Melbourne Cup Date and Time 2026

The Melbourne Cup is the biggest event on the Australian racing calendar, and punters far and wide tune in to watch the best stayers going around for one of the most prestigious prizes in world racing.

The race itself lasts barely 200 seconds. The hype builds for weeks, and here at Sportsbet we're fully on the hype train.

To make sure nobody misses the race that stops the nation, we've put together this Melbourne Cup Date and Time guide.

No matter where in the country (or the world) you're watching from, you'll find the exact time to get up for the Cup, plus the latest Melbourne Cup odds, in our guide below.

Melbourne Cup Date 2026

Always held on the first Tuesday of November, the 2026 Melbourne Cup is no exception. This year the race that stops the nation will be run at Flemington on Tuesday, November 3.

There are 10 races on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, and the Cup itself is Race 7, scheduled to start at 3pm AEDT.

If you're in a different time zone, the start time will obviously differ. If you don't live in Victoria, keep reading for our Melbourne Cup start time guide for every capital city in Australia.

What Time is Melbourne Cup 2026?

If you're tuning in from somewhere in Australia, here's when the Melbourne Cup jumps in every capital city on Tuesday, November 3.

Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 3pm AEDT

Sydney, New South Wales

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 3pm AEDT

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 3pm AEDT

Hobart, Tasmania

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 3pm AEDT

Brisbane, Queensland

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 2pm AEST

Adelaide, South Australia

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 2:30pm ACDT

Darwin, Northern Territory

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 1:30pm ACST

Perth, Western Australia

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 12pm AWST

Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia don't run daylight saving, which is why Brisbane sits an hour behind Sydney and Perth is three hours behind on Cup Day.

Melbourne Cup 2026 International Times

Watching from overseas? Here's when the Melbourne Cup jumps in some major cities around the globe. Note that in New York it's still Monday night.

London, United Kingdom

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 4am GMT, Tuesday, November 3

New York, United States

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 11pm EST, Monday, November 2

Wellington, New Zealand

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 5pm NZDT, Tuesday, November 3

Tokyo, Japan

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 1pm JST, Tuesday, November 3

Hong Kong

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 12pm HKT, Tuesday, November 3

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Melbourne Cup Race 7 Time: 8am GST, Tuesday, November 3

Melbourne Cup Day 2026 Race Times

The Melbourne Cup is run on a standard 10-race card at Flemington, with support races before and after the main event.

Final declarations for the Melbourne Cup close on Saturday, October 31 (Derby Day), with the barrier draw to follow that evening. The full Cup Day race-by-race schedule will be added here once the card is confirmed.

Need to know where to watch it? Check out our guide on how to stream the Melbourne Cup.

If you're after more on who to back, or just want the latest Melbourne Cup news, head over to our Melbourne Cup 2026 Preview.

Got your Cup Day sorted? Keep an eye on all the latest Melbourne Cup markets at Sportsbet as the final field is declared on Derby Day.