Melbourne Cup Day 2026: Race Time by State & What's Open

The Melbourne Cup is expected to start at 3pm Melbourne time on Tuesday 3 November 2026, which is 2pm in Queensland and noon in Perth. It's a public holiday in Victoria, apart from a few regional council areas with a local replacement day, and shops are free to open.

Melbourne Cup race time in your state

The Cup usually runs at 3pm Melbourne time, so the local start depends on your time zone. Daylight saving is on in the south-east by November, which widens the gap to Queensland, the NT and WA.

Broken Hill follows South Australian time, so the race is at 2:30pm there. The VRC ran the 2025 Cup at 3pm and will confirm the 2026 start in its race-day programme once published, and the daylight saving guide has the time differences between states.

What's open on Cup Day

Victoria has only two and a half restricted trading days: Good Friday, Christmas Day and Anzac Day until 1pm, according to Business Victoria. Melbourne Cup Day isn't one of them, so opening hours are each business's call.

• Usually open: supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies, hospitals, and most cafes, pubs and restaurants.
• Usually closed or reduced: bank branches, government offices and many office-based CBD businesses.
• Worth checking: shopping centres and large retailers, which vary between normal hours, reduced hours and a full closure.

Pubs, bars and function rooms show the race and run office sweeps, so book ahead if you want a table near a screen.

Getting to Flemington

Transport Victoria runs extra services for the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Its carnival transport page, checked on 24 September 2026 and not yet updated for this year's race days, lists these routes:

Trains to Flemington Racecourse Station run only at set times on race days, and the station is the pinch point at both ends of the day. The extra race-day services show in Journey Planner within 14 days of the event, so check first and last trains from about 20 October.

Regional Victoria: when 3 November is a normal day

Ten non-metropolitan councils and shires swap Cup Day for a local holiday in all or part of their area. In the areas listed below, 3 November is an ordinary working day and the replacement date is the public holiday. Business Victoria's 2026 list (last updated 3 August 2026) sets out each replacement date.

One leave day, four days off

Book Monday 2 November as leave and you are off from Saturday 31 October to Tuesday 3 November. Compare it with the rest of the year on Victoria long weekends, or track the date with the Melbourne Cup countdown.

Frequently asked questions

Are shops open on Melbourne Cup Day?

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Most can be. Melbourne Cup Day isn't a restricted trading day in Victoria, so each retailer sets its own hours. Ring ahead for shopping centres and bank branches, which are the least predictable.

Is Geelong open as normal on Melbourne Cup Day?

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Yes. Greater Geelong takes its holiday on Wednesday 21 October 2026 instead, so 3 November is an ordinary working day in the city.

How do I get to Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day?

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Take a train to Flemington Racecourse Station from Flinders Street, Southern Cross or North Melbourne. Tram 57 and bus 472 both stop about five minutes' walk from the entrance.

What time is the Melbourne Cup in Queensland?

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2pm AEST, if the race starts at its usual 3pm Melbourne time. Queensland doesn't use daylight saving, so it runs an hour behind Melbourne in November.

What time is the Melbourne Cup in Perth?

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Noon AWST, if the race starts at its usual 3pm Melbourne time. That is three hours behind Melbourne. Western Australia doesn't use daylight saving.