The 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival runs for four race days at Flemington, from Victoria Derby Day on Saturday 31 October to Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November. The Melbourne Cup itself is run on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at about 3:00pm Melbourne time. This is an information-only guide to the dates, race-day times, time-zone conversions and where to watch.
All times are local Melbourne time (AEDT) unless stated, and all dollar amounts are Australian dollars. Dates and times come from the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) race-day pages and other sources checked on 21 October 2026, and they can change, so confirm on the day. For what the race is and how it works, read the Melbourne Cup 2026 pillar guide.
What are the dates of the 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival?
The carnival has four race days at Flemington Racecourse: Derby Day on Saturday 31 October, Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November, Oaks Day on Thursday 5 November and Champions Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November. The table below shows each day, its first and last race and its feature races, according to the VRC’s race-day pages.
| Day | Date | First race | Last race | Feature Group 1 races |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria Derby Day | Saturday 31 October | 12:20pm | 5:40pm | Victoria Derby (2500m), Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) |
| Melbourne Cup Day | Tuesday 3 November | 10:45am | 5:15pm | Melbourne Cup (3200m) |
| Oaks Day | Thursday 5 November | 1:00pm | 5:50pm | The Oaks (2500m) |
| Champions Stakes Day | Saturday 7 November | 12:40pm | 5:50pm | Champions Stakes (2000m), Champions Mile (1600m), Champions Sprint (1200m) |
The VRC lists Cup Day as the second of four days and describes Champions Stakes Day as the fourth and final day of the carnival. Prize money for the Cup is A$10.2 million, according to Racing Victoria.
What time does the Melbourne Cup start in 2026?
The Melbourne Cup starts at about 3:00pm AEDT on Tuesday 3 November 2026, according to Public Holidays Australia, and the VRC’s Cup Day card runs from 10:45am to 5:15pm. The exact jump time depends on the previous race finishing on schedule, so treat 3:00pm as the target, not a fixed second.
The VRC lists the trophy ceremony in the Mounting Yard at 2:23pm on Cup Day, about 37 minutes before the race. Some text on the VRC page still refers to 2025, so confirm the time of day with the VRC or your broadcaster on race day.
What time is the Melbourne Cup where you live?
The time differs outside Melbourne because most states and territories use different time zones, and some do not use daylight saving. The table converts the 3:00pm AEDT start on Tuesday 3 November 2026. These conversions were calculated by the author from the time-zone rules in force on that date.
| Place | Local time | Time zone on 3 November 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Hobart | 3:00pm | AEDT (UTC+11) |
| Adelaide | 2:30pm | ACDT (UTC+10:30) |
| Brisbane | 2:00pm | AEST (UTC+10, no daylight saving) |
| Darwin | 1:30pm | ACST (UTC+9:30) |
| Perth | 12:00pm | AWST (UTC+8) |
| Auckland | 5:00pm | NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Singapore | 12:00pm | SGT (UTC+8) |
| India | 9:30am | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| London | 4:00am | GMT (UTC+0) |
| New York | 11:00pm on Monday 2 November | EST (UTC-5) |
| Los Angeles | 8:00pm on Monday 2 November | PST (UTC-8) |
What happens on Victoria Derby Day, Saturday 31 October?
Victoria Derby Day opens the carnival and is the day of the Melbourne Cup barrier draw. The first race is at 12:20pm and the last at 5:40pm. The feature race is the Group 1 Victoria Derby over 2500 meters, worth $2 million, alongside the Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1200 meters ($2 million) and the Empire Rose Stakes over 1600 meters ($1 million).
The Melbourne Cup barrier draw is held after the Derby Day racing, with owners present, according to the VRC’s barrier analysis. The draw gives each runner a random starting stall, and our guide to handicap races and barriers explains what the numbers do and do not mean.
If you plan to run a sweep, the draw matters to you too, because the best time to hold a sweep draw is once the final field is confirmed. Our Melbourne Cup sweep guide explains why.
What happens on Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday 3 November?
Cup Day has a full card, from a first race at 10:45am to a last race at 5:15pm, with the Melbourne Cup as the Group 1 feature over 3200 meters. The VRC’s 2026 card also includes shorter support races and a race restricted to grey horses, along with Fashions on the Field and live music.
Cup Day is a public holiday across metropolitan Melbourne and most of Victoria, according to Business Victoria. A regional council can arrange an alternative local holiday instead, so check with your council if you live outside the city. Elsewhere in Australia, workplaces are open, although many pause for the race.
How do you get to Flemington on Cup Day?
Trains run to Flemington from Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations on the morning of race day, and the VRC lists the last train home from Flemington as leaving at 8:59pm on Cup Day. Check the Public Transport Victoria timetable for the day, because services and special arrangements change.
What happens on Oaks Day, Thursday 5 November?
Oaks Day is the third day of the carnival, with a first race at 1:00pm and a last race at 5:50pm. The feature is the Group 1 Oaks over 2500 meters. The day is a separate ticketed event, and the VRC sells a combined pass with Cup Day.
The VRC lists general admission for Oaks Day at $50 for adults, the lowest of the four days. Ticket prices change, so use the VRC’s own ticketing page, not a third-party listing.
What happens on Champions Stakes Day, Saturday 7 November?
Champions Stakes Day is the fourth and final day. The first race is at 12:40pm and the last at 5:50pm. It features three Group 1 weight-for-age races, each worth $3 million: the Champions Stakes over 2000 meters, the Champions Mile over 1600 meters and the Champions Sprint over 1200 meters.
A weight-for-age race is different from a handicap. Instead of the handicapper assigning each horse a weight by form, weight is set by a scale based on age and sex, so horses of the same age and sex carry the same weight whatever their ability. It is a different design from the Melbourne Cup, which is explained in our handicap races guide.
How much do Melbourne Cup Carnival tickets cost?
General admission for adults is priced from $50 to $88 across the four days, according to the VRC pages checked on 21 October 2026. Reserved seats, hospitality and combined passes cost more, and some options had already sold out when we checked.
| Day | General admission (adult) |
|---|---|
| Victoria Derby Day | $88 |
| Melbourne Cup Day | $60 |
| Oaks Day | $50 |
| Champions Stakes Day | $65 |
The VRC also sells two-day and Saturday passes. The pass prices on different VRC pages did not match when we checked, so we do not quote them. Buy tickets only from the VRC or its official ticketing partner, and be careful of resale offers from unknown sellers.
How do the four carnival days differ?
Each day has its own character, set by the races and the price. The table compares them using only the details the VRC publishes.
| Day | What is distinctive | General admission |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria Derby Day | Opening day, the Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup barrier draw | $88 |
| Melbourne Cup Day | The Melbourne Cup, a public holiday in Victoria and the biggest card | $60 |
| Oaks Day | The Oaks, a Thursday card with the lowest general admission price | $50 |
| Champions Stakes Day | Three Group 1 weight-for-age races worth $3 million each | $65 |
If you are choosing one day to attend, the best choice depends on what you want to see: the Cup itself, the barrier draw, or the best horses at weight-for-age. Whichever you choose, set the budget for tickets, food and travel before you buy, and treat any betting as a separate decision with its own limit.
How do the lead-up races feed into the Melbourne Cup?
Several races earlier in the spring act as a path into the Melbourne Cup, and many horses are entered in more than one. Racing Victoria’s 2026 weights release covers both the Caulfield Cup and the Melbourne Cup and notes that horses entered in both carry different weights in each race, with Melbourne Cup weights set higher for dual entries.
A few lead-up races carry an exemption from the Cup ballot, which means a winner can secure a place in the field without waiting to see how the ballot falls. The Cup field is capped at 24 with no emergencies, so the ballot matters in a year with many nominations. Racing Victoria publishes the list of exempt races and the order of entry, and our handicap races guide explains how the weights that come out of that process are set.
How do you plan a Melbourne Cup Day at home?
Most people watch the Cup at home, at work or at a venue, not at Flemington. A simple plan makes the day easier and keeps the focus on the occasion, not on money.
- Check the start time for your time zone. Use the conversion table above, and allow a few minutes either side because the race jumps when the previous race is finished.
- Choose how to watch. Free-to-air television is the simplest option, and radio works if you are at work.
- Decide on a sweep. A sweep is a low-cost way to make the race interesting for everyone. Draw the horses once the field is confirmed, and agree the prize list before anyone pays. The sweep guide covers the draw and a fair payout split.
- Plan the day around 3pm. Many workplaces and groups pause for the race, so agree a time to gather.
- Keep betting decisions separate. If you choose to bet, set a limit before the day, not during it.
Where can you watch the Melbourne Cup 2026?
Nine and racing.com broadcast the 2026 Melbourne Cup live, according to TV Blackbox, while Seven and 7plus carry other major race days of the Spring Racing Carnival live and free. Triple M provides trackside radio coverage and streams on LiSTNR.
Nine holds the free-to-air rights to the Cup under a multi-year deal with the VRC and Tabcorp, according to SportBusiness. Broadcast arrangements can change, and coverage times for Cup Day were not published in the guide we checked, so check your local TV guide for the day.
A few practical notes:
- Free-to-air first: television is the simplest way to watch, with no account or payment needed.
- Streaming: racing.com broadcasts the Cup live alongside Nine. Avoid unofficial streams, which can be unreliable or unsafe.
- Radio: a trackside radio broadcast is available if you are working.
What is the timeline leading up to Cup Day?
The Cup field is shaped over weeks, and the schedule has several fixed points before the race.
- 17 September 2026: Racing Victoria released the Melbourne Cup weights, with a top weight of 59kg and a minimum of 51kg.
- Saturday 31 October: Derby Day racing, then the barrier draw, with the field capped at 24 runners.
- Tuesday 3 November: Melbourne Cup Day.
Weights and the draw are explained in our handicap races guide. One detail from the release shows why the timeline matters: the final field must have a top weight of at least 57kg, and if a horse carrying that weight or more does not accept, weights can be raised at that point. That means the weights you see in September are a starting point, and the numbers can move by Derby Day. For the history of the race, read What Is the Melbourne Cup?.
What should you know about betting during Cup week?
Many readers of a schedule also wonder about betting, so here is the short version. You must be 18 or older to bet in Australia, and betting on the Cup is legal with a licensed provider, but it always costs money on average. Our guide on how to bet on the Melbourne Cup explains the bet types and costs, and the Safer play toolkit has tools for setting limits.
What should you read next about the Melbourne Cup Carnival?
- The race, odds and betting overview: Melbourne Cup 2026
- History: What Is the Melbourne Cup?
- Running a sweep for Cup Day: Melbourne Cup sweep guide