Strong performance has Musselburgh on right track – Daily Business

Popular: Ladies Day (pic: Terry Murden)

Musselburgh Racecourse has reported another strong year of increased attendances alongside the expansion of flagship events and continued investment in racing quality and the raceday experience.

The East Lothian track saw attendances in 2025 rise to 64,093 over 24 fixtures – a 10 per cent year-on-year increase compared to 58,313 in 2024.

The average number of runners per race is a key indicator of a racecourse’s competitiveness and has a direct bearing on media rights income from broadcasters and bookmakers – Musselburgh’s average of 8.2 per race compares well with national figures.

Building on this success, Musselburgh has forecast a 4 per cent increase in prize money in 2026 of £2.64 million over 26 fixtures, compared to £2.44m in 2025, targeting races which will attract more runners and improve the quality of the racing.

Community partnerships remain an important part of the racecourse’s approach, particularly its relationship with The Royal Regiment of Scotland which celebrates its 20th anniversary at this year’s Oktoberfest meeting, with continuing support for East Lothian Foodbank, Retraining of Racehorses, as well providing ticket donations for local fundraising initiatives.

Musselburgh Racecourse’s Commercial & Operations Director, Sarah Montgomery, said: “Musselburgh delivered another strong year in 2025 despite some unpredictable weather and tighter consumer spending across the leisure sector, which makes it more important than ever to ensure that every raceday offers a compelling experience.

“Our team has done a fantastic job growing attendances across our key fixtures while continuing to evolve the raceday experience. Events like the Edinburgh Cup are developing into major flagship occasions for the racecourse, while Ladies Day remains one of the most popular fixtures in the Scottish racing calendar.

“At the same time we remain focused on maintaining high service standards, investing in prize money and strengthening long-term partnerships with sponsors and community organisations, as we continue to develop Musselburgh Racecourse in the years ahead.”

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