Everything you need to know about opening day Thursday at the Randox Grand National 2025

All eyes are on Aintree because Grand National week is finally here and it looks like we’re going to be hotter than the Med!

The three-day festival starts on April 3, so here’s everything you need to know about opening day Thursday at the Randox Grand National – as well as don’t forget to pack your sunscreen (how often do we get to say that?) …

What time does everything start on Thursday?

The atmosphere at Aintree on the opening day is always lovely and laidback, even though there’s still plenty of glamour and excitement, so it’s the perfect way to start the build-up to a full-on two days ahead. Thursday is one of the most popular for jump racing fans with seven top-class races attracting runners from the UK and Ireland. If you’re planning your day, gates open at 11am, the first race is at 1.45pm and the last race is at 5.15pm. The two biggest prize money races of the day are the Aintree Bowl Chase at 2.55pm and William Hill Aintree Hurdle at 3.30pm. 

Is there any entertainment on?

Yes! Even though Thursday is traditionally the quieter of the three days, there’ll be lots of entertainment happening throughout the day, pretty much as soon as the gates open. You’ll be able to enjoy live music and DJs at sites across the course, with Revival all day at the Equestrian Centre, Fat Cats on between 11.15am and 1.15pm at Pravha Bar, Stray Horns and Fat Cats on the Bandstand in the afternoon, Brothers of Swing at Sunloch from 12.45pm-6.30pm and Toni James Duo on at the Garden Club between 12.25pm and 5.10pm. In the Red Rum Garden there’s a full line-up of DJs from 11.30am to 5.10pm. 

What about food and drink?

Aintree’s definitely not short of choice when it comes to places to eat and drink, whether you fancy street food like pizza, noodles, burgers and curries, or something a bit more traditional like fish and chips or a hog roast. If you want high-end, Chef Patron Paul Askew and his team at The Art School are back with a fine-dining experience in Topham House. New for this year, you’ll also find BOXPARK who’ll be hosting up to 2,000 in a custom-fitted container space with DJs and street food vendors including BOXPARK favourite Yoki Social Table Korean BBQ, Rock n Rogue, Filthy Fries and ChicNWings.

Find out more here.  

Don’t forget there are new discounts for 2025 too

Grand National rewards are another new addition for this year – getting to the course nice and early will pay off because for the first hour after gates open each day, racegoers can get 20% off all food and drink across the site. There’ll also be grab-and-go meal deals.

Find out more here.  

What is the best way to get to Aintree for Grand National opening day?

If you’re planning to come by car, there’s parking at the course but it does need to be booked online in advance. The most popular, and hassle-free, way is by bus or train, especially train because Aintree station is only a few minutes’ walk from the racecourse entrance. Merseyrail is running a special service on all three days of the festival, starting on Thursday morning when trains will run every seven-and-a-half-minutes between Liverpool Central/Moorfields and Aintree from around 11am to 1pm.

Find out more here.  

Book tickets for opening day at the Grand National here.