If you don’t like dog puns, then you’re in for a ruff time because Crufts 2023 is almost upon us. The biggest event on the doggy calendar, Crufts Dog Show is a time-honored tradition that brings thousands of people together to celebrate all things dogs. If you want to check out the show, then our guide on how to watch Crufts 2023 has you covered.
While the show is most famous for the obedience and agility courses that trainers take their pooches through, Crufts has a lot more to offer including dog grooming parades, trials sets to music (anyone who plays “Who let the dogs out” gets a lifetime ban) and a whole host of merchants promoting doggy products like the best raw dog food and dog toys.
If you want to tune in and watch Crufts 2023 then you have a couple of options, depending on which side of the pond you’re based on and whether you want to watch the whole show or just the highlights.
Plus, we'll be bringing you all the very latest Crufts Dog Show 2023 live updates throughout the event too.
When is Crufts 2023 happening?
Crufts 2023 will take place from March 9 through to March 12. The event will take place at the National Exhibition Center (NEC) in Birmingham, England. Various events will take place over the four-day event, culminating in the Best in Show awards which take place on the Sunday evening.
How to watch Crufts 2023 in the UK
If you’re based in the UK then you’re in luck, as you can watch Crufts on free television. Various parts of the show will be split across Channel 4 and More4. You can find the full schedule below:
THURSDAY 9 MARCH
15.00-16.00 – Channel 4
18.30-20.00 – More4
20.00-21.00 – Channel 4
FRIDAY 10 MARCH
15.00-16.00 – Channel 4
18.30-19.30 – More4
19.30-21.00 – Channel 4
SATURDAY 11 MARCH
15.00-18.00 – Channel 4
19.00-21.00 – Channel 4
SUNDAY 12 MARCH
15.00-17.30 – Channel 4
19.00-21.00 – Channel 4 Crufts 2022: Best In Show Live
Additionally, you can watch the main arena competitions online via the Crufts YouTube channel. These will be live streamed on the day, and you’ll also be able to watch the streams at any point after to catch up if you can’t watch live. The action on YouTube should start at
- 8.15 am GMT on Thursday
- 8:30 am GMT Friday
- 8:15 am GMT on Saturday
- 8:45 am GMT on Sunday
If you’re just looking to watch the highlights, then catching the action on Channel 4 is probably your best bet, but if you want to watch the whole show then YouTube has the most comprehensive coverage. If you are watching on YouTube and want to dodge the adverts, then you can also consider picking up YouTube Premium. This premium service costs £11.99 per month and removes adverts from the service.
How to watch Crufts 2023 in the US
If you’re based in the USA and want to watch Crufts 2023, then your options are pretty much identical to people in the UK, albeit with a few more hoops to jump through (not unlike the dogs).
You can watch the main arena competitions via the Crufts YouTube channel. It’s all live-streamed on the day, or you can watch the recordings later on YouTube if you can’t watch live, which is good because the show will start very early in the morning for US viewers.
Depending on which time zone you live in, the Crufts coverage on YouTube should start at:
- 12,15 AM PST / 2.15 AM CST / 3.15 AM EST on Thursday
- 12,30 AM PST / 2.30 AM CST / 3.30 AM EST on Friday
- 12,15 AM PST / 2.15 AM CST / 3.15 AM EST on Saturday
- 12,45 AM PST / 2.45 AM CST / 3.45 AM EST on on Sunday
Again, we’d recommend checking out YouTube Premium if you want to watch Crufts 2023 without being harassed and interrupted by adverts constantly. It’s $11.99 for a month of ad-free viewing.
If you’d prefer to watch the highlights coverage on Channel 4 and More4, you’ll need to head over to All4, Channel 4’s streaming service. You’ll need a VPN though, as this channel is geo-restricted and can’t typically be accessed outside the UK.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that allows you to access streaming content from anywhere in the world by routing your connection through a server in a different country. This is great for when you’re traveling abroad and want to keep watching your favorite shows, or if the content you want to stream isn’t available in your current location.
There are loads of great VPN providers out there, but we’re huge fans of ExpressVPN and can highly recommend them.
What time is Crufts 2023 on?
We’ve already covered some of the start times in the how to watch sections above, but we’ve also listed the start times here for your convenience. Please note that these are the live times for the main arena shows, which will be covered on YouTube, but you can watch them all on-demand after the show has aired:
- 8.15 AM GMT / 12,15 AM PST / 2.15 AM CST / 3.15 AM EST on Thursday
- 8.30 AM GMT / 12,30 AM PST / 2.30 AM CST / 3.30 AM EST on Friday
- 8.15 AM GMT / 12,15 AM PST / 2.15 AM CST / 3.15 AM EST on Saturday
- 8.45 AM GMT / 12,45 AM PST / 2.45 AM CST / 3.45 AM EST on on Sunday
What to expect from Crufts 2023
Organized by the Kennel Club, Crufts is the premier celebration of all things doggy. Crufts has an impressive pedigree (we couldn’t resist the pun) with the first show being held back in 1891. Now, 132 years later, the show is going strong with this year’s event promising to be a massive event with over 18,000 competitors and hundreds of thousands of guests attending the show.
Crufts takes place over four days, with each day being dedicated to a different category of pooch:
Gundogs - Thursday
Working and Pastoral - Friday
Terriers and Hounds - Saturday
Utility & Toy - Sunday
You can check on the Crufts website for a complete list of which dog breeds fit into which categories.
Dogs compete in a variety of obedience and agility competitions including Flyball and Heelwork to music, along with breed judging contests which are essentially pooch beauty contests to find the most perfect examples of each breed.
Alongside the competitions, there are The Kennel Club Hero Dog awards which celebrate and recognize heroic dogs and heartwarming stories of how dogs enrich the lives of their owners and the people around them.
There are five finalists up for The Kennel Club Hero Dog award this year - you can read each of their stories at the Crufts website, where you can also cast your vote. Voting closes on Sunday, March 12, 2023. The winner and all finalists will receive donations to a doggy charity of their choice.
There is also Scrufts, a competition for crossbreed dogs with a focus on fun, family, and responsible dog ownership. This event is sponsored by pet food makers James Wellbeloved and judges the character, health, personality, and temperament of entrants.
Finally, there is the Discover Dogs area at Crufts which lets attendees meet and interact with over 200 breeds of dog. This is perfect for people who are thinking of getting a dog and want to know more about the breed. You can get expert advice on grooming, feeding, and training to help make sure you and your new dog get off on the right paw.
