Anytime in Benidorm is a good time. But for us, Cheltenham Week and St Patrick’s Day together have become one of the great weeks in the Benidorm calendar. Big screens, outdoor terraces, a cold pint in the sun – and a fraction of the cost of a week at Prestbury Park.
Updated 15 October 2026
At a glance: Cheltenham 2027 in Benidorm
| Festival dates | Tuesday 16 – Friday 19 March 2027 |
| St Patrick’s Day | Wednesday 17 March (Ladies Day) |
| Racing in Benidorm time | 14:20 to 18:20 each day |
| Big races | Champion Hurdle, Tue 17:00 · Gold Cup, Fri 17:00 |
| Time difference | Spain is one hour ahead of the UK all week |
| Where it’s busiest | The Strip – Marina Resort and The Winning Post |
Why watch Cheltenham in Benidorm
If Cheltenham isn’t in the plans this year, Benidorm is the next best thing. You have bars and big screens, outdoor terraces and an electric atmosphere – and the Strip transforms for the week.
The sums do the rest. A pint at the course costs around £8; here it’s €2–€5. Add flights, a hotel and sunshine, and many will tell you Benidorm wins before the first race has gone off.
You can tell the family you’re off to do Cheltenham – you just happen to need your passport to get there.
Cheltenham TV, Marina Resort
Cheltenham 2027 race times in Benidorm
Racing runs from 14:20 to 18:20 Benidorm time on all four days. Spain is an hour ahead of the UK, and neither country puts its clocks forward until 28 March, so add one hour to every race time you see in the British papers.
| Date | Feature race | Benidorm time |
|---|---|---|
| 16 March | Champion Hurdle | 17:00 |
| 17 March | Champion Chase | 17:00 |
| 18 March | Stayers’ Hurdle | 16:20 |
| 19 March | Cheltenham Gold Cup | 17:00 |
Where to watch Cheltenham in Benidorm
Benidorm has scores of British and Irish bars, and the hotels have joined in with giant outdoor screens.
These are the places we’d head for.
Marina Resort: the poolside party
Bang on the Strip and in the heart of the action, the Marina Resort Hotel is arguably the place to be when the Cheltenham action gets underway.
Around 1,000 people pack the poolside for the racing.
Full on, noisy, fun. Big screens, pool parties and DJs. And plenty of orange!
Some might say this is better than the real thing. We would say: Definitely, Maybe.
We are betting on Marina Resort!
The Winning Post: the racing fan’s bar
Across the road from Marina Resort on The Strip, The Winning Post is run by Colleen Holm, whose dad opened the doors 25 years ago.
Cheltenham is their busiest week of the year.
Breakfast kicks off at 9am, the 12 TVs and big screens are switched on and, as the bar fills, the excitement grows.
Awesome racing, great craic, blue sky and a cold pint of Guinness. We’ll have a fiver each way on some of that!
The Winning Post on The Strip
Irish Bars
St Patrick’s Day falls in the middle of Cheltenham week, half of Ireland heads to the racing – and for this week we are all, to some degree, Irish.
So it would be rude not to visit Benidorm’s Irish bars for a pint or two.
There’s The Shamrock Pub, which first opened its doors way back in 1995 – the year Master Oats won the Gold Cup. The Tipsy Jockey is a recent addition to the Irish clan while The Bodhran just off Levante Beach, and O’Maras in the Old Town are all worth a visit.
Line them up, Paddy: the English, Scottish, Welsh, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch, German and Polish are coming to Benidorm.
A quiet one in The Shamrock
If it rains: where to watch indoors
March in Benidorm is usually warm and bright, but not always. So if the forecast turns, these venues have screens under cover:
The Royal Arrow
Part of Hotel Gold Arcos, super central location and a fun atmosphere day and night, taxi rank just outside for those a little too weary, shall we say, to walk back to their hotel.
Top location with a Taxi Stand at the ready
The Bank Club
A relatively recent bar in the Rincón de Loix area, we love the terrace which is covered when raining plus plenty of screens inside, too.
Top music venue as well, so once the racing finishes for the day no need to move!
A good place for your Cheltenham Banker!
Where to stay for Cheltenham Week
If the racing is the point of the trip, stay where the screens are – or within a short walk of The Strip.
Marina Resort
The obvious choice if you want the party on your doorstep: the big screens are by the pool. Light sleepers may want to look elsewhere as the party just keeps on going!
Don Pancho
We would put this in the ‘Perfect Place to get your breath back’ category.
A sanctuary on The Strip, ideally located for the action but a peaceful respite from the hurly burly of Cheltenham Week.
The perfect place to count your winnings!
For more options, see our Benidorm hotels guide.
Saint Patrick’s Day 2027 in Benidorm
St Patrick’s Day falls on Wednesday 17 March 2027 – Ladies Day at Cheltenham – so this year it lands in the middle of the racing, not at the end of it.
Expect everyone in green, the music and the craic getting louder, and the boys-only groups and girls-on-tour weekenders all having fun in the sun.
The Irish bars will be at their busiest from lunchtime onwards – good luck getting your first pint of Guinness!
Planning your Cheltenham Week in Benidorm
When to book
This is one of the busiest weeks of Benidorm’s spring, and regulars say you now need to book ahead.
Flights and hotels near the Strip go first. Book at least six months ahead for the best choice – some people book the same hotel for the following year after the last day of the Festival!
What to pack
Your Irish tricolour, your best green outfit and a copy of the form.
A jacket for the evenings, too – March nights can be cool.
Planning with a group?
Send this page to the group chat: the race times, venues and dates are all here.
