MCC attracts 286,000 attendees with spectacular racing and growth surging across all event metrics

The success of cup Week will further support the significantly improved VRC financial position enabling ongoing debt reduction and increases in investment for racing, member and community facilities and the ongoing work to develop and deliver the Flemington 2024 precinct Master Plan.

Key stats

• Once again the Cup Week racing program delivered world class racing and created special stories each day about our horses, jockeys, trainers, owners and breeders
• The 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival welcomed its largest crowd since 2018 with 286,746 attending Flemington
• 53% of all general admission tickets for the Melbourne Cup Carnival were purchased by people under the age of 35, up 17% year-on-year
• Lexus Melbourne Cup broadcast National Total TV reach increased 9% year-on-year, with total audience over 2 million for the first time since 2018
• 5.5 million Australians tuned in to the 9Network across the Melbourne Cup Carnival 
• Record wagering turnover across both the Lexus Melbourne Cup meeting and the Lexus Melbourne Cup race
• Strong corporate hospitality growth, with 10% year-on-year revenue growth
• Over 36 million video views across VRC’s digital channels, up 63% year-on-year

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Quote attributable to VRC CEO, Kylie Rogers

“The success of the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival has emphatically demonstrated that racing is back and thriving. With our largest crowd since 2018, record-breaking wagering turnover on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, and significant uplift in broadcast figures, the momentum and energy throughout the week was infectious.

What's particularly exciting is the significant growth in younger audiences, with 53% of general admission tickets purchased by people under 35. This Carnival has demonstrated that racing continues to captivate a diverse range of audiences. The Melbourne Cup Carnival continues to hold its place as Australia's most celebrated sporting and entertainment event, and the momentum we're seeing gives us tremendous confidence for the future."

Quote attributable to VRC Chairman Neil Wilson

“The 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival has been an outstanding success on any measure. This achievement is a clear endorsement of the continued commitment by the club to ongoing investment and innovation post the COVID-19 period.The entire VRC team, led superbly by VRC CEO Kylie Rogers, has delivered an exceptional outcome and has established a well-funded, and expansive platform to enable further growth and enhanced experiences for all.”

Racing

The racing at the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival was fitting of such a prestigious event, headlined by Jamie Melham’s historic victory in the Lexus Melbourne Cup. Melham became only the second female jockey to win the race, a decade after Michelle Payne’s win aboard Prince of Penzance. Half Yours became the 13th horse to complete the Caulfield Cup–Melbourne Cup double, with Melham the first female jockey to achieve the feat.

Across four days, Flemington hosted 37 races, including eight Group 1 races with more than $30 million in prizemoney, showcasing the very best of Australian and international racing.

Via Sistina, trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, defended her title in the $3 million TAB Champions Stakes, becoming the first mare since Tranquil Star in 1944–45 to win the race back-to-back. Her victory marked a sixth Group 1 win in 2025 — more than any other horse globally.

Giga Kick claimed the $3 million VRC Champions Sprint, delivering a long-awaited Group 1 win in Victoria for trainer Clayton Douglas and jockey Mark Zahra, who enjoyed an incredible week with eight wins. Zahra also partnered with Ciaron Maher and Godolphin to win the $2 million Group 1 Howden Victoria Derby aboard Observer and reunited with Anthony and Sam Freedman to take out the $2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes on Tentyris.

The $1 million Crown Oaks saw Strictly Business storm to victory for Ballarat-based trainer Thomas Carberry in his first Australian Group 1 start.

Pride Of Jenni, the 2023–24 Australian Horse of the Year, delivered another unforgettable performance in the TAB Empire Rose Stakes, becoming the first dual winner of the race with a bold front-running ride by Declan Bates.

Entertainment & Fashions on the Field

In a great outcome for racegoers, through the MREF funding program, and with the valued support of the Victorian Government and Racing Victoria, the VRC secured grants to enhance precincts across Flemington.

The Elms Live Stage, presented by McDonald’s, emerged as a major drawcard, hosting an extraordinary lineup of global and local music icons throughout the week.

Australian legends Icehouse and dance duo PNAU set the tone with high-energy performances on Derby Day and Cup Day, drawing massive crowds to The Elms precinct. International superstar Craig David took the stage on Crown Oaks Day, performing after the final race to extend the celebrations well into the evening. Global DJ phenomenon FISHER closed the Carnival on TAB Champions Stakes Day with a spectacular set that brought the week to an unforgettable conclusion, as crowds, for the first time ever, danced on the sacred Flemington track.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival featured more than 1,150 performance hours across the four days. A lineup of 200 artists brought the Carnival to life, featuring 12 interstate and international acts, as well as 332 individual sets and shifts programmed across more than 30 areas of the course.

The 63rd anniversary of Fashions on the Field showcased 573 entrants from Australia and abroad. Grand final judging duties were handled by an impressive panel including Crown special guest and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley, Lexus ambassador Melissa Leong, and VRC Ambassador Michelle Payne OAM.

Presented by Lexus, the return of the Fashions on the Field to the front lawn proved successful with overall participation in the esteemed competition up 25.4%, best suited on course entries up 30% year-on-year and best dressed up 3% year-on-year.

Crowds

Daily attendance figures reflected the Carnival's broad appeal, with Howden Victoria Derby Day attracting 86,343 guests, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day attracting 84,373, Crown Oaks Day welcoming 51,239, and TAB Champions Stakes Day closing the week with 65,012 racegoers.

A total attendance of 286,746 made the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival the most well-attended since 2018, with racing continuing to resonate with younger audiences — 53% of general admission ticket buyers were under the age of 35, up from 45% in 2024.

The economic impact of the Melbourne Cup Carnival was on full display on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, with 66% of ticket sales coming from interstate or international visitors.

Broadcast

Interest in the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival extended far beyond the Flemington gates, with 5.5 million Australians tuning in to the 9Network across the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Significantly, this was prevalent during the running of the Lexus Melbourne Cup, which drew a National Total TV reach of 2.3 million, up 9% year-on-year. At the same time, the total audience was above 2 million for the first time since 2018.

Streaming also saw impressive growth, with 9NOW viewership increasing 25% to 463,000, up from 371,000 in 2024.

Overall, the Carnival delivered strong year-on-year audience growth across all four race days, driven by a significant increase in live streaming on 9Now.

Stakes Day closed the Carnival on a high, recording a 28.9% increase in Total TV audience (264,000) and an 81.7% surge in 9Now streaming.

Oaks Day also delivered a standout result, with its Total TV National Audience rising 20.4% year-on-year to 318,000, and its 9Now BVOD audience jumping 75.4%.

VRC’s digital channels showcased the Melbourne Cup Carnival to an engaged audience. Across Meta and TikTok, Melbourne Cup Carnival content has so far reached more than 31.6 million people, exceeding Australia’s entire population in social media reach.

With over 36 million video views, including more than 10 million on TikTok alone, the Carnival’s colour and excitement captivated audiences around the globe.

Overall digital engagement increased by 18% year-on-year, driven by exceptional growth across VRC’s digital channels. Fashions audiences tripled and racing audiences doubled across the official VRC Digital Channels, reflecting the strength of VRC’s storytelling and the growing demand for rich, immersive digital content and experiences.

Wagering

The 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup Day meeting set a new wagering record, with turnover reaching $382.5 million across the meeting - an 11.1% year-on-year increase. This also surpassed the previous record of $375.6 million set in 2021.

The race itself also broke records, generating $247.4 million in turnover, a 16.4% increase from last year and exceeding the previous record of $225.8 million set in 2021.

Corporate interest

The Melbourne Cup Carnival achieved exceptional commercial results, with overall corporate hospitality revenue increasing 10% year-on-year. Crown Oaks Day emerged as the standout performer, recording the strongest level of corporate engagement with all corporate facilities sold out.

Demand for premium private experiences grew, with the new private facility, 350 Collective, achieving full capacity across all four days of the Carnival. Surging private client demand led to the construction of additional Birdcage Private marquees to accommodate the increased interest.

The Carnival's syndicated venues were also popular, with key offerings including the Kirin Ichiban Pavilion, Makybe Diva Marquee, Parade Lounge, The Rose Room, Skyline Dining, and Skyline Lounge, all of which reached full capacity on every race day.

New VRC syndicated products proved highly successful in their debut year. The TAB Clubhouse welcomed over 3,900 guests throughout the Carnival, while the new Birdcage syndicated venue, Marmont, attracted more than 1,400 guests, showcasing a strong market appetite for innovative hospitality experiences.

Community

The Carnival’s philanthropic and community impact was again significant, contributing over $1 million to charity and equine wellbeing partners.

This year’s Pin & Win campaign continued its vital support for Ronald McDonald House Charities Victoria and Tasmania, while the Poppy Appeal raised funds for RSL Victoria. The Jockey Parade and Oaks Club Lunch supported the Good Friday Appeal, and the Saddle Cloth Auction benefited the Victorian Jockeys Association.

The Equine Wellbeing Hub in The Park showcased the work of Equine Pathways Australia, Riding for the Disabled – Victoria, Living Legends, and the Australian Small Equine Association, while Racing Victoria’s Off The Track Marquee highlighted the ongoing care of retired racehorses.

Community engagement was further boosted through the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep, won by Apex Traralgon, and the donation of high-exposure race naming rights to Riding for the Disabled Association of Victoria, Good Friday Appeal and Ronald McDonald House Charities.