More than 20,000 dogs will be taking their paws to the NEC in Birmingham for Crufts 2024, which takes place from 7 – 10 March.
Organised by The Kennel Club, Crufts 2024 will run from Thursday and through the weekend, with a four-day action-packed schedule celebrating our four-legged friends and ‘all things dog’. The event will showcase over 200 diverse breeds and see dogs from all walks of life put their best paw forward in fast-paced and fun competitions including agility, heelwork to music, flyball and obedience.
The family-favourite Scruffts final sees the nation’s pets – who earned their place in heats across the country throughout the year – compete for the ‘top dog’ title and on Sunday evening, one of five very special finalists will be crowned as the winner of The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award, as voted by the public. Shortly after, following four days of competition, one canine Crufts competitor will put their paws on the coveted Best in Show trophy, which in 2023 was taken home by Orca, the Lagotto Romagnolo, whose ‘tail never stops wagging’.
Each day will conclude with one dog earning their place in the Best in Show final on Sunday evening, beginning with the Utility and Toy groups on Thursday 7 March, Gundog group on Friday 8 March, Working and Pastoral groups on Saturday 9 March and concluding with the Terrier and Hound groups on Sunday 10 March.
For the 30th year, the popular Discover Dogs area will be welcoming over 200 different breeds, of all shapes, sizes and personalities, enabling visitors to learn more about the variety of our four-legged friends from breed experts and see which canine might be the right companion for them.
From discovering the lesser known ‘underdogs’, like the rare Otterhound, to understanding what the popular family-favourites, like the Labrador Retriever, really need in a home, Discover Dogs is a unique area of the event. Each breed ‘booth’ can help prospective puppy owners on every step of their journey – from responsible puppy buying tips to day-to-day training and caring requirements.
For those hoping to rehome a rescue dog, The Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations will also be on hand to provide visitors with everything they need to know about rehoming.
After a successful launch of the Stand Up To Cancer Crufts Walkies Challenge in 2023, which saw dogs and their owners raise an incredible £1.4 million, the challenge will be returning for a second year – encouraging two and four-legged friends to walk 60 miles in April to support life-saving cancer research.
Over 500 stands selling all sorts of doggy delights will cover 25 acres of the NEC at Crufts. The event also showcases a range of dog-focussed charities and organisations, including The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, who will demonstrate how dogs can support us, and how we can support them. Many of these organisations will also showcase their work through displays, like the super sniffing Medical Detection Dogs and the brave West Midlands Police Dogs.
The Young Kennel Club, for 6–24-year-olds, and The Kennel Club’s Good Citizen Dog Training scheme, will be running displays and demonstrations in dedicated rings throughout the four days. There is also a Dog Activities ring for those interested in learning more about getting started in activities such as agility, heelwork to music and obedience.
Catherine Guiver, Head of Events at The Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, said: “We are overjoyed to be rolling out the green carpet once again and welcoming thousands of wagging tails to the Midlands.
“It is hard to put into words the unique atmosphere created over four days at Crufts, there really is nothing like the greatest celebration of dogs – the buzz and excitement can be felt the minute you enter the NEC!
“The action-packed schedule ensures a great day out for anyone who loves dogs, from first thing Thursday morning the energy just continues to build in anticipation of the Sunday evening as the arena seats are filled with everyone trying to get a glimpse of the famous Best in Show trophy.”
Over the four days Crufts welcomes over 20,000 dogs, 150,000 people and sees over 8 million TV viewers tune into the Channel 4, More4 and All4 broadcast. All the action is also live streamed on the official Crufts YouTube channel.
More information and tickets for the event are available on the Crufts website: Crufts.org.uk. Tickets are free for under 8s, and advance tickets start at £14 for children (aged 9-15) and concessions, and £21 for adults. Please note that tickets are only available through our official ticketing partner, The Ticket Factory (fees apply).
