Cheltenham Festival Opens with New Safety-Ready Sound System as UK Venues Prepare for Martyn’s Law

Major audio upgrade at Cheltenham Racecourse ensures race commentary and safety messaging reach every spectator during one of racing’s biggest events

READING, BERKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, March 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the Cheltenham Festival begins, tens of thousands of racegoers descend on Cheltenham Racecourse. This year, the course is entering the event with a major upgrade to its audio infrastructure.

AV integration specialist Audiotek delivered a new course-wide sound system designed to ensure race commentary, announcements and safety messaging can be clearly heard across the grandstands and hospitality areas during the four-day festival, which attracts approximately 280,000 spectators.

The project also highlights the growing importance of clear communication systems in large public venues as the UK prepares for the introduction of Martyn’s Law. This legislation that requires venues hosting large audiences need to strengthen security preparedness and emergency response capabilities.
Cheltenham Racecourse, owned and operated by The Jockey Club, is one of the most prestigious venues in international jump racing and hosts some of the sport’s most celebrated moments, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

With daily crowds of up to 75,000 racegoers, ensuring announcements and live commentary can be heard clearly across the venue is essential for both the spectator experience and operational safety.

The project was delivered in partnership with broadcast and technical service provider Racetech, with audio consultant Stuart Strachan establishing the performance framework for the new system. The specification was developed in accordance with BS 7827, the British Standard governing emergency sound systems used in sports venues and large public spaces, ensuring that announcements remain clearly intelligible throughout the site during both normal operations and emergency situations.

“Cheltenham has a long history and a very distinctive grandstand environment, so it was important that the system worked with the architecture while delivering the performance needed for a venue of this scale,” said Chris Kmiec, Project Manager at “Above all, the priority was clarity. Race commentary moves quickly, and spectators need to be able to follow every call, wherever they are around the racecourse.”

Cheltenham’s grandstand presents significant acoustic challenges. Built in the 1970s, the structure features open façades, balconies and large terraces that create complex sound reflections and varying crowd densities. Achieving consistent coverage across the site required careful acoustic modelling and system design.

Audiotek worked closely with Racetech and L-Acoustics to develop a system capable of delivering both intelligibility and power while integrating discreetly with the historic grandstand architecture.

Advanced acoustic modelling tools were used during the design phase to simulate sound coverage and optimise loudspeaker placement before installation began, ensuring the final system met the required standards for clarity and performance.

“Meeting the regulatory requirements was obviously essential, but we also wanted to improve the overall race-day experience,” said Kmiec. “Race commentary is fast-paced and constant, so the system needed to deliver clear, natural speech that can carry over the crowd while remaining comfortable to listen to throughout the day.”

Preparing Venues for Martyn’s Law

The Cheltenham upgrade also reflects a broader shift in how large public venues approach safety and communication infrastructure as the UK prepares to implement Martyn’s Law, also known as the Protect Duty.

The legislation will require venues hosting large audiences to strengthen security preparedness and emergency response measures, with clear communication systems playing a critical role during both routine operations and emergency situations.

“Martyn’s Law is changing how venues think about communication infrastructure,” said Kmiec. “Clear, intelligible audio isn’t just about enhancing the event experience, it’s about ensuring audiences can be informed quickly and clearly when it matters most.”

Across the UK, stadiums, racecourses, arenas and large entertainment venues are reviewing their infrastructure to ensure systems such as public address and voice alarm solutions are capable of delivering clear, intelligible announcements across complex environments.

Projects like Cheltenham demonstrate how modern audio infrastructure can support both the spectator experience and the evolving safety requirements of large public venues.

The system was first deployed during Cheltenham’s October race meeting and has since been prepared for full operation during the Cheltenham Festival, widely regarded as the highlight of the National Hunt racing calendar.

Beyond racing, the new infrastructure provides a future-ready audio platform capable of supporting hospitality events, conferences and live entertainment hosted at the racecourse throughout the year.

“With the new installation in place, Cheltenham has a robust audio platform that improves how the venue operates while delivering a better experience for spectators,” said Gemma Steve, Regional Head of Operations at Cheltenham Racecourse.

As thousands gather this week for one of the sport’s most anticipated events, the new audio system ensures spectators across the racecourse can stay connected to every moment of the action.
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About Audiotek
Audiotek is a specialist AV design and integration company delivering high-performance audio, lighting and visual systems for hospitality, cultural and entertainment venues worldwide. With more than 40 years of experience, the company provides complete technical solutions from concept and system design through installation and commissioning.

Joanne Timney
Audiotek
+44 7717 080429
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Cheltenham Racecourse Audio System Design and Installation by Audiotek

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