Melbourne Cup Carnival tops 300,000 for first time since 2018

The Melbourne Cup Carnival drew 307,889 admissions across four days at Flemington Racecourse, its biggest turnout since 2017 and the first time it has passed 300,000 since 2018.

Melbourne Cup Day led the way with 97,112, its biggest crowd since 2016. Derby Day opened the carnival with 88,146, while Oaks Day drew 52,217. Saturday’s Champions Stakes Day closed out the week with 70,414, the biggest crowd for the final day since 2012.

The four-day total was up 20,922 on last year’s 286,967 and surpassed the 303,587 recorded in 2018. It fell just short of the 310,608 who attended in 2017. The carnival’s record remains 418,069 in 2006, when Derby Day alone drew 129,089.

The crowds had already started building in Melbourne before Cup week. The 150th Caulfield Cup drew 30,051 to Caulfield Racecourse on 17 October, and the Cox Plate attracted 34,617 to Flemington a week later while Moonee Valley undergoes redevelopment. Those two meetings and the four Cup Carnival days accounted for 372,557 admissions across three weeks.

In Sydney, the 10th running of The Everest drew a sold-out crowd of 52,110 to Royal Randwick, up from 50,167 last year. The Everest and the Caulfield Cup were held on the same Saturday, drawing a combined 82,161 across the two cities.

Randwick drew another 18,707 for Golden Eagle Day on 31 October before welcoming 20,801 for The Big Dance on Melbourne Cup Day. The three headline Randwick meetings accounted for 91,618 admissions during the nine-meeting Sydney Everest Carnival, which wrapped up at Rosehill Gardens on 7 November.

The Victoria Racing Club said the four Melbourne Cup Carnival meetings were Australia’s four best-attended race days of 2026 to date. Oaks Day took fourth spot by just 107 ahead of The Everest.

2026 biggest racing crowds recorded by Austadiums