While the horses may have finished their race at Aintree, the real winners this week were the Queens Pub and Blind Tiger Inns after hosting the 10th “unofficial afterparty” of the Grand National.
Held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights following the main events at Aintree Racecourse, the unofficial after party has become an increasingly popular tradition. This year’s edition was nothing short of legendary — with crowds spilling out onto the pavement, DJs turning up the heat, and punters still in fascinators and suits dancing well into the early hours.
The Queens Pub in Aintree, a local favourite known for its lively atmosphere and warm welcome, became the epicentre of celebration following the world-famous horse racing event. Fuelled by word-of-mouth buzz and viral social media posts, thousands of racegoers spilled into the venue and other Blind Tiger Inns locations throughout the weekend, leading to what the company has confirmed as their busiest week ever.
“We’ve never seen anything like it,” said Nick Buckle, operations manager for Blind Tiger Inns. “From Thursday morning through to Saturday night, it was full-on. The Queens was packed wall to wall, and the energy was just unreal. Our team a smashed it — it was a proper celebration of Liverpool hospitality. Then we bounced straight into a home fixture at the Trafford pub on the Sunday, seeing another record day for us.”
His thoughts were echoed by Erin Johnson, General Manager of the Queens. “It was absolutely electric,” said Johnson. “We knew it was going to be a busy few days, but we’ve never seen anything like it. From the minute the last race ended, it was like a tidal wave of energy rolled through the door.”
The group, which operates 22 pubs across the North West, reported a 40% spike in sales compared to the same weekend last year, with the Queens Pub alone pouring more than 15,000 pints and going through 20 kegs of Guinness before Saturday night.
“It wasn’t just a party — it was a community moment,” added Buckle. “Locals, racegoers, tourists — everyone came together. The vibe was beyond electric.”
On social media, videos of dancing on benches, singalongs, and even a few post-race outfit catwalks quickly made the rounds, drawing further attention to the pubs and encouraging even more footfall throughout the weekend.
With such success, Blind Tiger Inns is already working on fresh ideas for next year.
“We’ll never try to over-produce it,” said Buckle. “But next year? Let’s just say we’ll be ready.”
Locals, meanwhile, are still nursing hangovers — and already looking forward to 2026.
It was a kickstart to a record week for Blind Tiger Inns, with no less than 9 pubs achieving record weeks.
