Melbourne Cup Day 2026: Public Holiday Date & Long Weekend

Melbourne Cup Day 2026 is a public holiday on Tuesday 3 November — in Victoria only. The whole country watches the race, but only Victorians get the day off work.

Is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday?

Yes, but only in Victoria, where it is a full state-wide public holiday covering metropolitan Melbourne and almost all of regional Victoria. It is not a public holiday in NSW, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, the NT or the ACT, where the first Tuesday in November is an ordinary working day. A small number of regional Victorian shires substitute a local race-day holiday on a different date instead.

Why is Melbourne Cup Day on a Tuesday?

The holiday tracks the race, and the Melbourne Cup is always run on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington — a tradition since 1875. So the date shifts each year: it is Tuesday 3 November in 2026 and Tuesday 2 November in 2027.

The 4-day weekend trick

A Tuesday public holiday is one of the best single-leave-day trades on the calendar. Take Monday 2 November off — just one leave day — for a 4-day weekend from Saturday 31 October to Tuesday 3 November. Take Monday and Wednesday (2 leave days) for a 5-day break. The Leave Planner confirms the maths for your situation.

What's open and closed on Melbourne Cup Day?

Standard Victorian public-holiday trading applies:

• Closed: banks, government offices and many office-based businesses.
• Open: supermarkets, petrol stations, hospitals and essential services; most cafes and restaurants (often running race-day functions).
• Variable: shopping centres — some open with reduced hours, some close. Check individual retailers.

If you work in retail, hospitality or another sector rostered on the day, public-holiday penalty rates apply under your award or agreement.

If you're not in Victoria

Outside Victoria the Cup is a normal working Tuesday — no public holiday — though sweeps and a TV at 3pm are near-universal. Check the Victoria public holidays list for every Victorian date, and the Victoria Long Weekends page for the year's other breaks.

Frequently asked questions

Is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday in 2026?

Yes, in Victoria, on Tuesday 3 November 2026. It is a full state-wide public holiday in Victoria and is not observed in any other state or territory.

Is Melbourne Cup a public holiday in NSW or the ACT?

No. Melbourne Cup Day is a Victorian public holiday only. In NSW, the ACT and every other state the first Tuesday in November is an ordinary working day.

Does all of Victoria get the Melbourne Cup public holiday?

Almost all of it. The holiday covers metropolitan Melbourne and most of regional Victoria, though a small number of regional shires hold a local race-day holiday on a different date instead.

Why is the Melbourne Cup on a Tuesday?

The race — and therefore the holiday — is always run on the first Tuesday in November, a fixture at Flemington since 1875.