Grand National Day Tickets 2027 Prices, Enclosures, and Getting There from Birmingham
There is a question hanging over the 2027 Grand National that has not been asked since 1977. Red Rum won the race in 1973, 1974, and 1977. No horse has done it since. I Am Maximus won in 2024. He won again in 2026 at 9/2 favourite, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend. On Saturday, 10 April 2027, he arrives at Aintree as the ante-post favourite to stand alongside the greatest horse in the race’s history.
Whether he does or does not, you will be there.
The three-day Randox Grand National Festival runs Thursday 8 April to Saturday 10 April 2027 at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool L9 5AS. The Grand National race itself starts at approximately 4:00pm on Saturday. 152,000 spectators attend across the three days. Grand National Day alone draws 70,000 to Aintree.
This guide covers ticket options with real 2027 prices, which enclosure to choose for your budget and party, how to get from Birmingham to Aintree, transport on race day, the famous fences you will see, what to expect as a first-timer, and how to get home afterwards. If you are travelling as a corporate group and want a chauffeur from Birmingham to Aintree rather than navigating Merseyrail in smart dress, that option is covered too.
What Day Is the Grand National 2027?
Saturday, 10 April 2027. The race starts at approximately 4:00pm BST. The three-day festival begins Thursday 8 April (Opening Day) and includes Friday 9 April (Ladies Day) before culminating in Grand National Day on Saturday.
| Day | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Day | Thursday, 8 April 2027 | Aintree Hurdle, Foxhunters Chase, cheapest tickets from £32 |
| Ladies’ Day | Friday, 9 April 2027 | Fashion, Style Award, Marsh Melling Chase, Topham Chase |
| Grand National Day | Saturday, 10 April 2027 | The Grand National starts at 4:00pm; the main event |
Who won the Grand National in 2026: I Am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins, ridden by Paul Townend, starting price 9/2 favourite. His 2026 victory was his second, following the 2024 win also with Townend. The 2027 question: can he win a historic third?
Grand National Day Tickets 2027: Every Enclosure and Price
Tickets must be bought in advance. Grand National Day sells out. Buy as early as possible.
General Admission Enclosures
| Enclosure | Adult Price | Children | What You Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Embankment | £45 | N/A | Views of first Grand National fences, bars, big screens, and betting. No main course access |
| Festival Zone (Tattersalls) | £85 | £42.50 | Full access, parade ring, winners’ enclosure, live music, food and drink |
| West Tip Seats | £110 | N/A | Reserved covered seats near home, straight and final fences, private bar |
| Earl of Derby and Lord Sefton Terraces | £125 | N/A | Views over the parade ring, winners’ enclosure, and course |
| Garden Club | £150 | N/A | Private first-floor bar, parade ring views, private balcony, live entertainment |
Hospitality Packages
| Package | Price per Person | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| McCoys | £390 | Heart of the racecourse, large flat-screen TVs, outdoor terrace |
| Many Clouds | £610 | Contemporary, lively, premium racing and entertainment |
| Papillon Restaurant (via RacingBreaks) | £485 | Champagne reception, four-course lunch, afternoon tea |
| Sunloch Package (via RacingBreaks) | £470 | Four-course meal, vibrant atmosphere |
| Private Boxes | POA | Private balcony, best finish-line views, ultimate experience |
Buy official tickets via The Jockey Club at thejockeyclub.co.uk. The secondary market (StubHub, Viagogo) sells resale tickets at significant premiums when official tickets sell out.
Which Enclosure Should You Book?
The question the official site never answers. Here is the honest assessment.
First time, group of friends, budget around £85: Festival Zone. Full access. Parade ring. Winners Enclosure. Multiple viewing points around the course. Live music. This is where most racegoers spend the day. The right choice for 80% of first-timers.
Want to actually stand near the fences: the Embankment. You see the horses jumping the early Grand National fences up close. You will not see the finish, but you will see the race in a way television cannot replicate. Cheapest ticket at £45 but the most visceral experience.
Reserved seat, want shelter: West Tip Seats at £110. Located near the home’s straight and final fences. Covered. Private bar. You have a guaranteed place to sit for the whole day. Worth the premium if you are attending with elderly guests or anyone who does not want to stand for 8 hours.
Corporate clients want prestige: Earl of Derby Terrace (£125), Garden Club (£150), or full hospitality packages (£390-£610). Private bars, covered viewing, dedicated facilities, and the ability to entertain clients in an environment that feels premium. For Birmingham-based corporate hospitality, Eventmasters (0121 233 6500) is the specialist local operator.
Ladies’ Day vs Grand National Day: Which Should You Book?
A question most guides ignore.
Ladies Day (Friday 9 April): Fashion is the event within the event. The Style Award draws national attention. The Red Rum Garden is the social heart of the day. The Fabulous Friday atmosphere is specifically designed for dressing up. The racing is excellent (Marsh Melling Chase, Topham Chase) but secondary to the social spectacle. Tickets are typically cheaper than Saturday. If your group is attending for the social occasion more than the racing, this may be the better choice.
Grand National Day (Saturday 10 April): The race. 4pm. 34 horses. 30 fences. 4 miles and 514 yards. 600 million global television viewers. If you want to say you were there for the Grand National, this is the only day. The atmosphere is different from Ladies Day — less fashion-forward, more racing-focused, louder at the key moments. Saturday tickets are the most expensive and the most sold-out.
If your group has a mix of motivations, attend both. Thursday is cheapest for a taste of the festival (from £32). Friday for fashion and atmosphere. Saturday for the race itself.
The Famous Fences: What You Will See at Aintree
These are the fences the world knows by name. Standing at them before the race, they look manageable. At full speed with 34 horses in the air simultaneously, they look like nothing else in sport.
Becher’s Brook (fences 6 and 22): 4 feet 10 inches high. A brook runs along the landing side. There is a notorious drop on the landing — approximately 10 inches lower than the take-off side. Jockeys describe clearing it as “jumping off the edge of the world”. Named after Captain Martin Becher, who fell here in 1839 and sheltered in the brook to avoid the following horses. The Embankment ticket puts you at this fence.
The Chair (fence 15): The tallest fence in the race: 5 feet 3 inches. A 6-foot open ditch on the take-off side. Only jumped once per circuit. Named after an official who used to sit in a chair beside it to check that horses did not cut the corner. If you are in the Festival Zone, you will see this fence clearly.
Canal Turn (fences 8 and 24): After jumping the fence, horses must turn 90 degrees left immediately, or they slide into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Before the First World War, loose horses occasionally continued straight and ended up in the canal. The tight turn causes pile-ups when horses fall or refuse.
Foinavon (fence 7 and 23): Named after the 100/1 winner of the 1967 race. The smallest fence on the course is 4 feet 6 inches. In 1967, a mass pile-up of loose horses at this fence stopped almost the entire field. Foinavon, ridden at the back of the field, avoided the chaos and kept going. He is the only Grand National winner with a fence named after him.
Valentine’s Brook (fences 9 and 25): Named after a horse who appeared to jump the fence backwards in 1840. Similar to Becher’s but less severe.
How to Get from Birmingham to Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is 90 miles from Birmingham via the M6 north. The postcode is L9 5AS. On Grand National Day, the roads surrounding Aintree are significantly busier than normal race days.
By Train
Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street: Avanti West Coast or CrossCountry, approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Trains run frequently. 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: 5 minutes.
Total journey time: approximately 1 hour 35 to 1 hour 45 minutes from Birmingham New Street.
Book the Birmingham to Liverpool leg in advance. Merseyrail tickets can be bought on the day.
National Express Coach
Direct services from Birmingham to Aintree run on Grand National Day. National Express is the official coach travel provider for the Grand National. Coaches depart from Birmingham and arrive at Aintree at approximately 11:00am. The return coach departs approximately at 7:30pm. Book via the National Express website under Grand National event services. From approximately £27-45, depending on timing.
By Car
M6 northbound from Birmingham. Take J26 (M58) towards Liverpool and Wigan. Follow signs for Aintree. The main entrance is via Grand National Avenue off Ormskirk Road (A59). Sat Nav: L9 5AS. Parking must be pre-booked and opens at 6am. The A59 approach to the course queues significantly on race day. Allow an extra 45 to 60 minutes compared to normal journey times.
Chauffeur Transfer
For a corporate group from Birmingham, a Grand Executive chauffeur collects from your office, hotel, or home and drives directly to Aintree. No navigating Lime Street, no Merseyrail with hospitality guests in suits. The driver waits or returns for collection after the race. Fixed price agreed at booking — no surge, no queue, no last train anxiety.
For a group of 6 in a V-Class Mercedes, the per-person cost from Birmingham is often competitive with 6 individual return train tickets when you include the Merseyrail and taxi elements.
| Transport Option | Journey Time | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train (New Street to Aintree via Lime St) | 1h 35m-1h 45m | £30-60 per person | Solo/couple, budget |
| National Express coach | 3h-3h 30m | £27-45 return | Budget groups |
| Drive and park. | 1h 45m off-peak (more on race day) | Fuel + parking | Families, flexibility |
| Chauffeur (V-Class, group of 6) | 1h 45m | £250-300 one way total | Corporate groups in smart dress |
What to Expect on Grand National Day: First-Timer Guide
Gates open at 6am. You will not need to be there at 6am. Most racegoers arrive between 10am and midday. The first race is typically mid-morning. The Grand National goes off at approximately 4:00pm.
Dress code: No official dress code. Sports clothes and fancy dress are not permitted. Smart casual is the norm. Many people go further — suits, dresses, fascinators. Ladies Day is the fashion day, but Grand National Day still has a strong smart element. Wear comfortable shoes. You will spend most of the day on your feet.
Betting: On-course bookmakers line the racecourse in all enclosures. Tote facilities available. Major apps (Bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power) offer Grand National markets. The traditional bet for non-regular punters is each-way on the Grand National itself. Each-way means you win if your horse wins, and you also receive a return if it finishes in the first few places (typically top 5 or 6 for the National). Bet responsibly.
Food and drink: Full catering available in all enclosures. Bars, food stalls, and restaurants depending on your ticket. Hospitality packages include full dining. The Festival Zone has the widest variety of food and entertainment.
The race itself: 34 horses. Two circuits. 30 fences. The start is a standing start (changed from the tape-and-walk format in 2024). The race lasts approximately 9 to 10 minutes. The roar when the field sets off is one of the loudest moments in British sport.
How to Get Home After the Race
This is the section nobody writes. After approximately 6pm on Grand National Day, 70,000 people all try to leave simultaneously.
Merseyrail: Aintree station is a 5-minute walk from the racecourse. The queue to board after the race is significant. Allow 45 to 60 minutes to clear the station and board a train to Liverpool Central. From Liverpool Lime Street, Avanti trains back to Birmingham run throughout the evening. Check the last service time for your specific destination before the race starts.
Car: The A59 gridlocks after the last race. Exits from the car park are slow. 60 to 90 minutes to clear the immediate area is realistic. The M57 and M58 flows improve once you are past the local bottleneck.
Pre-booked chauffeur: Your driver monitors where you are. You text when the last race finishes. The car is on a designated street near the exit. You walk out and drive home to Birmingham while the Merseyrail queue builds. No surge pricing. No last train anxiety. For corporate hospitality groups, this is the expected standard of return transport. Pre-book with Grand Executive.
Grand National 2027: Can I Am Maximus Make History?
Red Rum won in 1973, 1974, and 1977. In the years between 1977 and 2027, no horse has come close to matching that record. I Am Maximus arrives at Aintree in April 2027, having won in 2024 and 2026. The 12/1 ante-post odds reflect both his quality and the inherent unpredictability of a race where 60% of the field does not finish.
The Grand National is the race where the favourite gets beaten and the 100/1 shot gets through. Foinavon in 1967. Mon Mome in 2009. Noble Yeats at 50/1 in 2022. The unpredictability is the point.
In 2027, you could witness history. You could witness the upset that everyone will be talking about. Either way, the race is 9 minutes of the most thrilling thing British sport produces, and standing at Becher’s Brook as 34 horses jump it is something television has never adequately replicated.
Book your ticket. Sort your transport. Get there early.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is the Grand National 2027?
Saturday, 10 April 2027. The race starts at approximately 4:00pm BST. Part of the three-day Randox Grand National Festival running Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 April 2027.
Who won the Grand National in 2026?
I am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend. Starting price 9/2 favourite. It was his second Grand National victory following his 2024 win.
How much are Grand National Day tickets?
The Embankment from £45. Festival Zone (Tattersalls) from £85 for adults, £42.50 for children. West Tip Seats: £110. Earl of Derby Terrace £125. Garden Club: £150. Hospitality packages from £390. Private boxes on application. Buy via The Jockey Club at thejockeyclub.co.uk.
How do I get to Aintree from Birmingham?
Train: Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street (1h 10m), then Merseyrail to Aintree (20 min). Total approximately 1h 35 to 1h 45m. Coach: National Express direct from Birmingham on race day. Car: M6 north, follow signs for Aintree (L9 5AS). Chauffeur: a group transfer from Grand Executive from Birmingham to Aintree costs approximately £250-300 for a group of 6, with return collection after the race.
Is there a dress code for the Grand National?
No official dress code. Sports clothes and fancy dress are not permitted. Smart casual is the minimum. On Grand National Day, many racegoers wear suits, dresses, and fascinators. Ladies Day (Friday) is the dedicated fashion day.
Which girl won the Grand National?
Rachael Blackmore rode Minella Times to win the 2021 Grand National, becoming the first female jockey to win the race.
Who is the youngest winner of the Grand National?
Bruce Hobbs, aged 17, riding Battleship in 1938. He remains the youngest jockey to win the race.
Who won the first Grand National?
The first officially recognised Grand National was in 1839. Lottery, ridden by Jem Mason, is generally accepted as the winner of that inaugural race.
Is the Grand National safe for horses?
The Grand National has undergone significant welfare improvements in recent years. The maximum field was reduced from 40 to 34 horses. Flexible plastic fence cores replaced wooden stakes. Foam toeboards were added to all fences in 2024. A standing start replaced the tape-and-walk format. All horses must complete a pre-race fitness test. The race remains challenging, and falls do occur. The sport continues to address welfare as an ongoing priority.