How to Watch the Melbourne Cup 2026 Live and Free
By Compare TV Editorial Team
The 2026 Melbourne Cup is on Tuesday 3 November. The race starts at 3:00pm AEDT in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Hobart, 2:30pm in Adelaide, 2:00pm in Brisbane, 1:30pm in Darwin and 12:00pm (noon) in Perth. It is live and free on Channel 9, and you can stream it free on 9Now with a free Nine account while you are in Australia.
Nine is in the third year of its deal with the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), which runs to 2029, so Channel 9 is the home of the Cup on free-to-air TV. We checked the details below against the VRC, Nine and other published sources on 27 October 2026.
Melbourne Cup week 2026 dates
The Melbourne Cup Carnival has four days at Flemington. Times are Melbourne time (AEDT), from the VRC race day pages.
| Day | Date | First race |
|---|---|---|
| Derby Day | Sat 31 Oct | 12:20pm |
| Cup Day | Tue 3 Nov | 10:45am |
| Oaks Day | Thu 5 Nov | 1:00pm |
| Stakes Day | Sat 7 Nov | 12:40pm |
The headline races are the Victoria Derby on Derby Day, the Melbourne Cup at 3:00pm on Cup Day, the Crown Oaks on Oaks Day and the Champions Stakes on Stakes Day. Cup Day is a public holiday across Victoria, although regional councils can swap it for a local day.
How to watch the Melbourne Cup on TV
Channel 9 will show all four days live and free, starting at 11:30am AEDT on Derby Day, according to Nine. Eddie McGuire hosts from Flemington and Matthew Hill calls the 166th Cup. You only need a TV with an antenna tuned to Channel 9, and it costs nothing.
Nine's announcement gives only the Derby Day start time. On race day, open our Channel 9 TV guide to see when Cup Day coverage starts in your city, or browse our Channel 9 page for the rest of the network.
How to stream the Melbourne Cup
The simplest free option is 9Now, which streams Channel 9 live. It costs nothing, but you need to create a Nine account. It works on phones, tablets, web browsers and TV devices including Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Foxtel iQ. 9Now only works inside Australia, and Nine's help centre says a VPN can block it even at home, so switch yours off.
Here is how the options compare:
- Channel 9: free-to-air, live on all four days.
- 9Now: free with a Nine account, Australia only.
- Racing.com: its website, its app and free-to-air channels 78 (metro) and 68 (regional), as listed by the VRC.
- Foxtel and Kayo: Racing.com is on Foxtel channel 529 and Kayo Sports, so check the guide on the day.
- Sky Racing and the TAB app: these carry the Carnival under the VRC's deal with Tabcorp, which can sell coverage on to wagering providers.
You do not need Foxtel or Kayo. TV Blackbox reported that the Cup will be live on Nine and Racing.com, and the rights deal puts the Carnival on Sky platforms and the TAB app as well. For other ways to watch live sport, see our free-to-air guide, Foxtel and Kayo Sports pages.
Listen to the Melbourne Cup on radio
Triple M Racing, which airs on 105.1 Triple M in Melbourne and streams on LiSTNR, will be trackside for the Cup. The VRC lists RSN and Sky Racing for live racing audio, and RSN is on 927 AM in Melbourne. SEN's Get On Spring breakfast show runs a three-hour Cup Day special from 6am to 9am on SEN 1116 in Melbourne, as well as on RSN and SENTrack.
Watching the Melbourne Cup from overseas
9Now has no international streaming rights, so Nine blocks it outside Australia. The VRC offers a free international live stream for viewers outside Australia and the United States, which you can find through its broadcast guide. The 2023 Cup was broadcast to 209 countries and territories, according to the VRC, Tabcorp and Nine, so a local racing or sports broadcaster in your country may show it too. Stick with these official options. If you are in the United States, the VRC stream is not available there, so check your local racing broadcasters.
The field and favourites
The Melbourne Cup is a 3200m handicap with a limit of 24 runners and $10.2 million in prize money, including $4.5 million for the winner.
The field is not final. After third acceptances on 26 October, 39 horses were still in contention, 12 of them from overseas. The VRC will announce the final field on Saturday 31 October, after Derby Day, and barrier numbers can only be set once it is known.
The VRC's 26 October updates put Ciaron Maher's Point Of Law, the Geelong Cup winner, at the top of the betting, and note that Joseph O'Brien, a two-time Cup-winning trainer, has three of the top four: Trustyourinstinct, Defiantly and James J Braddock. Maher has 10 horses still in contention, O'Brien has eight, and Japan's Stinger Glass is also in the mix.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the Melbourne Cup start in my state?
The race starts at 3:00pm AEDT on Tuesday 3 November 2026 in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT. It is 2:30pm in South Australia, 2:00pm in Queensland, 1:30pm in the Northern Territory and 12:00pm (noon) in Western Australia.
What channel is the Melbourne Cup on?
Channel 9. Nine shows all four days of Cup week live and free, starting at 11:30am AEDT on Derby Day, Saturday 31 October.
How can I stream the Melbourne Cup for free?
Use 9Now, which streams Channel 9 live. It is free with a Nine account and only works inside Australia.
Is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday?
Yes, across Victoria, unless a regional council has arranged a different local holiday.
Do I need Foxtel or Kayo to watch the Melbourne Cup?
No. The Cup is free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Racing.com is also on Foxtel channel 529 and Kayo Sports, and Sky Racing carries the Carnival, but you do not need any of them.
Can I watch the Melbourne Cup from overseas?
Not on 9Now, which is limited to Australia. The VRC offers a free international live stream for viewers outside Australia and the United States.
When is the final Melbourne Cup field announced?
The VRC will announce the final field of up to 24 horses on Saturday 31 October, after Derby Day.
