Grand National 2027 Date, Time and Aintree Festival Schedule

Every April, Aintree Racecourse turns into the centre of the British sporting calendar for three packed days. The festival draws around 150,000 racegoers across the meeting, with the Grand National itself serving as the crescendo on Saturday afternoon. Getting the dates and times right matters — not just for booking travel or securing a table at the pub, but for placing your bets at the right moment. Ante-post markets shift quickly in the final days, and knowing when declarations are confirmed, when the race card is finalised and when the off actually is can make a real difference to your betting plan.

This guide lays out the full anticipated schedule for the 2027 Aintree Festival, from the opening race on Thursday through to the last stride of the Grand National on Saturday — along with a look back at how the 2026 festival unfolded, so you know what to expect. Mark your calendar, set your alarms, and get ready.

Coverage on the day is listed in how to watch.

Grand National Race Day: Hour-by-Hour Timeline

Grand National Saturday is a full day of racing, not just a single event. The card typically features six or seven races before the big one, starting in the early afternoon and building steadily towards the headline act. Here is what a typical Grand National Saturday looks like, based on the established patterns from recent years.

Gates at Aintree usually open around 10:00 BST on Saturday — the earliest opening of the three festival days, reflecting the larger crowd and busier schedule. For those attending in person, this is when the atmosphere starts to build — the betting ring fills up, the Tote windows open, and the first queues form at the Champagne bars. If you are betting from home, the morning is a good time to review the final declarations, check for any late withdrawals and lock in any last-minute ante-post prices before the non-runner announcements narrow the field.

The first race on the card generally goes off at around 12:45 BST — earlier than the Thursday and Friday cards, which start at 13:45. These undercard races are quality contests in their own right — many are Grade 1 or listed events — and they set the tone for the afternoon. Punters who bet across the full card often find value in these earlier races, where attention from the casual audience is lower and the markets can be less efficient.

Through the afternoon, races follow at roughly 35-minute intervals. ITV’s television coverage usually begins at around 14:00, picking up the action from the middle races and expanding into the full build-up to the National. By mid-afternoon, the paddock is packed, the parade ring is buzzing, and the betting ring prices are moving rapidly as the market sharpens.

The key window is the final 90 minutes before the Grand National. This is when the jockeys weigh out, the runners parade, and the market undergoes its last major shifts. If you have been waiting for starting price rather than taking an early number, this is your moment. The atmosphere — whether you are at the course or watching from home — ramps up in a way that very few sporting events can match.

After the Grand National, there is typically one more race on the card, followed by the presentation ceremony and the long, happy (or commiserative) walk back to the car park. For home viewers, post-race coverage on ITV includes replays, jockey reactions and the post-mortem analysis that fuels arguments in pubs until the following April.

Key Times: When Does the Grand National Start in 2027?

The Grand National starts at approximately 16:00 BST (4pm) on the Saturday of the Aintree Festival. This time slot was established from 2026 onwards, when the Jockey Club moved the start from the previous 17:15 slot to reduce the build-up time and improve ground conditions. The exact off time can vary by a few minutes — the 2026 race, for instance, was slightly delayed due to a false start, one of several dramatic moments in a chaotic renewal. The race organisers publish the official time in the week before the event, so it is always worth confirming closer to the day.

For bettors, the more important times are the declaration stages. Final declarations are confirmed on the Wednesday of race week — a shift from the traditional 48-hour window to a new 72-hour declaration process introduced for 2026 and expected to continue in 2027. This is when the field is officially set and any non-runners are announced. This is a significant moment for anyone holding ante-post bets: if your horse is declared a non-runner and you did not take non-runner no bet terms, you lose your stake. Equally, the declaration stage is when the final handicap weights are confirmed, which can trigger a flurry of market activity.

The prize fund for the 2027 race is expected to match or exceed the £1 million offered in 2026, with the winner taking home £500,000. That purse underlines the scale of what is at stake — not only for owners and trainers, but for the betting market that surrounds the race. When the prize money is this significant, it attracts the strongest possible field, which in turn drives the depth and liquidity of the betting market.

One practical tip: if you are planning to place a bet in the final minutes before the off, be aware that bookmaker websites and apps can slow down under the sheer weight of traffic. The last 15 minutes before a Grand National start are some of the busiest moments in the entire betting calendar. In 2026, the market was especially frantic in the build-up, with several horses — including Grangeclare West at 9/1 and Jagwar at 17/2 — attracting significant late money, while favourite I Am Maximus shortened from 8/1 to 9/2 in the minutes before the off. If your bet matters to you, do not leave it to the final seconds.

The Full Aintree Festival: Thursday, Friday and Saturday

The Aintree Grand National Festival is a three-day meeting, and while Saturday’s Grand National takes the headlines, each day has its own character and its own quality racing. The 2026 festival — the most recent running — gives us a clear picture of what to expect in 2027, since the structure and race programme are expected to remain broadly the same.

Thursday — Opening Day

The festival kicks off with a strong card that typically includes four Grade 1 contests. In 2026, Thursday 9 April featured the Boodles Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle, the William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase, the Aintree Bowl Chase, and the William Hill Aintree Hurdle, along with the Randox Foxhunters’ Open Hunters’ Chase over the Grand National course itself.

Thursday draws a serious racing crowd — fewer casual visitors, more committed form students. For bettors, this is often the day when the each-way value is most generous, because the wider public has not yet descended on the markets. Thursday also provides an early look at how the ground is riding, which feeds into late adjustments for Saturday’s Grand National selections.

2026 Thursday schedule:

Friday — Ladies Day

The most glamorous day of the festival, and usually the busiest at the course. The racing card includes the JCB Melling Chase and the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, both of which attract top-quality fields. The atmosphere is electric — fashion competitions, champagne, and a betting ring that throbs with activity. For punters focused on the Grand National, Friday is also when the final ante-post market starts to crystallise. Any significant support for a horse on Friday often reflects late inside information or a trainer expressing confidence at the course.

In 2026, Friday 10 April also saw tragedy strike: Golden Dancer, who had won a race on the card, had to be put down afterwards — a sombre reminder of the risks inherent in National Hunt racing.

2026 Friday schedule:

The wider context is set out in our Grand National betting guide.

Saturday — Grand National Day

The main event. The undercard features strong races throughout the afternoon, building towards the Grand National at 16:00 BST. If you are attending in person, expect the atmosphere to build steadily from early afternoon. If you are watching from home, ITV coverage typically begins at 14:00 and runs through to the post-race analysis. Everything on this day revolves around one question: which horse is going to cross the line first over those four miles and two-and-a-half furlongs?

2026 Saturday schedule:

Looking Back: How the 2026 Grand National Unfolded

The 2026 Grand National — run on Saturday 11 April at Aintree — delivered one of the most dramatic renewals in living memory. I Am Maximus, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, stormed to victory at 9/2 favourite, becoming the first horse since Red Rum in the 1970s to regain the Grand National crown after his 2024 triumph.

The race was chaotic from the outset. A false start delayed the off, and once underway, several fancied runners including Banbridge, Grangeclare West, and Jagwar all exited at fences or unseated their riders. Loose horses scattered across the course, making navigation critical. Jordans, ridden by Ben Jones, led over the final fence before tiring, and Iroko surged into second at 18/1. The final result:

The race was not without its dark moments. Jockey Robbie Dunne was taken to hospital after a nasty fall from Stellar Story, and three horses — Top Of The Bill, Quai De Bourbon, and Mr Vango — were assessed by vets after falls. Two horses were put down across the festival, casting a shadow over the celebrations.

For Willie Mullins, it was a historic third successive Grand National win — I Am Maximus in 2024, Nick Rockett in 2025, and I Am Maximus again in 2026 — making him the first trainer since Vincent O’Brien in the 1950s to achieve that feat.

The betting story was equally remarkable. One punter at Aintree placed a £100,000 bet on I Am Maximus at 8/1 with an on-course bookmaker, winning approximately £800,000 — reportedly the biggest single winning bet in Grand National history. Another punter turned a £10 stake into £21,794 by correctly forecasting the tricast. The on-course bookmaker Fitzwilliam was reportedly down £900,000 after the result.

Looking Ahead to 2027

The 2027 Aintree Festival is expected to follow the same three-day structure, with Opening Day on Thursday, Ladies Day on Friday, and Grand National Day on Saturday. The exact dates will be confirmed by the Jockey Club in due course, but based on the racing calendar, the festival is likely to fall in early-to-mid April. The 16:00 start time for the Grand National, the 72-hour declaration process, and the 34-runner field limit are all expected to remain in place.

Following his historic 2026 victory, I Am Maximus has already been installed as an 8/1 favourite to defend his title in 2027 — a remarkable price for a horse attempting a third Grand National win, and one that reflects the sheer dominance of the Mullins yard. Whether he lines up again at Aintree will be one of the defining stories of the 2026–27 National Hunt season.

Across the three days, the festival offers a complete racing experience — from the tactical opening day to the theatrical pageant of Ladies Day to the crescendo of the National itself. Whether you are at the course or following from a distance, mark your calendar for the full meeting. The Grand National is the destination, but the journey through Thursday and Friday is well worth the ride.