Overview
- Thousands of British fans have flocked to Benidorm this week to watch the Cheltenham Festival on big screens in bars and hotels known locally as the 'Costa del Cheltenham'.
- Travel retailer On the Beach reports Benidorm bookings up 65% year on year for festival week, with hotel reservations more than doubling.
- Venues are staging pool parties, DJs and racing-themed events to replicate the festival buzz, with some bars reporting turnouts in the hundreds.
- Unseasonably wet weather in Benidorm forced many viewers indoors and kept some outdoor screens shut, although conditions improved at times during day two.
- Cost is a key draw, with examples including €10 buckets of five beers and package stays far cheaper than on-course tickets starting at £70 and pints priced at £7.50, even as Cheltenham’s opening-day attendance rose after small price cuts and relaxed drinking rules.