VRC reports 12 per cent Oaks Day hospitality rise as Birdcage grows
More than 25 companies and sponsors will feature in the 2026 Birdcage, while the VRC will double members’ reserved tables in its expanded Central Rose Garden.
The Victoria Racing Club says corporate hospitality revenue for Crown Oaks Day is 12 per cent higher year-on-year as it expands the Birdcage Enclosure for the 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
More than 25 companies and sponsors will have a presence in the Flemington precinct, which will be presented under the VRC’s Garden of Gardens concept. The club did not disclose the revenue base or dollar value behind the Oaks Day increase.
Members’ reserved tables in the Central Rose Garden will double from 2025. The expanded space will sit at the centre of the Birdcage and form one of seven gardens planned across the enclosure.
VRC chief executive Kylie Rogers said the Birdcage continued to attract strong demand by combining corporate entertainment with the Carnival’s social program.
“Year after year, the Birdcage attracts strong demand from corporate guests,” Rogers said.
Asahi Beverages will make its first Birdcage appearance as Flemington’s beer and cider partner under the seven-year agreement announced in April.
The Asahi Super Dry Garden will serve Asahi Super Dry alongside Carlton Draught, Great Northern Super Crisp and Balter XPA. The wider racecourse agreement also includes Somersby cider.
Asahi replaced Lion at Flemington after Lion held the course’s beverage rights for 25 years. Asahi was already the VRC’s non-alcoholic beverages partner through Schweppes.
Other returning Birdcage partners include Lexus, Crown, TAB, G.H. Mumm, Nine and Tequila Don Julio. Crown’s Marmont venue will return after its sellout debut in 2025, while Cygnett will introduce a charging lounge and free charging stations across Flemington.
Yakimono will make its Birdcage debut with a retail pop-up open to all guests. The Rails Promenade will also return, offering trackside viewing alongside betting facilities and super screens, while the enclosure’s main stage will host musical acts during each race day.
The expansion follows the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival, which drew more than 286,000 racegoers, its biggest attendance since 2018.
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