Being able to watch the Grand National from Aintree isn’t something we can do in 2021 due to coronavirus restrictions but during ‘normal times’ thousands of horse racing betting fans flood the racecourse for this spectacular Festival.
The Grand National isn’t just about one race – there are three days of elite-level National Hunt horse racing before the ultimate, 30-jump showdown on the Saturday.
And fans who get tickets for the Grand National are usually in for a wild time. Here, Paddy Power explains everything you need to know about Grand National attendances in our latest ‘Demystifying Racing’ guide…
How many people watch the Grand National?
It is estimated 10 million people watch the Grand National online and on TV in the UK each year. Globally, the Grand National viewing figures are thought to hit around 500 million. That is a big draw for British and Irish racing and organisers make sure the Festival runs smoothly in order to keep those international broadcasters happy.
150,000 people usually attend the Grand National Festival (GETTY)
How many Grand National tickets are sold?
While 10 million racing betting fans watch the Grand National at home, around 70,000 lucky punters manage to buy Grand National tickets and attend the race live. Aintree can cater for this number of spectators thanks to its enormous grandstands and wide open spaces. Tickets range from basic ground passes to elite VIP suites within the grandstand.
Grand National attendance figures
While a large chunk of Grand National Festival goers choose to attend on the Saturday of the three-day event, there are still thousands who rock up at Aintree to enjoy the horse racing on the Thursday and Friday.
Thursdays usually attracts around 33,000 spectators outside of Covid restrictions and provides a basis from which the Festival builds until the big race on the Saturday. Friday is Ladies Day, with 50,000 tickets usually available for punters. In 2018 Ladies Day tickets sold out and there were over 49,000 at the racecourse on the same day a year later.
In total around 150,000 fans attend the Grand National Festival over its three-day duration, making it one of the biggest horse racing events on the planet. Only the likes of Cheltenham (250,000 over four days) and the Melbourne Cup (105,000 on Cup day) can rival the Grand National for annual spectators.
DEMYSTIFYING RACING
- What does it mean when a horse is On the Bridle?
- What is a Black type horse race?
- What are the different types of going in horse racing?
- What is a bumper horse race?
- What are blinkers and why do some horses wear them?
- What is an Allowance Race in horse racing?
- What is the difference between hurdles and fences in National Hunt racing?
- What is a halter and why do some horses wear them?
- What does it mean when a horse has spread a plate?
- What is the Rule 4 betting rule in horse racing?
- What is the difference between graded, handicap and selling horse races?
- What does a novice hurdle in horse racing mean?
- What is a listed horse race?
- What does a novice chase in horse racing mean?
- Why do race horses have different ratings and what do they mean?
- When does the National Hunt season start and when does it end?
- Why are there different grades of horse race?
- Why are there 3 different types of National Hunt race?
- Why are race horses given different weights and what does it mean?
- How many different classes of horse race are there?
- What is a claiming race and what do they mean?
- What is an optional claimer in horse racing?
- What is a shadow roll and why do some race horses wear them?
- Why do some races start from stalls and some not?
- What is the difference between Derby and Oaks races?
- What does it mean when a horse knuckles during a horse race?
- What is a stayer in horse racing?
- What is a yearling horse and when are they ready to race?
- What does it mean if a horse has won a point race?
- What does a maiden mean in horse racing?
- How are horses’ ages calculated and why is it not the same as humans?
- What advantages do apprentice jockeys get when riding against professionals?
- What is a conditional jockey?
- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear cheekpieces?
- Who are the stewards in horse racing?
- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
- What is a Steeplechase race in horse racing?
- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why is the Champion Chase named after the Queen Mother?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- What is the Cheltenham roar? What difference does it make in races?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
- Grand National fence names and the stories behind every Aintree jump
- How high are Grand National fences at Aintree Racecourse?
- What are Grand National fences made of at Aintree Racecourse?
- Grand National fences: Order of jumps, total and which are taken twice
- Grand National weights: Why do horses carry different weights at Aintree?
- What is the distance of the Grand National? How far do the horses run?
- How does a horse qualify for the Grand National?
- When did a horse last win the Grand National carrying top weight?
- Do Grand National reserve horses ever run in the race at Aintree?
