Giddy Up! Here’s Our Pick Of Brisbane’s Best Melbourne Cup Events
Trot on over
By Style Journos | 20th October 2026You didn’t think we would let Melbourne have all the fun, did you? Don your best headdress, saddle up, and trot on over to Brisbane’s best Melbourne Cup events, full of all the fun outside of Flemington. With champagne in hand and delicious dishes to keep you all fueled up, here are our favourite ways to spend 3 November in style.
By the way, we consider everyone in this list the best of the best! To make finding your next favourite that much easier, we’ve ordered the list alphabetically by suburb and also have filtering tabs for your convenience. Did we miss someone from the list? Let us know here! Hide the form
- All
- Brisbane CBD
- North Brisbane
- East Brisbane
- South Brisbane
- West Brisbane
- Gold Coast
- Noosa
- Sunshine Coast
Howard Smith Wharves
Brisbane City
Where better to celebrate Cup Day than at Brisbane’s premier riverside playground, Howard Smith Wharves? Toast to riverside views with fresh seafood, delectable canapés, and a 3.5-hour premium beverage package at Mr Percival’s. Or, if a sit-down do is more your Melbourne Cup style, enjoy a three-course Italian feast at CIAO, complete with a beverage package including spritzes, bubbles and beers ($250pp). For the ultimate indulgence, Stanley is getting into the spirit with its very own four-course Cantonese banquet, complete with a 3.5-hour beverage package (including Champagne). Felons Barrel Hall also has a suite of celebrations to get you going. Watch the race on the big screen with an exclusive food package ($105pp) or a food and beverage package ($185pp), with plenty of bubbles and good times to go around.
Bar Pacino
Brisbane City
Saddle up for Brisbane’s finest Melbourne Cup at Bar Pacino. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Story Bridge, this riverside hotspot is the ultimate place to enjoy the big day in style. Indulge in premium food and beverage packages, sip through crisp spritzes, and soak up the race day atmosphere with a live DJ. Catch all the race day action on screen and have fun with lucky door prizes and best-dressed awards. Whether it’s a corporate day out or entertaining friends, Bar Pacino is the place to be this Melbourne Cup.
Regatta Hotel
Toowong
Celebrate Cup Day in style at The Regatta Hotel, with three spectacular events to suit every race-day vibe. Every year, these celebrations sell out fast, and it’s easy to see why. For an afternoon of high style, The Boatshed will be hosting a decadent three-course menu paired with a three-hour premium all-inclusive beverage package. Over in the stunning Regatta Hotel Level 1 Winterford Room, guests can sip, savour, and socialise with roaming canapés, an opulent oyster and seafood station, flowing drinks, and live race coverage.
Stratton Bar & Kitchen
Newstead
For food that wows, drinks that keep flowing, and race-day energy you can’t beat, celebrate Melbourne Cup at Stratton Bar & Kitchen in Newstead. This year, Stratton’s teamed up with Life With Horses, a charity that rehomes retired racehorses, so you can have a blast while supporting a great cause. Choose your own Cup Day adventure with a $65pp feasting menu, complete with a complimentary glass of AIX Rosé on arrival, or simply book a table and enjoy the full à la carte menu and bar all afternoon. With a DJ setting the mood, charity sweeps, best-dressed prizes, and post-race celebrations, there’s plenty to keep the good times galloping long after the race is run. Do Cup Day… the Stratton way.
Emporium South Bank
South Brisbane
This Cup Day, Emporium South Bank is bringing all the glamour and good vibes you could wish for. Kick things off at The Terrace Rooftop Bar with Champagne on arrival and oysters that set the mood for the ultimate indulgence. Sip on a spritz from the cart, toast with flowing G.H. Mumm, and dive into the Bay to Bar seafood station – all while catching the race live on a massive 5-metre-wide LED screen. With live tunes, sweepstakes, raffles, and best-dressed prizes, it’s a proper celebration with heart, supporting the Mater Little Miracles Foundation.
Imagery: @howardsmithwharves
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