Flemington Racecourse

Flemington Racecourse
Main grandstand during the 2013 Melbourne Cup
Interactive map of Flemington Racecourse
LocationFlemington, Victoria
Coordinates37°47′25″S 144°54′45″E / 37.79028°S 144.91250°E / -37.79028; 144.91250
Owned byVictoria Racing Club
Date opened1840 (1840)
Capacity120,000
Screened onSeven Network
Nine Network
Course typeFlat
Jumps
Steeplechase
Notable racesMelbourne Cup
Victoria Derby
LKS Mackinnon Stakes
Emirates Stakes
Newmarket Handicap
Australian Cup
Official website

Flemington Racecourse is a major horse racing venue located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is most notable for hosting the Melbourne Cup, which is the world's richest handicap and the world's richest 3200-metre horse race. The racecourse is situated on low alluvial flats, next to the Maribyrnong River. The area was first used for horse racing in March 1840.[1]

Overview

Aerial panorama of Flemington Racecourse. Taken August 2018.

The Flemington Racecourse site comprises 1.27 square kilometres of Crown land. The course was originally leased to the Victoria Turf Club in 1848, which merged with the Victoria Jockey Club in 1864 to form the Victoria Racing Club. The first Melbourne Cup was run in 1861. In 1871 the Victoria Racing Club Act was passed, giving the VRC legal control over Flemington Racecourse.

The racecourse is pear-shaped, and boasts a six-furlong (1,200 m) straight known as 'the Straight Six.' The track has a circumference of 2,312 metres (1.437 mi) and a final straight of 450 metres (490 yd) for race distances over 1.2 kilometres (1,300 yd). Races are run in an anti-clockwise direction.

The course has a crowd capacity of over 120,000 and contains three grandstands. The biggest ever attendance was on Victoria Derby Day in 2006 when 129,069 people saw Efficient win the Victoria Derby.[1] On 28 November, 1986, Pope John Paul II celebrated the Mass on the racetrack inner oval. The racecourse has undergone a facelift in recent years, with the opening of a new $45 million grandstand in 2000 and the opening of a new members' grandstand in 2018. It also contains a bronze statue of the famous racehorse Phar Lap, which was donated to the Club as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations in 1988. Also in celebration was the commission of Harold Freedman's seven panel mural which traces the History of Racing.[2] The mural is housed is in The Hill Stand, built in 1977.

Flemington Racecourse was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 7 November 2006,[3] announced during the 2006 Melbourne Cup.[4] The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.[5]

Flemington Racecourse today hosts many of Australia's top races, including the Melbourne Cup, Victoria Derby, VRC Oaks, Mackinnon Stakes, Newmarket Handicap, Australian Cup and Lightning Stakes.

Transport

The site has its own railway branch line, which operates on race days, bringing visitors to the adjacent railway station. Originally, it was serviced by Salt Water River station, before that was demolished in the 1860s and replaced with a station on the present site. Trains depart from platforms 8 and 9 at Flinders Street Station. The No. 57 tram from the City (Elizabeth and Flinders Streets) stops at the Epsom Road entrance.

Car spaces for the disabled are available and taxi ranks are located adjacent to the main entrances. Shuttle buses run from Epsom Road to the main turnstiles of the racecourse. Lift access is available in the Prince of Wales Stand and to the first floor of the Members Stand.

Races

The following is a list of Group races which are run at Flemington Racecourse. All races in metres.[6]

Grp Race name Age Sex Weight Distance Date
1 Ascot Vale Stakes 3YO Open sw 1200 November
1 Australian Cup Open Open wfa 2000 March
1 Australian Guineas 3YO Open sw 1600 February
1 Black Caviar Lightning Open Open wfa 1000 February
1 Makybe Diva Stakes Open Open wfa 1600 September
1 Cantala Stakes Open Open hcp 1600 November
1 Empire Rose Stakes 3YO+ F&M wfa 1600 November
1 LKS Mackinnon Stakes Open Open wfa 2000 November
1 Melbourne Cup Open Open hcp 3200 November
1 Newmarket Handicap Open Open hcp 1200 March
1 VRC Sprint Classic Open Open wfa 1200 November
1 Turnbull Stakes 4YO+ Open sw+p 2000 October
1 Victoria Derby 3YO Open sw 2500 November
1 VRC Oaks 3YO Fillies sw 2500 November
2 A.V Kewney Stakes 3YO Fillies sw 1600 March
2 Blamey Stakes 3YO+ Open sw+p 1600 March
2 Edward Manifold Stakes 3YO Fillies sw 1600 October
2 Gilgai Stakes Open Open sw+p 1200 October
2 Linlithgow Stakes Open Open hcp 1200 November
2 Matriarch Stakes 4YO+ Mares hcp 2000 November
2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1400 October
2 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes 2YO Open sw 1400 March
2 Wakeful Stakes 3YO Fillies sw+p 2000 November
3 Aurie's Star Handicap Open Open hcp 1200 August
3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes 2YO Fillies sw+p 1200 March
3 Bobby Lewis Quality Open Open qlty 1200 September
3 Chatham Stakes Open Open hcp 1400 November
3 Frances Tressady Stakes 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1400 March
3 Hotham Handicap Open Open qlty 2500 November
3 Maribyrnong Plate 2YO Open sw+p 1000 November
3 Matron Stakes 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1600 March
3 Let's Elope Stakes 4YO+ Mares sw+p 1400 September
3 Standish Handicap Open Open hcp 1200 January
3 C S Hayes Stakes 3YO C&G sw+p 1400 February
3 The Vanity[7] 3YO Fillies sw+p 1400 February
3 VRC Carbine Club Stakes 3YO Open sw+p 1600 November
3 VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes Open Open qlty 2600 November
L VRC St Leger Stakes 3YO Open sw+p 2800 April

Key

  • hcp - handicap
  • qlty - quality handicap
  • sw - set weights
  • sw+p - set weights with penalties
  • wfa - Weight for Age

Flemington Racecourse (Car Park)

To the north of the racecourse and south of the rail line and station, lies a car park, on non race days, it is sometimes used for other events, mainly music festivals and concerts,

The location typically goes by Flemington Racecourse, but some festivals use different names, Laneway Festival refers to it as "Flemington Park",[8] Tell No Tales festival refers to it as "The Nursery"[9]

Goodlife, an under 18 (years of age) was a festival hosted between 2010 and 2024

List of Events
Date Festival / Headline Artist Support Crowd Ref
16th January 1999 Warped Tour 1999 Suicidal Tendencies, Pennywise, Grinspoon MxPx [10]
6th April 2002 Warped Tour 2002 Guttermouth, 28 Days [11]
28th January 2008 Big Day Out Rage Against the Machine, Björk, Arcade Fire Big Day Out lineups by year
26th January 2009 Big Day Out Neil Young, The Prodigy, Arctic Monkeys Big Day Out lineups by year
15 February 2009 Good Vibrations Fatboy Slim, Q-Tip and The Presets. 25,000 [12][13]
8th March 2009 Future Music Festival James Taylor, N.E.R.D.,Basement Jaxx [14]
26th January 2010 Big Day Out Muse, Powderfinger Big Day Out lineups by year
21st February 2010 Good Vibrations The Killers, Salt-N-Pepa, Kid Cudi, Art vs. Science 15,000 [15][16]
7th March 2010 Future Music Festival The Prodigy, Franz Ferdinand, Empire of the Sun David Guetta [17]
30th January 2011 Big Day Out Tool, Rammstein, The Stooges, M.I.A. Big Day Out lineups by year
13th February 2011 Good Vibrations Faithless, Mike Posner, Ludacuris [18]
13th March 2011 Future Music Festival The Chemical Brothers, Art vs. Science, Binary Finary, Cosmic Gate [19]
29th January 2012 Big Day Out Kanye West, Soundgarden Big Day Out lineups by year
4th March 2012 Future Music Festival Swedish House Mafia New Order, Fatboy Slim, Paul van Dyk [20]
26th January 2013 Big Day Out Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers Big Day Out lineups by year
1st March 2013 Soundwave Metallica, Linkin Park and Blink-182,
10th March 2013 Future Music Festival Avicii, The Prodigy, The Stone Roses, Psy, Bloc Party [21]
24th January 2014 Big Day Out Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, Blur
28th February 2014 Soundwave Green Day and Avenged Sevenfold
9th March 2014 Future Music Festival Deadmau5, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Phoenix Hardwell, Eric Prydz [22]
8th March 2015 Future Music Festival Drake, Avicii, The Prodigy, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Example [23]
3rd December 2016 Tell No Tales [24]
26th November 2017 Creamfields Australia Deadmau5, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Don Diablo, Fedde Le Grand
7th December 2018 Good Things The Offspring, Stone Sour
13th January 2019 FOMO Nicki Minaj, Rae Sremmurd, Lil Pump, Mura Masa [25]
23rd February 2019 Ultra Australia Adam Beyer, The Chainsmokers, Dubfire, Illenium, Marshmello, Martin Garrix
6th December 2019 Good Things Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember
7th December 2019 Kockout Outdoors Angerfist, Darren Styles
19th September 2021 Reminisce Carnivale John Course, The Presets, Northeast Party House [26]
8th March 2020 Ultra Australia Afrojack, DJ Snake, Eric Prydz, Zedd
13th March 2022 Karnival Angerfist, Ben Nicky, Darren Styles
2nd April 2022 Subculture Aly & Filab b2b John O'Callaghan , Bryan Kearney Giuseppe Ottaviani [27]
17th September 2022 Transmission Ferry Corsten Markus Schulz Vini Vici [28]
26th November 2022 Festival X Calvin Harris, Don Toliver
2nd December 2022 Good Things Bring Me the Horizon, Deftones
15th & 16th December 2022 Rüfüs Du Sol [29][30]
11th February 2023 Laneway Festival Haim, Joji, Phoebe Bridgers
12th March 2023 Karnival Atmozfears, Brennan Heart, Hixxy, Miss K8 [31]
23rd April 2023 Carl Cox PURE [32]
22nd March 2023 Dreamsate Ben Nicky, Cosmic Gate, Maddix [33]
24th March 2023 Knotfest Slipknot, Parkway Drive, Megadeth [34]
25th November 2023 Christina Aguilera [35]
26th November 2023 Dreamstate Above & Beyond, Vini Vici, Billy Gillies
1st December 2023 Good Things Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit Devo
9th December 2023 Zach Bryan [36]
10th February 2024 Laneway Festival Stormzy, Steve Lacy, Dominic Fike [37]
March 10th 2024 Transmission Andrew Rayel Cosmic Gate Markus Schulz Paul van Dyk [38]
21st March 2024 Knotfest Pantera, Disturbed [39]
April 13th 2024 Ultra Australia Zedd, and Carl Cox [40]
14th September 2024 Marlo, Elements of Unity [41]
25th & 26th October 2024 Cold Chisel The Cruel Sea, Karen Lee Andrews
23rd November 2024 Anyma's GENESYS [42]
6th December 2024 Good Things Korn, Violent Femmes, Electric Callboy
13th & 14th December 2024 Dom Dolla Flight Facilities [43]
9th February 2025 Dreamstate Above & Beyond, Billy Gillies, Ben Nicky [44]
14th February 2025 Laneway Festival Charli XCX, Clairo, Beabadoobee [37]
28th February 2025 Knotfest Slipknot, A Day to Remember [45]
April 12th 2025 Ultra Australia Martin Garrix and Axwell [46]
30th November 2025 Hypersonic Armin van Buuren, Alesso and Steve Aoki [47]
5th December 2025 Good Things Tool, Weezer [48]
8th February 2026 Dreamstate Ben Hemsley, Ben Nicky, Vini Vici [49]
13th February 2026 Laneway Festival Chappell Roan, Alex G, Benee, Cavetown [37]
14th March 2026 안녕, Hello Music Festival Enhypen, Treasure, Taemin [50]
2nd April 2026 Keinemusik [51]
11th April 2026 Ultra Australia The Chainsmokers, DJ Snake and Zedd [52]
180-degree panorama of the racecourse
Image of Melbourne skyline from Flemington Racecourse

See also

References

  1. ^ a b 100,000 and more – but nobody's counting Archived 4 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Insight into a nation's track record
  3. ^ Flemington Racecourse National Heritage Listing Archived 27 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Flemington now a National Treasure Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Flemington Racecourse, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H2220", Victorian Heritage Database, Heritage Victoria, archived from the original on 7 May 2011, retrieved 16 September 2010
  6. ^ Australian Group races Archived 16 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ The Vanity 2008 result Archived 27 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Home | Melbourne". www.lanewayfestival.com. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  9. ^ Carr, Michael (18 August 2016). "Tell No Tales Festival Announces Debut Lineup". Music Feeds. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  10. ^ "Concert History of Anglesea Football Club Anglesea, VIC, Australia | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Archived from the original on 25 April 2026. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  11. ^ "Apr 06, 2002: Vans Warped Tour at Flemington Racecourse Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  12. ^ Donovan, Patrick (16 February 2009). "Music festival shifts its ground". The Age. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Feb 15, 2009: Good Vibrations Festival at Flemington Racecourse Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  14. ^ "Concert History of Future Music Festival 2009 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  15. ^ "Good Vibrations Festival 2010". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  16. ^ Smith, Toby (5 August 2009). "Good Vibrations Festival 2010!". Music Feeds. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  17. ^ On, Available. "Future Music Festival 2010 at Flemington Racecourse (Flemington) on 7 Mar 2010". Last.fm. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  18. ^ "Good Vibrations Festival 2011!". www.goodvibrationsfestival.com.au. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  19. ^ On, Available. "Future Music Festival 2011 at Flemington Racecourse (Flemington) on 13 Mar 2011". Last.fm. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  20. ^ "Mar 04, 2012: Future Music Festival 2012 at Arena Joondalup Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  21. ^ "Mar 10, 2013: Future Music Festival 2013 at Flemington Racecourse Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  22. ^ "Future Music Festival | Frontier Touring". www.frontiertouring.com. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  23. ^ "Future Music Festival | Frontier Touring". www.frontiertouring.com. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  24. ^ Carr, Michael (18 August 2016). "Tell No Tales Festival Announces Debut Lineup". Music Feeds. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
  25. ^ "FOMO Festival Drop 2019 Lineup with Nicki Minaj, San Holo and More | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  26. ^ "Melbourne's Reminisce Carnivàle Returns This December | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  27. ^ "Subculture Festival 2022 Phase 2 Lineup Arrives + Set Times Announced | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  28. ^ "Transmission Australia 2022 Full Lineup & Date Announced | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  29. ^ "RÜFÜS DU SOL 2022 Australian Tour Announced | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  30. ^ Radbourne, Lucas (9 November 2021). "RÜFÜS DU SOL announce second Melbourne show". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  31. ^ "Karnival 2023 Outdoor Festival Dates & Lineup Revealed | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2026.
  32. ^ "PURE Carl Cox 2023 Dates & Lineup Announced | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 21 February 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  33. ^ "Dreamstate Australia Returns In 2023 | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  34. ^ Newstead, Al (26 October 2022). "Slipknot announce huge Knotfest Australia 2023 line-up". triple j. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  35. ^ "Christina Aguilera to perform in Australia for first time in 15 years". 9News. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  36. ^ "Events: Zach Bryan - One Night Only!". www.untitledgroup.com.au. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  37. ^ a b c "Laneway Festival | Previous Lineups". www.lanewayfestival.com. Retrieved 6 April 2026.
  38. ^ "Transmission Festival Returns To Melbourne in 2024 | OZ EDM". ozedm.com. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  39. ^ Coeur, Sidonie Bird de la (19 November 2023). "Knotfest has announced its 2024 lineup". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  40. ^ "Home - Ultra Australia April 12 & 13, 2024". Ultra Australia. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  41. ^ "MaRLo Announces ALTITUDE - ELEMENTS OF UNITY Shows | OZ EDM". ozedm.com. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  42. ^ "ANYMA Presents GENESYS - Melbourne". Anyma. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  43. ^ Hastings, Ashleigh. "Everything you need to know about this week's Dom Dolla shows". Time Out Melbourne. Archived from the original on 4 April 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  44. ^ "Dreamstate Australia to Feature Return of the Rings Production | OZ EDM". ozedm.com. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  45. ^ Radbourne, Lucas (16 October 2024). "Knotfest lineup led by Slipknot, A Day to Remember, Babymetal and more". Beat Magazine. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  46. ^ "Ultra Australia - April 12, 2025". Ultra Australia. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  47. ^ "Hypersonic". Symbiotic. 12 August 2025. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
  48. ^ "Good Things 2025". Songkick. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  49. ^ "Dreamstate Australia 2026 Lineup & Dates Revealed | OZ EDM: Electronic Dance Music News Australia". ozedm.com. 13 October 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2026.
  50. ^ "안녕, Hello, Melbourne Music Festival 2026 - Get Tickets". Australian Music Scene. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  51. ^ "Keinemusik @ Flemington Racecourse". Bandsintown. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  52. ^ "Ultra Australia - April 12, 2025". Ultra Australia. Archived from the original on 6 March 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
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