The Melbourne Cup Carnival is the celebration that stops a nation and puts Melbourne firmly on the international events calendar.
Hosted annually by the Victorian Racing Club (VRC), the Melbourne Cup Carnival encapsulates the spirit of Melbourne and showcases the best of what the city has to offer in terms of food, wine, sport, business, social interaction and fashion.
The pinnacle of the four-day event is the Emirates Melbourne Cup, one of the world’s richest and most exciting horse races. In 2009, the carnival attracted 390,000 people, including 34,260 interstate and international visitors, outstripping attendance figures for any of the city’s other annual events. It also recorded a gross economic benefit of $344 million to the Victorian economy.
Through the VRC’s strategic direction, the Melbourne Cup Carnival shows the world why Melbourne is a national and international draw card.