MELB NOTE

Melbourne Cup Carnival 2026: Dates for Derby Day, Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day

Melbourne Notes By MELB_NOTE The short answer The 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival has four race days at Flemington: Derby Day on Saturday 31 October, Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November, Oaks Day on Thursday 5 November and Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November. Each day has its own Group 1 races, its own gate and…

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A brown racehorse in a black rug with yellow fringe is led across the lawn at Flemington by a woman in a red plaid shirt and cap. Behind them are a blue advertising barrier and spectators in suits, with a woman in an orange fascinator at left.

Melbourne Notes

By MELB_NOTE

The short answer

The 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival has four race days at Flemington: Derby Day on Saturday 31 October, Cup Day on Tuesday 3 November, Oaks Day on Thursday 5 November and Stakes Day on Saturday 7 November. Each day has its own Group 1 races, its own gate and race times and its own official flower. Cup Day is a public holiday in Melbourne. These are the times the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) published on 25 October 2026, and they can change, so check VRC before you go.

The carnival starts in six days, so here is the four-day overview in one place. We read five official VRC pages on 25 October 2026 (Melbourne): the carnival page and the pages for Derby Day, Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day. We checked nothing else, and this guide has no ticket prices, no betting and no tips. For the Cup Day date, the holiday and transport in more detail, see our Melbourne Cup Day 2026: Date, Public Holiday and How to Get to Flemington.

30-second summary

  • Derby Day is Saturday 31 October, with gates at 10am and the first race at 12.20pm.
  • Cup Day is Tuesday 3 November, with gates at 9am and the first race at 10.45am. It is a public holiday in Melbourne.
  • Oaks Day is Thursday 5 November, with gates at 11.30am and the first race at 1.00pm.
  • Stakes Day is Saturday 7 November, with gates at 10.40am and the first race at 12.40pm.
  • VRC lists the last train from Flemington at 8.59pm on Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day.

The 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival has four race days at Flemington between 31 October and 7 November

VRC’s carnival page lists four days for 2026. Each has an official name, and we use the full name once here and the short name after that:

  • Saturday 31 October: Howden Victoria Derby Day (Derby Day).
  • Tuesday 3 November: Lexus Melbourne Cup Day (Cup Day).
  • Thursday 5 November: Crown Oaks Day (Oaks Day).
  • Saturday 7 November: TAB Champions Stakes Day (Stakes Day).

VRC describes the carnival as a vibrant day out with thrilling Group 1 racing and high fashion stakes, plus live entertainment, food and beverage. Its Stakes Day page calls that day “the fourth and final day of Cup Week”.

A jockey in a red helmet and red and white silks smiles while sitting on a chestnut horse with a white blaze. The number 4 is on the horse’s saddlecloth. White rails, trees and a pale building are behind them under a blue sky.
A jockey on a horse at Flemington, photographed on 8 March 2014 (Super Saturday, not a carnival day) according to the Commons file page. Photo: Chris Phutully, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Derby Day on 31 October opens the carnival with the Victoria Derby

According to the VRC Derby Day page, the day has three Group 1 races: the Howden Victoria Derby over 2500m, the Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1200m and the TAB Empire Rose Stakes over 1600m. Gates open at 10am, the first race is at 12.20pm and the last race is at 5.40pm.

VRC says black and white is the signature style for Derby Day. The official flower is the Blue Cornflower. The Park is free for all racegoers, and The Elms Live Stage is free with a general admission ticket. VRC’s page gives no train times.

The diagram below puts all four days side by side, so you can compare the feature races, the times and the flowers.

Table of the four carnival days. Derby Day, Saturday 31 October: Victoria Derby 2500m, Coolmore Stud Stakes 1200m and Empire Rose Stakes 1600m; gates 10am, first race 12.20pm, last race 5.40pm; Blue Cornflower. Cup Day, Tuesday 3 November: Melbourne Cup 3200m; gates 9am, first race 10.45am, last race 5.15pm; Yellow Rose. Oaks Day, Thursday 5 November: Crown Oaks 2500m; gates 11.30am, first race 1.00pm, last race 5.50pm; pink rose. Stakes Day, Saturday 7 November: Champions Stakes 2000m, Champions Mile 1600m and Champions Sprint 1200m; gates 10.40am, first race 12.40pm, last race 5.50pm; official flower: Red Poppy or Red Rose, as the VRC page lists both.
Illustration by MELB NOTE. Data: Victoria Racing Club pages, read 25 October 2026 (Melbourne). Times can change.

Cup Day on 3 November is the biggest day and a Melbourne public holiday

Cup Day is Tuesday 3 November. The feature race is the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup over 3200m. Gates open at 9am, the first race is at 10.45am and the last race is at 5.15pm, according to the VRC Cup Day page. The official flower is the Yellow Rose, and VRC’s style line is “Think vivid tones, daring prints, and statement hats.”

It is a public holiday in Melbourne that day, according to the City of Melbourne, as reported in our earlier guide. Monday 2 November is not a public holiday, so Cup Weekend runs from Saturday 31 October to Tuesday 3 November. For the holiday detail and transport, read our Melbourne Cup Day 2026: Date, Public Holiday and How to Get to Flemington. We do not repeat it here.

Oaks Day on 5 November is the style day and Stakes Day on 7 November closes the carnival

Oaks Day is Thursday 5 November. The VRC Oaks Day page lists the Group 1 Crown Oaks over 2500m, with gates at 11.30am, the first race at 1.00pm and the last race at 5.50pm. VRC calls it “the most glamorous of the week”. The suggested style is floaty silhouettes, soft pastels, florals, lace and delicate millinery, and the official flower is the pink rose. The Park is free for all racegoers.

VRC mentions Fashions on the Field on the Front Lawn, and Vanessa Amorosi at The Elms Live Stage after the last race.

A view across the empty dirt and grass tracks of Flemington Racecourse at dusk. Small covered stands sit on the track. A street lamp is lit at left. The Melbourne city skyline rises in the hazy distance.
The Flemington tracks with the Melbourne skyline behind, photographed on 17 November 2007 according to the Commons file page. Photo: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stakes Day closes the carnival on Saturday 7 November. The VRC Stakes Day page lists three Group 1 races: the TAB Champions Stakes over 2000m, the VRC Champions Mile over 1600m and the VRC Champions Sprint over 1200m. Gates open at 10.40am, the first race is at 12.40pm and the last race is at 5.50pm. The style is “relaxed yet stylish, featuring playful patterns, textures and easy to wear tailoring”, and The Park is free for all racegoers.

Getting there: last train from Flemington is 8.59pm on the days VRC lists

VRC lists a last train departing Flemington at 8.59pm on Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day. Its Derby Day page lists no train times, so we cannot give you one for 31 October. For all four days, use VRC’s Getting to Flemington page and our Melbourne Cup Day 2026: Date, Public Holiday and How to Get to Flemington.

Here is what VRC gives for Oaks Day and Stakes Day:

  • Oaks Day: trains from Flinders Street run from 11.11am to 4.51pm, stopping at Southern Cross and North Melbourne. From 4.59pm to 8.37pm they run express direct to Flemington. Trains home from Flemington run from 2.23pm to 8.59pm.
  • Stakes Day: trains depart Flemington from 1.36pm to 8.59pm, via North Melbourne and Southern Cross to Flinders Street.
Timeline of the four days. Saturday 31 October, Derby Day: gates 10am; VRC page lists no train times. Tuesday 3 November, Cup Day: gates 9am; last train from Flemington 8.59pm. Thursday 5 November, Oaks Day: gates 11.30am; last train from Flemington 8.59pm. Saturday 7 November, Stakes Day: gates 10.40am; last train from Flemington 8.59pm.
Illustration by MELB NOTE. Data: Victoria Racing Club pages, read 25 October 2026 (Melbourne). Times can change.

Questions people ask

When is the Melbourne Cup Carnival 2026?

VRC lists four days: Saturday 31 October, Tuesday 3 November, Thursday 5 November and Saturday 7 November 2026, all at Flemington.

Which day is the public holiday?

Cup Day, Tuesday 3 November, is a public holiday in Melbourne, according to the City of Melbourne as reported in our Cup Day guide. Monday 2 November is not a public holiday.

What are the four days called?

Howden Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, Crown Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day. Most people say Derby Day, Cup Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day.

What is the Derby Day dress style?

VRC says black and white is the signature style for Derby Day, and the official flower is the Blue Cornflower.

Is The Park free?

VRC lists The Park as free for all racegoers on Derby Day, Oaks Day and Stakes Day, and our Cup Day guide says the same for Cup Day. Check VRC for any conditions.

Sources and scope

The VRC pages were read on 25 October 2026 (Melbourne). We checked no other source. Dates and times are as VRC published them that day and can change.

Photo credits:

  • Cover: Chris Phutully, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. A horse in a rug led across the lawn at Flemington on Super Saturday, 8 March 2014 (not a carnival day).
  • Jockey on a horse: Chris Phutully, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Also from Super Saturday, 8 March 2014.
  • Flemington tracks and skyline: Alpha, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Dated 17 November 2007 on the Commons page.
  • Diagrams: drawn by MELB NOTE from the sources above.

Scope: This guide gives dates, races and times as VRC published them on 25 October 2026. It gives no ticket prices, no betting and no tips. Check VRC for the latest information.

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