Cheltenham Festival

GL events UK has been providing temporary infrastructure to the Festival for nine years, installing over 15,000 square meters of temporary structures, supporting the Tented Village as well as providing additional facilities.

Since its debut, GL events’ contract to supply the Festival has doubled to become one of the business’s largest projects, both in terms of value and the impressive volume of kit supplied. 

Each year the Cheltenham Festival provides a focal point for some of the best examples of temporary structures available in the UK. A diverse range of event infrastructure is installed each year, providing facilities such as the media centre, food court, double and triple-decked hospitality chalet suites and corporate hospitality, as well as a number of restaurants, retail and trade stand areas.

Each year, the festival requires bespoke event infrastructure to accommodate their guests' needs. From toilets to luxury hospitality and retail areas, GL events UK work collaboratively with event organisers to ensure a seamless event.

GL events UK’s one-stop, total overlay solution includes everything from scaffolding and temporary structures to heating, lighting, flooring, furniture, washrooms, interior design and fit-out across a total of 14 areas at the Festival including its impactful and vibrant courtyard destination: an exclusive, self-enclosed avenue of beautifully glazed and finished restaurants, characterised by its astroturfed central arcade and high-specification individual venues.

Throughout its partnership with The Jockey Club Racecourses, GL events UK has proven its skills and expertise and has demonstrated the benefits of working with a provider of temporary structures so experienced in the delivery of equestrian events.

A passionate, 50-strong on-site and office-based team of GL events staff work with event organisers to develop new concepts year on year, transforming these plans into realities at Cheltenham Festival. The quality installation includes everything from scaffolding to heating, lighting, flooring, furniture, washrooms, interior design and fit-out.

GL events’ contribution to the Festival includes more than one mile of exterior wall panelling, 100 exterior doors, 1,000m of painted internal hard-walling, lifts, interior staircases and temporary kitchens; more than 14,000 individual items of furniture, 200 toilets and urinals, along with 80 vanity units across 11 toilet and washroom areas; 4,500 metres of heating pipework, 150 climate control units, 4km of lighting cable, 2,600 plugs and sockets and more than one mile of fluorescent lights, to mention just some of the elements that add up to create a GL events solution.

The infrastructure is installed in three phases, with phase one - preparation for Cheltenham’s October Showcase event - starting in September. Phase two sees GL events installing further infrastructure for the November Meeting. Finally, GL events return to the site in February to install impressive multi-deck hospitality venues and create the courtyard in readiness for March’s Cheltenham Festival. 

The Festival’s iconic triple-deck Parade Ring viewing boxes are stylish and luxurious, featuring enhanced internal fit-out, glass handrails and upgraded furniture; while its retail zone, The Village, was characterised by GL events’ signature stylish design and quality products.

This event partnership calls for a particularly collaborative relationship with the client, and the benefits are far-reaching. 

After many months of planning and hard work, Cheltenham Festival continues to be a great success year after year, with daily crowds of up to 65,000 people enjoying four days of socialising, fashion, the best hospitality, and exciting jump-race action.

GL events’ products played a large part in enhancing customers’ experience of a fantastic and memorable event.