The Chester Charity Dragon Boat Challenge has proven a very popular and successful event over the years, with large sums of money consistently being raised for charity by the teams entering. Run from between the sailing base and the popular children's Aqua Park on the banks of the River Dee, the event has what appears to be, an ideal location with excellent viewing? The challenge however is the very limited availability of parking for the 400+ expected competitors.
The nearby Sandy Lane car park only has enough spaces for around 40 vehicles, but with those spaces also being in demand by local families wanting to use the aqua park and cars with trailers wanting to launch boats, competitor parking presents a unique challenge. In the past a shuttle bus service from and to and from the venue has been organised, but that is only possible if there is a company able to provide the service at a cost that keeps the event viable.
Owning to continued difficulties with organising the final details for this year's event and the limited remaining time available, we have had no choice but to postpone this event until 2026.
2026 team entry costs for a team of 17 competitors (based on this year's prices) are projected to be around £600 per team. If you or your company / organisation are interested in possibly entering a team in 2026, please could you complete the below form so we can ensure you are the first to know when the 2026 date is confirmed?
completing this form does not commit you to entering this event
We regret that recent cost pressures have made the organisation of this wonderful event unviable, resulting in future Chester Dragon Boat Festivals to be postponed until further notice.
The event organisers would like to thank all the teams, charities and companies who since 2004, have helped to raise so much for charity and made the Chester Dragon Boat Festival such a great event.
Pictures of all the teams and past champions from previous events will remain available via the links above.