When is the Grand National 2026? Date, time and key details

3 April 2026 Horse Racing Events

Introduction

The Grand National is one of the most significant events in British sport, attracting a global audience and huge public interest. For anyone asking ‘when is the Grand National 2026’, the answer is crucial for planning attendance or viewing: the race is the highlight of Aintree’s three-day meeting and commands international attention as Europe’s richest jumps race.

Main details and context

Date, time and venue

The Randox-sponsored Grand National will take place on Saturday 11 April 2026, with the feature race scheduled to run at 4pm. The event is held at Aintree Racecourse, just outside Liverpool in North West England, and is the crowning race of the three-day Grand National meeting that begins on Thursday 9 April.

Race specifics

The Grand National covers a testing distance of 4 miles and 514 yards and features 30 demanding jumps that both horse and jockey must navigate. Thirty-four runners are expected to contest the 2026 renewal, tackling famous obstacles such as The Chair, Canal Turn and Becher’s Brook. The Chair is noted as the biggest fence on the course; its landing area sits between five and ten inches lower than the take-off side, adding to its challenge.

History, prize and audience

Aintree has hosted the Grand National since 1839, with Lottery recorded as the winner of the earliest runnings of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase in February 1839. The 2026 edition retains significant prize money, with a total purse of £1 million. The race draws a crowd of over 70,000 spectators on course and reaches an estimated global audience of some 600 million viewers across 140 countries.

Conclusion

For readers planning to follow the event, when is the Grand National 2026 is now clear: Saturday 11 April 2026 at 4pm from Aintree. The combination of historic fences, a long distance test and a high prize fund makes the race a focal point of the British racing calendar. Spectators and viewers worldwide can expect a high-stakes spectacle as 34 of the leading jump horses and jockeys contest one of the sport’s most demanding challenges.