Grand National Ticket Sales Up 27%

Aintree Racecourse, home of the John Smith’s Grand National, has revealed that demand to attend the 2012 event in Liverpool next April has reached an all-time high, with advance tickets sales up 27%.??

The 2011 event, which took place from Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th April, was a sell out attendance on Grand National Day and the first time the event completely sold out in 30 years.  

Aintree’s Ladies’ Day, staged on Friday of the meeting, also sold out prior to the event.  

The 2011 Grand National achieved a TV viewing audience of 8.8 million viewers in the UK, more than the FA Cup Final and achieving a 63% audience share of the available viewing audience.

??Since the 2012 event went on-sale in August, many seated enclosures for John Smith’s Grand National day (Saturday 14th April) have sold out, including the newly refurbished and upgraded Princess Royal Seats and Lounge.  

Sales for general admission Tattersalls tickets are up 76% on Grand National day, while ticket sales for Liverpool Day and Ladies’ Day, the first two days of the festival meeting are up by 6%.

??Julian Thick, managing director, Aintree Racecourse, said: ‘We are delighted with ticket sales so far for the 2012 John Smith’s Grand National meeting. Seated enclosures always sell quickly due to limited availability, but it is particularly pleasing to have seen a surge in demand for general admission areas (Tattersalls Tickets), which typically don’t sell out until closer to the event.’??

‘In August, we released news of some balanced course modifications, which are now complete. We’re gearing up to racing over the Grand National course in December in a race that offers some clues as to possible entries for the 2012 Grand National. I believe today’s sales news is a good indication of the appetite for one of the biggest sporting events in the calendar.’