Piggy French and Vanir Kamira win Badminton 2019. Photo by Nico Morgan Media.
Think back to the last time the Badminton box office opened. Who were you back then, in early 2019? A baby-faced, bright-eyed cherub, unencumbered by the emotional burden of two years of lockdowns and cancellations and border closures? Yeah, us too. But the fantastic news? The box office has finally reopened once again, like a jollier version of Pandora’s box that releases our jollier and more youthful selves back out into the world. Or something like that, anyway.
Enough about what we’ve all been through, anyway — let’s talk about what you’ve got to do if you want to catch the action at Badminton this spring (May 4-8). The box office opened for general sales today after a week of priority access, and there are plenty of options: you can book daily passes for any of the days, or a weeklong season pass that’ll get you in on all three days. You’ll also be able to prebook your parking, campsite spot, and members’ passes, lunches and boozy brunches as needed, plus get your hands on a Badminton radio access voucher – highly recommended if you want extra insights from expert commentators and interviews with the riders, too.
One major change that’s been brought in this year is the lack of on-the-gate ticket sales. That means that you’ll need to book your tickets in advance – but on the plus side, it should speed up the notorious queues through Little Badminton village, which means more time perusing the trade stands and scoffing pheasant goujons. A win-win, really.
Until March 31, Badminton’s box office will be offering Early Bird prices, which can notch you up some decent savings – for example, a weeklong parking pass is £10 cheaper. You can check out all the options and book all your passes here (and yeah, we really do recommend a Bellini breakfast on cross-country day. You’re worth it.)
Not going to make it to the Cotswolds in person this year? You can also purchase access to Badminton’s own livestream service, Badminton TV, which will produce top-quality coverage throughout the event in a pay-per-view package. Currently, the package is priced at just £14.99, which will increase to £19.99 from April 1. Both horse inspections will be included. More information can be found here.
Are you planning a Badminton trip — or a top-notch viewing party — this year? Let us know what you’re most excited for in the comments. Go Eventing, and Go Badminton!
