Why Grand National Saturday is one of Liverpool’s favourite days of the year

When it comes to sport spectacles, they don’t come any bigger anywhere in the world than the Randox Grand National.

According to the BBC an incredible global audience of 800million people tunes in to watch the Grand National race at Aintree and see one owner, trainer and jockey claim the most famous prize in racing.

The National is a sporting icon, not just to horse racing fans but to millions of people who never watch or place a bet on any other race throughout the year. 

That’s because something about this one event, that takes less than 10 minutes from starter’s orders to the finishing post, just feels special.

And for all the passion and excitement that’s felt worldwide, we’re lucky enough to have the Grand National on our doorstep. It belongs to our city region. 

This year’s festival is on from Thursday April 4 to Saturday April 6 and it promises to be another huge one so here’s why Grand National Saturday is one of Liverpool’s favourite days of the year …

It’s the thrill of actually being there

Yes you can watch it on telly, like all those millions of others do, and that’s still great but there’s nothing quite like being on the course and actually seeing the big race happen in front of you. You’re in the stands with your betting slip in your hand, cheering on your favourite at the top of your lungs while you watch these beautiful horses competing like Olympic athletes. If you’re down by the rails you can feel the ground shaking as they go thundering past. 

You get the perfect excuse to dress up

When, other than a wedding, do you get the chance to dress up like you do for Aintree? We all know that Grand National Saturday for Scousers is as much about the fashion as it is the racing, and if you’re there you get both so it’s a win-win. It’s impossible to overdo the glamour so just go all-out to look amazing and, most importantly, feel fabulous. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, it’s how you wear it that matters – and we mean you too lads!

The Aintree party keeps going even after the racing’s over

If you’ve gone to all that effort to style it out on Saturday, you don’t want to just go straight home once the last race is over. You can head to the Red Rum Garden instead because that’s where DJ Craig Charles will be headlining with a brilliant set of soul and funk tunes that’ll soon have you dancing and forgetting about your aching feet (or maybe change into the Aintree standard flip-flops first!). Liverpool’s Brad Kella, the massively talented winner of C4’s The Piano, will also be performing this National Saturday.

You’re a part of history

The Grand National isn’t just any horse race, it’s sporting history. It’s been going for an amazing 186 years, and it’s made the likes of Red Rum, Aldaniti and Tiger Roll into legends, so it definitely qualifies as a British institution. Being in the crowd to watch it happen in person is like being at Anfield or Goodison for a derby match – it’s just an unforgettable experience.

Everything we know so far about the Randox Health Grand National 2025 HERE.