Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling ticket prices announced

News - Ticket prices have been announced for the new-look Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Festival 2011, taking place in Gloucestershire this summer.

While rumours about admission charges have been doing the rounds in Gloucestershire and indeed across the UK, SoGlos.com can report that tickets for the new-look Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Festival 2011 will cost £20 for adults and £15 for children aged 5 to 13.

Organisers have also announced that 5,000 tickets will be available for each day of the two-day festival, expected to take place on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June 2011, giving spectators and participants access to the world-famous cheese rolling slope.

While an enclosed area at the bottom of the hill will remain free of charge to members of the public, with the day’s races, five downhill and four uphill on each day, also shown on large screens.

Previously held each year on the spring bank holiday Monday, organisers say the event was the victim of its own popularity in 2009 when 15,000 spectators turned up to a venue equipped to hold only 5,000 – resulting in the cancellation of the 2010 event due to fears over health and safety and traffic congestion.

‘We were told by the local authorities that the event must change if it is to continue. This meant introducing a comprehensive traffic and crowd control plan, limiting the amount of people on the hill’, said cheese roiling committee press officer Richard Jefferies.

‘We’re aware that introducing a spectator’s fee to those who wish to watch hillside is a sensitive subject and is going to cause upset amongst some local people. With this is mind, we have carefully worked out the lowest cost possible required to help cover things like the perimeter fencing, security, toilets and much more.’

Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling 2009 video

‘This is a not-for-profit event and any additional money, although this is predicted to be marginal, will either be put into running the 2012 event or ploughed back into the local community.’

‘It’s important to stress once again that without imposing the extra health and safety measures, which all come at a considerable cost, the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling event will not go ahead and eventually the tradition would die.’

Tickets for the Gloucestershire outdoor spectacular are expected to go on sale this month. For more information see Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling.

SoGlos.com
14 March 2011