first Grand National ran in 1836 (contested, with 1839 more widely accepted as the first official running)

Operator: The Jockey Club

Course type: Jump racing only (no flat racing)

Key races: Grand National (April, Grade 3, world’s most famous steeplechase), Becher Chase (December, Grade 3, Grand National fences), Aintree Hurdle (April, Grade 1), Maghull Novices Chase (April, Grade 1)

App: The Aintree Racecourse app is available on iOS and Android. Live race information, results, and raceday updates.

Golf Centre: Aintree Golf Centre is adjacent to the racecourse. Open year-round for public golf.

Equestrian Centre: The Aintree International Equestrian Centre operates separately on the same site. Hosts showjumping, eventing, and dressage competitions throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on at Aintree Racecourse in 2026-2027?

Halloween Family Day (25 October 2026, from £25), William Hill Afternoon Raceday (7 November 2026, from £20), Becher Chase Day (5 December 2026, from £20), Boxing Day Racing (26 December 2026, from £30), and the Randox Grand National Festival (8-10 April 2027, from £34). Non-racing events include RunThrough running events, Young Driver experiences, Bike Aintree, and venue hire for corporate and private events.

Where is Aintree Racecourse located?

Ormskirk Road, Aintree, Merseyside, L9 5AS. On the northern edge of Liverpool, 4 miles from the city centre. 90 miles from Birmingham via the M6. Nearest train station: Aintree (Merseyrail), 5-minute walk to the racecourse.

What are the big three horse races in the UK?

The Grand National at Aintree (April), the Cheltenham Gold Cup at Cheltenham Festival (March), and the Epsom Derby at Epsom Downs (June). The Grand National is the most widely watched. The Gold Cup is widely regarded as the pinnacle of jump racing. The Epsom Derby is the most prestigious flat race.

Is there a dress code at Aintree?

No official dress code. The guidance is to come dressed to feel your best. Sportswear, trainers, team colours, and fancy dress are not permitted in premium enclosures. Ladies’ Day brings the most formal and creative dressing. Other race days are smart casual.

What is the Becher Chase at Aintree?

A Grade 3 chase run over the full Grand National course, including all 30 fences (Becher’s Brook, The Chair, Canal Turn, and Valentine’s Brook). Held in early December each year. One of the major Grand National trials of the season. Tickets from £20 — the best value race day in the Aintree calendar.

Can I run at Aintree Racecourse?

Yes. RunThrough organises 5K, 10K, and half-marathon events at Aintree on non-race days. You run the actual racecourse circuit with the finish line on the same turf as the Grand National. Entry includes a themed medal and post-race goodies. Check runthrough.co.uk for 2026-2027 dates.

How do I get to Aintree from Birmingham?

Train: Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street (1h 10m), then Merseyrail to Aintree station (20 min), then a 5-minute walk. Total approximately 1h 35 to 1h 45 minutes. Group chauffeur: Grand Executive Chauffeurs from Birmingham to Aintree, approximately 1h 45 minutes via M6, fixed price, door to racecourse entrance.

What is the Grand National at Aintree?

The world’s most famous steeplechase. Run over 4 miles and 514 yards with 30 fences over two circuits. Held every April at Aintree Racecourse. Approximately 600 million global television viewers. The race has been run since 1839. I am Maximus, who won in 2024 and 2026 and attempts a historic third victory in 2027. Full guide: Grand National Day Tickets 2027.

Are horse welfare improvements in place at Aintree?

Yes. Since 2022, significant welfare improvements have been implemented across the Grand National course. Fences now use flexible plastic cores instead of rigid wood. Foam toeboards were added to all fences in 2024. The maximum field was reduced from 40 to 34 runners. All horses must complete a pre-race fitness assessment. The standing start replaced the tape-and-walk format. The sport continues to address welfare as an ongoing priority.