When is the Grand National 2026? Date, Time, Venue, Entries and NRNB Bookmakers

The Grand National 2026 takes place on Saturday 11 April at 4pm at Aintree Racecourse, with the three-day Aintree Festival running from Thursday 9 April to Saturday 11 April. For punters, that means the countdown is on, and attention is already turning to the key dates before the big race, from declarations and weights to the bookmakers offering Non-Runner No Bet.

The race itself may still be just over a week away, but this is the stage when the Grand National market begins to come into much sharper focus. Anyone thinking about backing a horse early will want to know not only when the race is run, but when the field starts to take shape and which firms are already offering some protection if their selection does not make the final line-up.

When are the Grand National 2026 entry dates and declarations?

The build-up to the Grand National is shaped by a series of key dates, and they matter just as much as the race day itself for anyone looking at the market early. The weights for the 2026 running were published on Tuesday 17 February, while the five-day confirmation stage comes on Monday 6 April. Final declarations are then due on Wednesday 8 April under the 72-hour declaration system, giving punters a clearer picture of the final field before the Saturday showpiece.

With the field capped at 34 runners and reserves waiting in the wings, plenty can still change before the line-up is confirmed. That is why the ante-post market attracts so much interest at this point in the build-up, especially for punters who want to secure a price before the final declarations are made.

Grand National 2026 Weights and Racecard

The publication of the weights is one of the most important moments in the Grand National countdown. In a race as demanding as this one, over four miles and a half-furlong around Aintree’s famous fences, every pound is examined closely. The top of the handicap always draws attention, but the bigger debate tends to centre on which horses lower down the list may have been given a chance by the assessor.

There is also an added wrinkle for punters to keep in mind. Once the weights have been published, a horse that wins afterwards does not receive an extra penalty for the Grand National itself. That can leave some runners looking particularly well treated if they advertise their form in a prep race on the way to Aintree.

The latest runners, weights and full race details can be found on the Grand National racecard.

Which bookmakers are NRNB for the Grand National 2026?

Non-Runner No Bet, or NRNB, is one of the most attractive concessions in Grand National betting. It means that if you back a horse in the NRNB market and that horse does not run, your stake is returned instead of being lost. In a race where the line-up can still change before final declarations, that extra layer of protection is a major factor for many punters.

bet365 are among the bookmakers currently offering the concession for the race later this month, along with Unibet, William Hill, Sky Bet & Paddy Power. 

Why NRNB matters before the Grand National

A standard ante-post bet comes with risk. If a horse is backed before the final declarations and then misses the race, the stake is usually lost. NRNB changes that equation by allowing punters to take an early price without carrying the full downside if their selection does not line up on the day.

That makes it especially appealing in the week leading up to the Grand National, when interest in the market ramps up but uncertainty still remains around the final field. It offers a more forgiving route into one of the biggest betting races of the year.