Regardless of how you celebrated New Year’s Eve, there is no better way to jump into 2024 than racing on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham. Thrilling and high-quality racing action, that is sure to provide Cheltenham Festival insight, fresh air, and amazing free family entertainment.

There are seven highly-competitive races on the day with Graded and Listed contests, the racing action will blow away those New Year’s Eve cobwebs.

Featuring live music from LAMPA in The Village and the ever-popular Family Fun zone and live music in The Centaur after racing from Tommy & the Fuse, there is top-class entertainment for children and adults alike.

The biggest Cheltenham Festival clue we got last year, came in the shape of The Real Whacker landing the Grade 2 Paddy Power Dipper Chase beating the Paul Nicholls trained favourite by 3 and ¾ lengths. The Real Whacker went on to be triumphant in the Grade 1 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Marie’s Rock made her seasonal reappearance by winning the Grade 2 [email protected] Relkeel Hurdle, for Nicky Henderson and Middleham Park Racing. She went on to run in the highly anticipated Grade 1 Close Brothers Mares Hurdle, on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, it wasn’t her day, but that race provided one of the most memorable moments of the Festival, when Honeysuckle returned victorious to a rip roaring reception, branding her the Queen of the Cheltenham.

For many, the January blues hit very hard.  However, we have found some great ways to shake them off with our pick of the best events taking place around the Cotswolds throughout the month.
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NEW YEAR'S DAY RACING AT CHELTENHAM
MONDAY 1ST JANUARY 2024  •​  CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

Regardless of how you celebrated New Year’s Eve, there is no better way to jump into 2024 than racing on New Year’s Day at Cheltenham. Thrilling and high-quality racing action, that is sure to provide Cheltenham Festival insight, fresh air, and amazing free family entertainment.

There are seven highly-competitive races on the day with Graded and Listed contests, the racing action will blow away those New Year’s Eve cobwebs.

www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham/events-tickets/new-years-day

TOM RAVENSCROFT & DJ FOOD
FRIDAY 5TH JANUARY 2024  •  DEYA BREWERY, CHELTENHAM

For their reopening night of 2024, Deya are bringing in mainstays from two British institutions you can really be proud of - BBC 6 Music and Ninja Tune!

Tom Ravenscroft is host (along with deb Grant) of 6 Music's daily New Music Fix, and one of the UK's most respected broadcasters and DJs.

DJ Food is a name that needs no introduction for Ninja Heads. With nearly 25 years of DJing experience and more than a decade serving up Food for DJs, for both Ninja and Coldcut's weekly radio show 'Solid Steel', Kev is now in the Food hot seat.

deyabrewing.com/event/tom-ravenscroft-dj-food-deya-re-opening-night-2024-2024-01-05/

BATH v GLOUCESTER
SUNDAY 7TH JANIARY 2024  •  THE REC, BATH

A West Country derby is the perfect way to start the new year.

These games are usually fierce battles with Gloucester seeking revenge from a 27-45 defeat at Kingsholm back in November.

www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk

SHAPARAK KHORSANDI & FRIENDS
SATURDAY 13TH JANUARY 2024  •  SUNDIAL THEARTRE, CIRENCESTER

Join superstar comic Shaparak Khorsandi (Live At The Apollo, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!) and two hilarious guests for an evening of hilarity! A rare chance to see Shaparak perform in an intimate venue. 

www.sundial-theatre.co.uk/event-listing

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THE SOUND OF SPRINSTEEN
SATURDAY 13TH JANUARY 2024  •  EVERYMAN THEARTRE, CHELTENHAM 

The Sound of Springsteen brings to the stage some of the greatest hits and deep cuts from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and continues their ever-popular tour around the UK.

www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/the-sound-of-springsteen/

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THE ROCKET MAN: A TRIBUTE TO SIR ELTON JOHN
MONDAY 15TH JANUARY 2024  •  EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM

This is the world’s favourite celebration to a musical icon. Join us as Jimmy and our amazing live band take you down the Yellow Brick Road with two hours of glorious Elton hits, including, Saturday Nights Alright, Crocodile Rock, I’m Still Standing, Philadelphia Freedom, and many, many more.

www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/the-rocket-man/

JESCA HOOP
SATURDAY 20TH JANUARY 2024  •  THE SUB ROOMS, STROUD

California-born but now based in  Manchester, UK, Jesca Hoop is what you’d call a musician’s musician. Discovered by Tom Waits and brought on tour by Peter Gabriel to sing in his band, it was a phone call from Elbow’s Guy Garvey that saw her move to the UK. Hoop's 6 studio albums including her most recent album “Order of Romance”,  produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding, This is the Kit), all received huge acclaim from critics and fans alike, and it’s easy to see why: Jesca Hoop is one of our most captivating singers. Her beautiful songs, rooted in the folk tradition are intricately detailed, acoustic-led pieces that teem with ideas, expertly crafted lyrics and melodies that spring from a deeply curious imagination. 

thesubrooms.co.uk/whats-on/jesca-hoop

COCKLEBARROW RACES
SUNDAY 21ST JANUARY 2024  •  COCKLEBARROW FARM, ALDSWORTH

Cocklebarrow Races is the only Heythrop Point to Point of the year and attracts people from all over the UK (and world). However, in the main, the majority of our 4,000+ visitors hail from surrounding Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Warwickshire.

www.cocklebarrowraces.com

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO KALEB
THURSDAY 25TH - SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY 2024  •  EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM

Kaleb Cooper, Chipping Norton’s finest celebrity farmer and Sunday Times bestselling author, who shot to fame starring in Prime Video series, Clarkson’s Farm, has decided to conquer his fear of the unknown and embark on his first ever theatre tour with The World According to Kaleb.

www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/the-world-according-to-kaleb-kaleb-goes-on-tour/

ROMESH RANGANATHAN: HUSTLE
​FRIDAY 26TH JANUARY 2024  ​•  CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

After a sell-out tour in 2022, Romesh is back with his new show which examines the human condition… are people inherently good? Is charity always a positive thing? Is hustling the key to success? Or is all this a load of rubbish we’ve made up to keep people working hard for no reason.

cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/event/romesh-ranganathan-hustle/

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FESTIVAL TRIALS DAY
SATURDAY 27TH JANUARY 2024  •  CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE

Excitement, anticipation and expectation is building. It is the final opportunity to see the sports protagonists go out to battle on Cheltenham Racecourse’s hallowed turf before the Cheltenham Festival. What horses will catch the eye before those four days of extraordinary in March, will we see returning champions defending their crown? Whilst anything can happen in March, Festival Trials day maybe able to give us a clearer picture.

www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/cheltenham/events-tickets/festival-trials-day

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TOM DAVIS: UNDERDOG
SUNDAY 28TH JANUARY 2024  •​  CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL

Tom Davis is best known for hit shows King Gary, The Curse, Live at the Apollo and Murder in Successville, as well as his hugely popular podcast Wolf and Owl with Romesh Ranganathan, which has received critical acclaim and sold out live shows. Tom is also known for multiple appearances on A League of Their Own, Ranganation, Judge Romesh, and Action Team.

cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk/event/tom-davis-underdog/

The Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle event of the jump-racing calendar, and this year will be bigger than ever as we celebrate 100 years of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

In March 2023, Galopin Des Champs and Paul Townend became legends and wrote themselves into the history books with a scintillating performance in the Gold Cup - racing's most esteemed race.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the one they all long to win, many times over, above all others. Greats become legends and legends rewrite history.

With four breath-taking days and 28 races, including 14 Grade 1 races, nowhere beats Cheltenham for the unrelenting prestige, competition, and pure excitement.

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