Cheltenham Racecourse in the UK has completed a major sound system upgrade with a new L-Acoustics installation designed and delivered by Audiotek in collaboration with technical service provider Racetech.
The project brings the historic venue’s grandstand audio infrastructure up to modern safety and performance standards, ensuring improved speech intelligibility for live commentary, announcements, and emergency messaging across the site.
The three-year project was overseen by the Jockey Club, which owns Cheltenham and 14 other UK racecourses. Audio consultant Stuart Strachan of Racetech led the specification and tender process, setting performance requirements in line with British Standard BS 7827, the code of practice for emergency sound systems in sports and public venues.
“Cheltenham is one of the jewels of the Jockey Club portfolio, and it was important that the new system matched the heritage and prestige of the venue while meeting modern standards,” said Chris Kmiec, project manager at Audiotek. “The brief was all about clarity – ensuring every word of the live commentary is heard precisely.”
Cheltenham’s previous PA no longer met BS 7827 standards for intelligibility and SPL uniformity, particularly during high-volume moments such as the “Cheltenham Roar” at the start of the Festival. The new system was designed to maintain clarity across the grandstand, betting ring, and open-air spectator areas, while operating reliably in all weather conditions.
Audiotek and Racetech used L-Acoustics Soundvision alongside EASE to optimise coverage, SPL distribution, and tonal balance. Working with L-Acoustics UK application engineers Ross Brett and Kyle Durno, the team modelled multiple configurations to achieve even coverage and compliance.
“Soundvision gave us the confidence to predict how speech would project over the betting ring and grandstand tiers,” said Kmiec. “We could test scenarios virtually before installation, verify results on-site, and ensure both acoustic and mechanical precision.”
Strachan said the accuracy of Soundvision’s modelling data helped L-Acoustics stand out during the tender process. “The correlation between Soundvision, EASE, and my on-site measurements during demos and the data I measured on site during a product demo proved to be ruler-accurate,” he noted. “[That precision] gave me confidence as a consultant to recommend the system.”
The final design features L-Acoustics A15i arrays covering the 40m throw from the grandstand to the running rail. Each array comprises three or four cabinets in a mix of Focus and Wide configurations, supported by 54 X8i loudspeakers providing fill coverage across the seating tiers and steppings.
All loudspeaker positions were defined in Soundvision and verified for mechanical compatibility with the 1970s-era grandstand. Custom bracketry integrates the cabinets into the façade with minimal visual impact and full weatherproofing.
Power and processing come from six LA7.16i amplified controllers, offering high channel density and full system monitoring. L-Acoustics Network Manager provides real-time supervision, fault reporting, and control integration with a Q-SYS DSP platform.
“The LA7.16i has all the necessary features for a life safety system – dual network audio and control, analogue backup, speaker line monitoring, fault reporting, and seamless integration with the Q-SYS DSP,” said Strachan. “It’s clear that the team at L-Acoustics has put real thought into the sports ground use case.”
The system debuted during Cheltenham’s October race meeting, The Showcase, where it immediately improved speech clarity and audience engagement. “Customer feedback has been excellent from both the Cheltenham team and spectators,” said Strachan. “Spectators are actively praising the sound quality.”
The installation prepares Cheltenham for its busiest event, the annual Cheltenham Festival, which attracts up to 280,000 racegoers over four days. The networked infrastructure also supports live events and hospitality functions.
“Cheltenham now benefits from a future-proof sound system that enhances both functionality and guest experience,” said Gemma Steve, regional head of operations at Cheltenham Racecourse.
“Audiotek's team delivered the installation with impressive speed and responsiveness within a tight timeframe, and the support from L-Acoustics has been fantastic,” added Strachan.