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The Melbourne Cup is run on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at Flemington Racecourse. It is the second of four carnival race days: Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 31 October, Oaks Day on Thursday 5 November and Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November.
The 2026 Melbourne Cup is race 7 on Cup Day, Tuesday 3 November, with a scheduled start of 3pm. Six races are run before it that day, and racing continues after it until the last race of the afternoon.
General public ticket holders have no dress regulations. In the Members Enclosure the rules are strict: men must wear a suit or tailored pants, a tie or bow tie and dress shoes, and denim is not allowed. Joggers, runners, sports shoes, thongs and gumboots are refused there.
Race-day trains run directly between Flinders Street and Southern Cross and Flemington Racecourse station, which opens onto the Train Gate. The No. 57 West Maribyrnong tram stops at Flemington Drive, right outside the main gate, and taxis and rideshare use the Main Rank.
No alcohol can be brought through the turnstiles. Glass containers, open drinks and beach or market umbrellas are also prohibited. In the Members Enclosure, BYO food is allowed on the Members Lawn, in the Members Betting Ring and in the Grandstand outside The Atrium Dining and The Peak.
Tickets are sold through the Victoria Racing Club for each race day, with general admission, VRC Member and hospitality options. Tickets are going fast, and some 2026 tickets, including the Members Lawn, have already sold out.
General Admission lists free entry for children under 12, and The Park is free to every racegoer. Champions Stakes Day has long been called family day, when children and young people also dress up for the races.
Yes. The Melbourne Cup Day public holiday falls on Tuesday 3 November 2026, the same day the Cup is run at Flemington Racecourse. The holiday applies in Melbourne.
They are the other three race days of the carnival, each with its own Group 1 feature. Victoria Derby Day, on the first Saturday, takes its name from the Victoria Derby, and Oaks Day, on the Thursday, from the Oaks. Champions Stakes Day closes the week on the second Saturday.
Yes. A racegoer who scans their ticket at the exit turnstiles when leaving the racecourse can come back into Flemington on the same ticket later that race day.
Public and members' cloakrooms operate on all race days of the carnival, and there is no charge for them. ATMs and EFTPOS are available at locations throughout the Members, public and corporate areas.
The Melbourne Cup is a Group 1 race at Flemington Racecourse and the longest of the carnival's feature races. The carnival around it has four race days.
31 Oct to 7 Nov 2026
Go racing at Flemington on all four days of the carnival, and each brings its own dress code and its own Group 1 feature. With a week in Melbourne you can pick your days by dress code or by feature race.
31 Oct to 7 Nov 2026. Times are approximate and can change from year to year.
Gates open at 10am, the first race goes at 12.20pm and the last at 5.40pm. The Group 1 Victoria Derby is the feature. Black and white is the day's signature style, and men are encouraged to wear a morning suit.
Gates open at 9am and the first race is at 10.45am. The Melbourne Cup is race 7, off at 3pm, and the last race is at 5.15pm. The dress theme is colour: vivid tones, daring prints and statement hats.
The latest start of the week: gates at 11.30am, the first race at 1pm and the last at 5.50pm. The Group 1 Oaks is the feature, and the Fashions on the Field Grand Final is held the same day. The dress theme is floaty silhouettes, feminine details and elegant accessories.
Gates open at 10.40am, with racing from 12.40pm to 5.50pm. The Group 1 Champions Stakes heads the card, with the Champions Mile alongside it. The dress is a relaxed garden party, with playful patterns, textures and easy tailoring.
At the Parade Ring and Mounting Yard, racegoers can watch the horses paraded at length in saddlecloth order, before and after the jockeys mount. From there the horses go onto the track and to the starting barriers.
Fashions on the Field, the racewear competition, runs through the carnival. A general admission ticket also gets you into The Elms, a live stage with headline acts across the week.
From the train you walk straight in at the Train Gate, beside The Park on The Hill. Between races, cross to the Mounting Yard to see the next field, then find your spot on the lawn or in your reserved seat for the race.
After the last race, trains keep running back to the city into the evening. A free shuttle runs from the Main Taxi Rank to Southern Cross on carnival days. Taxis and rideshare use the Main Rank on Flemington Drive or the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, Gate 5 off Langs Road.
Book your room as soon as you hold race tickets. A base in the city centre keeps you close to the race-day trains.
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