Racegoers at Cheltenham this week are predicted to drink nearly 50 per cent more Guinness than last year.
About 380,000 pints of this beloved brew may be savoured, marking this event as potentially the booziest yet—an increase from 265,000 in 2024, a remarkable rise of 43 per cent.
This surge means bosses are poised to rake in nearly £3 million from sales of the iconic Irish stout alone, as the price of a pint at Cheltenham rises by 30p to £7.80.
The expected surge in Guinness sales comes amid the social media trend of ‘splitting the G’ — gulping the drink and trying to stop so it rests halfway down the G of Guinness on the glass.
Although fans may need to improvise due to the plastic cups.
It was this trend that saw risks of Guinness shortages in 2024 with Gen Z surging to pubs to buy pints amid its rise in popularity on TikTok.
And as if that weren’t enough reason to celebrate, the festival will kick off an early celebration for St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday.
Additionally, around 3,500 pints of non-alcoholic Guinness are expected to be enjoyed at the four-day festival, which launches tomorrow.
Attendees may also toast with 120,000 pints of lager and 10,700 mini bottles of Moët Champagne.
But don’t worry about an empty stomach—there will be ample opportunities for food to accompany the festivities, with three miles of food stalls if laid end-to-end.
The upgraded facilities for this year promise even more variety and cosy indoor seating.
An impressive 12,000 people will also delight in three or four-course lunches across 17 restaurants and hospitality areas.
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A spokesman said: “We have made several changes ahead of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, and our unwavering focus is on the experience as we strive to ensure everyone has a day, or days, to remember.”
However, last month, Cheltenham Festival cult hero Alan Brazil ominously threatened to boycott the festival over whispers of a Guinness shortage.
Concerns have been mounting that supplies of the famous ‘black stuff’ could run dry, with reports of pubs rationing it and some running out completely at the end of 2024, raising fears for Cheltenham.
Guinness is remarkably popular at the four-day celebration, with more than 265,000 pints consumed last year alone—enough to fill three Olympic swimming pools.
Brazil hilariously missed the talkSPORT Breakfast show on the festival’s last day last year and was eventually found two days later in the festival’s Guinness Village.
When asked what his response would be if his favourite tipple were to be missing in 2025, Brazil was clear: “We don’t go!”
The Scot then warned that a Guinness drought would spark devastation among spectators.
Furious, he continued: “Fans would go ballistic; the charge at 10:30 a.m. when the gates open, they’d be in mourning!”
“There has to be Guinness at Cheltenham! Ridiculous!”
Brazil’s sentiments resonate with many, as Guinness has soared in popularity in recent years, thanks to social media hype and sponsorship of major sporting events like the Six Nations and the Premier League.
So significant is its rise that the Irish stout was the best-selling pint in British pubs in 2023.
Fortunately for Brazil and the 280,000 expected spectators, their worst fears are likely to remain just that—fears.
The Sun has reported that key events, including Cheltenham, are safeguarded by suppliers to ensure there’s always enough available.
But this is unlikely to dampen Brazil’s spirits, as he openly admitted that his two-day absence at the end of last year’s festival was due to being too busy relishing his favourite drink.
Explaining his Cheltenham whereabouts, Brazil said: “Well, I am always in the corner of the Guinness Village tent, always! It is fantastic.
“So many people come by year after year. It is the World Cup of national racing. It’s wonderful; I’ve now got to do a little bit of corporate hospitality.
“But the Guinness, in that corner. I’ll be there all the time!”
With that, it appears Brazil will have even more joyous memories to create at Cheltenham this year.
The festival, seen as the crowning glory of the jump racing season, begins on Tuesday, March 11, with Gold Cup Day set for Friday, as is tradition.
Paul Townend has secured victory for the previous two years on the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs, adding to the anticipation that fills the air.
