Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup takes place Nov 3, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. The dress code is Strict raceday fashion: suits and formalwear, dresses with fascinators or hats. Members' and premium enclosures enforce a formal code; the general lawn is dressy but more relaxed. Typical cost ranges from 150 to 1200 EUR per person.
The race that stops a nation: a two-mile handicap at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November, a public holiday in Victoria and a moment when the entire country genuinely pauses. It attracts international stayers alongside the best Australian horses, and the crowd approaches 100,000 in full raceday dress. The Birdcage marquees are the celebrity hub, but the general lawn with the roses in bloom is where the day's real character lives.
- When
- Nov 3, 2026
- Where
- Melbourne, Australia
- Dress code
- Strict raceday fashion: suits and formalwear, dresses with fascinators or hats. Members' and premium enclosures enforce a formal code; the general lawn is dressy but more relaxed
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 150 to 1200 EUR per person.
- Weather
- 12 - 24C, changeable Melbourne spring - warm sun and cold wind can happen in the same afternoon
- When to book
- General admission opens in winter; reserved dining and grandstand seats sell out first, and Melbourne hotels should be booked 4 months out
- Getting there
- MEL (Melbourne), 30 min to venue
- Where to stay
- The Hotel Windsor, Crown Towers Melbourne, United Places Botanic Gardens
- Official site
- https://www.flemington.com.au/
How to attend
Buy general admission and lawn tickets via the Victoria Racing Club at flemington.com.au or Ticketmaster - affordable and fully public. Reserved dining, grandstand and premium packages cost considerably more; the Birdcage marquees are corporate and invitation-only and are not sold to the public. A dedicated race-day train service runs from central Melbourne directly to Flemington Racecourse.
Insider tip
Cup Day is a public holiday in Victoria, so the whole state is out - take the direct race-day train from Flinders Street rather than attempting to drive or park anywhere near Flemington.
Get inside Melbourne Cup
Booking matters here: general admission opens in winter; reserved dining and grandstand seats sell out first, and Melbourne hotels should be booked 4 months out. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.