Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour 2024 | Melbourne Cup Carnival

Come join the Tour in '24

Applications to host this year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour are now closed.

Thank you to every person, town or community who has applied or enquired to host the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour. The VRC are very excited to have received a record number of applications to host this year's Tour. All applications are now under consideration to become a host destination. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements to see if your local community has been selected.

Every year, communities across Australia welcome the Lexus Melbourne Cup on its journey bringing enormous pleasure to residents, businesses and groups who engage with the Australian cultural icon in the months and weeks leading up to The Race That Stops A Nation®.

Since 2003, the three-handled Cup has travelled locally and internationally, visiting more than 640 destinations and over 1 million kilometres. This includes visiting 482 schools, 401 hospitals and aged care facilities, participating in over 2100 community events and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local fundraising initiatives.

What can the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour visit do for your community.

With over 640 destinations visited to date, the Tour has demonstrated its power to unite communities and raise much-needed funds for local initiatives. It represents more than just a sporting event; it's a catalyst for positive change and collective celebration.

As Sissy Hoskin from Go Nagambie, VIC shared, “the Tour raced into Nagambie spreading joy and excitement, uniting our community with a common goal of making the experience unforgettable. Through the Tour's visit, we witnessed firsthand how it brought our community together, enabling us to contribute towards our priority projects while celebrating The People's Cup.”

Every year community groups including sporting clubs, schools, businesses, charities, and hospitals submit their applications to host a stage of the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour, and the chance to win $50,000 for a charity of their choice through the National Sweep.

For general enquiries about The Tour, please contact peoplescup@vrc.net.au
For Terms and Conditions view here.

The National Sweep

The Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep is an important charity initiative, giving 24 rural and regional Cup Tour destinations across Australia the opportunity to be allocated a barrier for the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup.

Representatives from each of the 24 destinations will be flown to Melbourne to watch the Lexus Melbourne Cup live on track at Flemington and the town which draws the barrier of the winning horse will be presented with a cash prize of $50,000 to put towards a charity of their choice.

Celebrating unforgettable moments

Selected Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour destination communities will be supported by the VRC to plan and host a range of memorable community events during the Cup’s visit.

The tour has seen the iconic trophy and racing legends journey far and wide across Australia and the world, with previous destinations including Birdsville in central Queensland, Tokyo in Japan, Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, York in the United Kingdom, Deloraine in Tasmania, Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Broome in Western Australia.

What The People's Cup means to the community

All destinations have a story to tell – whether the community has been hit by adversity, has played a part in the Cup’s history, or has something or someone to celebrate.

Sally Cannon from Event Organising Committee, Apollo Bay reminisced, “The Cup Tour brought joy and excitement to everyone who attended our fundraising events, which culminated at The Redwoods, with a young girl so overcome with emotion while holding the Cup she burst into tears. This set us all off with tears flowing amongst the community leaders. It was an incredible experience.”

When visiting a host destination, The Cup Tour brings not only a stable of racing legends as Tour Ambassadors sharing their unforgettable Melbourne Cup moments, it also delivers prestige, economic benefits, community engagement and lasting memories, combining to create a huge sense of local excitement and wider awareness for the destination.

Read about last year's winner of the National Sweep

The Macedon community donate $50,000 to Living Legends

Congratulations to the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour National Sweep winner, Macedon and their $50,000 richer nominated charity, Living Legends.

Macedon nominated Living Legends, home to many retired Melbourne Cup champions, as their charity of choice following the People’s Cup visit to the regional Victorian town in October.