Inside the Melbourne Cup Carnival: CEO Kylie Rogers on Celebs, Fashion & Flemington’s Future

The Melbourne Cup Carnival is changing, and Victoria Racing Club CEO Kylie Rogers is right at the centre of it. This week, Isaac Smith and Elliot Garnaut sit down with Kylie to go inside the 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, from the celebrities, fashion and famous Birdcage to world-class racing, live music, food and the evolution of one of Australia’s biggest sporting events. Kylie reveals how the VRC is balancing more than 160 years of tradition with a new generation of racegoers, including the “festivalisation” of racing, changes to members’ fashion rules and a growing focus on music, dining and entertainment. They break down all four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including Howden Victoria Derby Day, Lexus Melbourne Cup Day, Crown Oaks Day and TAB Champions Stakes Day, plus what makes each day at Flemington completely different. Kylie also takes Isaac and Elliot behind the scenes of what it’s actually like to run the VRC during Cup Week. There’s plenty coming in 2026 too, including Robbie Williams performing on Melbourne Cup Day, new food and dining experiences across Flemington, Fashions on the Field and plenty more still to be announced. Kylie also explains why Flemington is becoming about much more than racing, combining sport with fashion, food, wine, entertainment and Melbourne culture. And, naturally, Elliot wants to know what everyone will be wearing. Subscribe to No Utes in the Valet for more conversations covering AFL, sport, fashion, celebrity news, pop culture and the wonderfully unlikely friendship between four-time AFL premiership player and Norm Smith medallist Isaac Smith and celebrity stylist Elliot Garnaut.