New Year’s Eve comes to Flemington

Flemington will play host to a fantastic, safe and fun event for families and groups to celebrate after the last race, with panoramic views of the city and fireworks on one of the biggest nights of the year. The twilight spectacular promises entertainment for all ages after the thrilling racing, along with festive vibes. A perfect way for families to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

New Year's Eve races mark a shift from the traditional New Year’s Day race program, with the Listed Bagot Handicap and Listed Kensington Stakes remaining the highlights on the eight-race card.

Racing Victoria today announced the full list of race dates for the 2025 -2026 season which starts on 1 August, with the most significant change to the Flemington program being the introduction of New Year’s Eve on Wednesday 31 December 2025.

Outside of the new twilight race meeting, the Flemington calendar remains unchanged and will once again feature the world-famous Melbourne Cup Carnival from 1 November – 8 November 2025.

In total, Flemington will host 10 Group 1 race meetings and 15 Group 1 races across the racing season as Australia’s premier racecourse continues to showcase the best horses, jockeys and trainers.

VRC Chief Executive Officer Kylie Rogers said the introduction of New Year’s Eve was an innovative addition to a high-quality schedule.

“We are excited to introduce a twilight New Year’s Eve format that expands our opportunity to welcome VRC Members, the local community, families, and our regular racing participants to bring in the New Year at spectacular Flemington and make the most of our outstanding facilities,” Ms Rogers said.

“It is important that we continue to add new and engaging innovations to a well-established format of racing and events at Flemington.

“The remainder of the season offers many highlights at Flemington and provides 21 opportunities for members, guests, and the community to embrace the best in world racing, entertainment, fashion, and hospitality.”

The full calendar of Flemington Race Dates for the 2025-26 season is below.

Flemington Race Dates 2025-2026 season