The Big Picture/Grand National 2025 Project Overview
The Grand National, held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Merseyside, is a historic handicap steeplechase first run in 1839. Covering over 4 miles and featuring 30 fences, it is considered as Europe’s most valuable jump race, with a £1 million prize fund. A cornerstone of British culture, the event attracts widespread attention, even from those who don’t typically follow horse racing.
The WH Silverbacks team was proud to play an instrumental role in this iconic event, designing and delivering a bespoke temporary structure at the Grand National 2025 that enhanced the guest experience and added a striking visual element to the festivities
The Brief
This year’s Grand National wasn’t just about horse racing; it was about creating unforgettable moments for the 2000 guests at a bespoke container venue. Featuring bars, street food vendors, and live entertainment, the venue wasn’t just a space; it was designed to be a real experience. Our role? To design and build a unique covered structure that tied the venue together and gave guests a space they could enjoy no matter the weather.
The Challenge: Turning Vision into Reality
Our client came to us with a clear goal: they needed a unique temporary structure for the Grand National venue that looked stylish and could handle whatever the British weather threw at it. They had the vision for the space and its size requirements, but needed our expertise to make it happen. And, of course, we had a tight deadline to make it all come together before opening day, with just six weeks to plan and install.
The Solution: A Sleek Stretch Tent and Truss Support System
To bring the client’s vision to life, we designed and installed a 10 x 20-meter black stretch tent supported by a truss box structure. This wasn’t just about creating a cover; it was about making the space visually stunning while offering the strength and stability needed to handle the unpredictable conditions that Aintree often experiences.
Benefits of this Truss System
Trusses are known for their strength and flexibility. Using this system allowed us to create a sturdy, open design that looked great and worked brilliantly for the space.
What We Delivered:
- 200 square meters of covered area.
- A sleek, weatherproof structure tailored to the client’s vision
- A tight turnaround with a dedicated onsite crew of 10
The end result was ‘spot-on’ with the original brief, clearly showing that successful outcomes stem from a blend of collaboration and expertise.
Impact: A Highlight of the Grand National 2025 Experience
The structure wasn’t just functional, it became a talking point for guests and organizers alike. The stretch tent and truss system turned the space into a head-turning feature, blending seamlessly with the live entertainment, great food offerings, and buzzing atmosphere of the event alongside the onsite pop up, BOXPARK Liverpool. Attendees enjoyed the stylish, weatherproof environment, and the client walked away thrilled that their vision had come to life.
Over the three-day festival, the venue hosted everything from bottomless brunches to family parties, showcasing the flexibility of the space and helping make the Grand National experience unforgettable.
“At WH Silverbacks, bringing ambitious ideas to life is what we do best. This project challenged us to think creatively and act quickly, but the result speaks for itself; a great structure, an even better guest experience, and another memorable moment at the Grand National.”
“Excellent service start to finish. Silverbacks installed a 20x10m tent at the Grand National; the tent looked great and the team couldn’t have been more helpful in achieving the look we wanted… the tent was lofted on a 5m tall truss. Thanks again Wa, Sarah and Team, we look forward to working with you again on future projects.”
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- Tel: 01202 096957
- Email: info@whsilverbacks.co.uk
