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Cheltenham College Cricket Festival: visitor guide
Updated 17 October 2026
Cheltenham College hosts Gloucestershire’s summer cricket festival in the school grounds. Travel to Cheltenham Spa for a rail-based visit, check the cricket ticket’s entrance instructions, and choose your match before booking a stay: the confirmed festival dates for 2027 are TBC.
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Outground at a glance
The ground
The school buildings surrounding the cricket are the festival’s defining backdrop. Cheltenham College says it has hosted the festival since 1872, bringing Gloucestershire and visiting counties to a ground that continues to serve school sport. The result is a county occasion within an established college setting. Visit on the advertised public cricket days and follow the festival routes; the wider school site has its own working spaces and access boundaries.
Visit Cheltenham identifies Surrey and Gloucestershire as the sides in the first festival match in 1872. The festival remains part of the town’s summer calendar, alongside its other sporting and cultural events. For a cricket visitor, the attraction is the combination of a full county match and a town where you can spend the evening without needing to head straight for a motorway.
Our suggestion is to put Cheltenham College at the centre of a short break, rather than treating it as an interchangeable Gloucestershire home game. The county’s main ground is in Bristol, covered by a separate visitor guide. Check the location on every ticket, especially when moving between formats or booking several games. A hotel convenient for Bristol is not automatically a useful base for the festival.
For someone new to county cricket, choose between following a Championship match over successive days and attending a self-contained one-day fixture. A four-day contest rewards returning to see how a situation develops; a one-day game gives both innings a place in the same scheduled day. The festival programme can offer both experiences, but the 2027 mix will depend on the published fixtures.
Stands and where to sit
There is no published seating plan available here for a dependable current sun-and-shade diagram. The festival’s 2027 seating arrangement, covered public areas and any reserved sections are TBC. Buy an admission product that states what is included, then ask Gloucestershire if a particular view or shelter is essential. Photographs of hospitality marquees do not establish which areas a general-admission ticket can use.
The college’s 2026 Cheltonian Society event had a separate marquee with its own admission conditions. That is a useful example of why facilities beside the boundary may belong to a specific ticket package. The lead booker for that event had to be a Society member, with guests permitted. Other hospitality and public ticket products should be read on their own terms.
For outdoor seating, take clothing for both sunshine and a cooler final session. Once admitted, compare the view towards the wicket with the position of sight screens before settling. If you intend to bring a chair, check the festival’s current instructions and choose something you can carry comfortably from your transport. Leave enough room around your seat for people to reach aisles, refreshment points and accessible routes.
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Getting there
By taxi or drop-off
Book a licensed taxi in advance if you need a car after play, agreeing a safe collection point with the driver. Check whether your preferred taxi app serves the area.
Sources: Cheltenham Council: taxi and private-hire licensing
Great Western Railway uses Cheltenham Spa station for its Cheltenham services. National Rail gives the station address as Queens Road, GL51 8NP, and publishes its facilities and assistance information. Search the journey for your actual festival date, including the train home. If your route has a connection, allow for a cricket day that may not finish exactly when you hoped.
The county’s festival hospitality booking page places Cheltenham Spa roughly a mile from the College Ground. Plan the walking route to your ticket’s gate, with extra time if carrying a picnic or chair. A taxi can be a more practical final leg with luggage, but agree a collection point that remains accessible after the match rather than assuming the driver can enter the festival site.
For driving, use the event’s car-park instructions once published. The 2027 parking location, booking deadline and charges are TBC. School parking instructions intended for another event may lead to the wrong gate or an area unavailable during county cricket. If a hospitality package includes parking, check how many spaces it provides and whether the pass is issued separately from the admission ticket.
For town-centre alternatives, use Cheltenham Borough Council’s parking information and check the car park’s opening and payment conditions. Compare the walk to the College Ground as well as the price. An evening meal after play can extend your stay well beyond the cricket, so select a parking period that covers both rather than returning halfway through dinner to move the car.
Getting home
Check your match guide for the expected finish. Play can finish early or run late. Use Cheltenham Spa for Bristol, Birmingham and onward mainline connections. Book a licensed taxi in advance if you need a car after play, agreeing a safe collection point with the driver. Check your last train in the National Rail journey planner and allow time to leave the ground.
Tickets and festival days
Begin with Gloucestershire’s festival information and official ticket links. For 2027, the programme, general-admission prices, member arrangements and family offers are TBC. Check whether you are buying a single day, a multi-day match or an additional hospitality package. The appearance of the same opponent on successive dates is normal for Championship cricket and does not mean each listing is a different match.
The Cheltonian Society’s 9 August 2026 event combined entry to Gloucestershire against Notts Outlaws with its own marquee access and refreshments. Its published children’s categories applied to that particular Society event. Use those details only when considering the same organiser’s future offer; the general public’s prices and eligibility may be different.
For a group, agree the admission type before each person purchases separately. Someone with a hospitality ticket may be directed to a different area from friends using general admission. Families should also check which age category applies on the match date and whether a free child place still requires a ticket. Keep the confirmations available offline in case the entrance queue makes a mobile connection inconvenient.
Your ticket on the day
Ask Gloucestershire’s ticket team how to present your festival ticket before travelling. Contact them beforehand if your phone or ticket is unusable, or if you need to confirm concession ID.
Children and age rules
Ask the county’s ticket team whether a child needs an accompanying adult for this festival. Confirm junior ID, hospitality age limits and the ID accepted at bars before booking. Taking the family
Buy tickets from the county’s official ticket office or the resale platform named by that seller. Use the official resale route and read Action Fraud’s ticket fraud advice.
Sources: Gloucestershire: Cheltenham Festival guide · National Rail: Cheltenham Spa station · Cheltenham Council: taxi and private-hire licensing · Bristol Airport: Airport Flyer buses · National Express: London to Cheltenham coaches
County cricket
Gloucestershire main-ground visitor guide →
Gloucestershire Women’s 2026 One Day Cup schedule included Sussex Sharks at Cheltenham College on 8 August and Kent on 16 August, adding women’s matches to the festival setting. Cheltenham women’s fixture source · Women’s county teams and tickets.
What you can take in
The college Society’s 2026 festival information permitted a picnic in its marquee and said alcohol, glass containers and sharp objects could not be brought into the grounds. Its bar used card payments. The 2027 festival rules are TBC, so read Gloucestershire’s current notice before deciding on bottles, cutlery or a cooler. A permission attached to a particular marquee is best checked against the admission you have bought.
Pack for an outdoor day with a hat, a waterproof layer and a way to keep your phone and tickets dry. If you need a particular food, ask about bringing it before relying on an unconfirmed catering stall. Keep any essential medication handy during travel and admission. A small, manageable picnic is easier to carry from the station than a large hamper, particularly when combined with a folding chair.
Paying at the ground
Bring a card and some cash, as payment methods for this festival need confirmation. Ask the county about cash-machine provision before travelling.
Where to stay
Our recommendation is to compare the College Ground’s Bath Road side with accommodation around Montpellier and the town centre. Visit Cheltenham’s guide to the Suffolks describes a district between Montpellier and Bath Road, with period streets and independent businesses. Staying within walking reach can make the day simpler if you want to leave the car alone and walk to dinner after the cricket.
Check the actual entrance-to-door route before choosing a property. A room described as central may suit shopping better than your cricket gate, while a station-side room may make luggage easier at the cost of a longer walk to the match. Ask about overnight parking, luggage storage and late arrival when comparing options. Those details can change which location is the most convenient for your party.
Wait for confirmed 2027 dates before taking a non-refundable room specifically for the festival. For a Championship trip, decide whether you want the scheduled final day as well as the opening sessions. If the cricket ends early, a spare afternoon can become part of the town visit, but that works best when the rest of your plans are flexible.
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Evenings out
Montpellier is one of the town’s established areas for dining, galleries and gardens. The nearby Suffolks district offers another area to explore on foot. Our suggestion is to choose an evening meal after allowing time to return to your room, particularly after a hot day at the ground. Use the restaurant’s own booking page to check the kitchen’s closing time.
The Everyman Theatre is on Regent Street and publishes its visitor information and performance programme. An evening show can work well on the night before your cricket day, when you are not balancing the final overs against the curtain time. If you prefer to go after the match, check the complete journey and meal plan before booking fixed seats.
For a quieter second morning, explore the town’s gardens and independent shops rather than committing to another timed event. Visit Cheltenham’s official listings bring together the wider programme, useful if part of your group has different interests. Keep the cricket festival dates distinct from the town’s music, literature and racing calendars when comparing hotel availability.
Fixtures
Cheltenham’s 2026 programme included Gloucestershire Women against Sussex on 8 August, confirmed by Sussex’s match preview. Gloucestershire Men then faced Notts Outlaws on 9 August in the One Day Cup, as advertised by the college Society and Nottinghamshire. These were 2026 events, not dates to use for the next summer.
The 2027 Cheltenham fixture list is TBC. Once announced, check whether each game is a men’s or women’s fixture, its format and the specific entrance instructions. Gloucestershire’s Bristol home schedule is separate, so save the College Ground match listing with your accommodation booking rather than relying on a broad county calendar.
2027 county fixtures
- County Championship 2027 fixtures
- Vitality Blast 2027 fixtures
- One-Day Cup 2027 fixtures
- Women’s county cricket 2027 fixtures
Match-day timings
Blank = not published by Gloucestershire; check your match guide.
For Festival / county match, check your match guide for timings.
FAQs
- Where is Cheltenham Cricket Festival held?
It is held at Cheltenham College, where Gloucestershire play county cricket during the summer festival.
- Which railway station should I use?
Cheltenham Spa is the rail destination; the county’s festival booking page places it roughly a mile from the College Ground.
- Are the 2027 festival dates announced?
Confirmed Cheltenham Cricket Festival dates and fixtures for 2027 are TBC.
- Is there a seating and shade plan?
There is no published seating plan available here for a reliable current shade diagram. Ask Gloucestershire about covered and accessible seating.
- Do I need to print my ticket?
Ask Gloucestershire’s ticket team how to present your festival ticket before travelling. Contact them beforehand if your phone or ticket is unusable, or if you need to confirm concession ID.
- What time do the gates open?
Check your match guide or ticket email for the gates-open time before travelling.
- What time does play finish?
Check your match guide for the expected finish. Play can finish early or run late.
- Can children go on their own?
Ask the county’s ticket team whether a child needs an accompanying adult for this festival. Confirm junior ID, hospitality age limits and the ID accepted at bars before booking.
Accessibility
Ask Gloucestershire about the complete festival visit if you need a step-free route, suitable seating, an accessible toilet or a companion ticket. The detailed 2027 arrangements are TBC. Explain your arrival method and mobility equipment so staff can identify the most useful gate and viewing area. A school building’s general accessibility information may not cover temporary festival facilities.
Rail travellers can use the Cheltenham Spa station information to arrange assistance for the train journey. That is separate from any assistance needed at the cricket. If you are considering a taxi from the station, confirm an appropriate drop-off with the festival team before booking it. Keep the reply with your match ticket to make arrival easier for both your party and the gate staff.
Plan your day at Cheltenham
First visit · Sun and shade · What you can take in · If it rains · Ballots and resale · Taking the family · County cricket explained