Melbourne Cup Decorations

Gear up for the races this year with our range of Melbourne Cup decorations!

Thinking of hosting the Melbourne Cup event for your mates this November? You’ll need flashy Melbourne Cup decorations to make the event more memorable! The Melbourne Cup is all about fascinators, fancy dress, champagne and making bets, eating all the snacks and catching the
“race that stops the nation”. 
You don’t have to be at Flemington Racecourse to celebrate the big event — all you need is the right Melbourne Cup decorations to set the mood. From Horse Racing Table Runners and Race Day Paper Plates, Matching Cocktail Napkins and Gold Cocktail Glasses for serving the bubbly,
we have everything you need for a horse racing-themed party!

Browse through our collection of horse racing decorations and shop online for fast, affordable shipping throughout Australia — alternatively,
take advantage of our free and convenient click-and-collect services. Our brick-and-mortar store is a short five-minute drive from the Newcastle CBD. 

The history of the Melbourne Cup

When the Melbourne Cup was first run in 1861, there were two organising committees controlling horse racing in Victoria — the Victorian Turf Club and the Victorian Jockeys Club. The Melbourne Cup was introduced to trump the success of the Victorian Jockey Club’s races like the Two Thousand Guineas. 

The two competing clubs merged into the Victorian Racing Club in 1964 and has controlled racing in Victoria and the Melbourne Cup ever since. The big race is held at Flemington Racecourse on the first Tuesday of November, and it’s a public holiday for Victorians — there’s a reason why it’s called
“the race that stops the nation”!

The Melbourne Cup is considered the world's richest “two-mile” handicap (i.e. a race where the horses carry different weights which the handicapper allocates) and one of the richest turf races. The total prize money award is now sitting at eight million dollars, but the Melbourne Cup itself has an extra $500,000 bonus for the owner of the winning horse if it has also run the group one Irish St Leger, run the previous September. 

Fun fact: the winner of the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 won a gold watch, and the first Melbourne Cup trophy is now owned by wine personality Wolf Blass — it’s currently on display at Wolf Blass Gallery & Museum (i.e. the Adelaide Hills Wine Bar in Hahndorf, South Australia). 

As well as entertaining the masses at Flemington Racecourse and Aussies at pubs and parties all over the country, the Melbourne Cup is an excellent excuse for us all to get dressed up in suits and cocktail dresses, don a fascinator and share a few glasses of champagne! It’s an incredibly extravagant event where people can make a few bets and celebrate. 

How to decorate for the Melbourne Cup

Whether you’re hosting the Melbourne Cup at home or at a “swish” venue, we have affordable and stylish Melbourne Cup decorations to make the event even more memorable. Here are some quick tips on decorating a venue for the Melbourne Cup. 

• Dress the table with a table runner and matching tableware. You’ll need somewhere to serve drinks and snacks during the Melbourne Cup, and we’ve got tonnes of tableware and decorations to dress up the table. For a sleek and simple look, lay down a plain white tablecloth and a Horse Racing Paper Table Runner for a splash of colour. Then, add a Horse Racing Mini Cascade Centrepiece for a flashier look. 

• Create a tower of cupcakes with horse racing decorations. Snacks are a must-have throughout the day, and we recommend opting for something sweet and simple like cupcakes! Bake and decorate some cupcakes with mountains of icing and add horse racing decorations like our Jockey Helmet Toothpicks!
   
• Set up a photo booth. We stock Melbourne Cup Horse Racing Photo Prop Signs that guests can use to take fun, memorable photos during the festivities. Our photo props are sure to generate a few laughs, featuring top hats, diamond necklaces, trophies and more. Plus, after the party, you can upload the photos as an album that everyone can see and share on their socials.
   
• Curate a balloon arch for photo opportunities. At Flemington Racecourse, you’ll see stylish balloon arches all over the grounds to welcome guests to the Melbourne Cup… so why not make one for your own event? Our Assorted Melbourne Cup Horse Racing Print Balloons come in green, blue, purple, pink, orange and yellow, so you can create a rainbow arch for guests to walk through. 
   
• Take the colourful route with our Melbourne Cup cutouts. The Flemington Racecourse parties feature neutral colours like white, tan and gold, but that doesn’t mean you need to opt for those muted colours. To add a splash of vibrancy to your event, hang some of our colourful Horse & Jockey Cutouts with a foil finish — with purple, red, green, blue, gold and silver, the pop of colour will be welcomed!
   
• Don’t forget disposable tableware for easy cleanup. There’s nothing worse than cleaning up at the end of the night or getting up the next morning to spend hours cleaning. Instead of spending hours doing the dishes, opt for disposable tableware that you can throw right in the bin. We stock environmentally friendly plates, bowls, and disposable champagne flutes for toasting. 

Shop the range online! We offer fast, affordable shipping and free in-store pickup from our store in Lambton, NSW. 

What to wear to a horse race-themed party

One of the main events of the Melbourne Cup is dressing up. Fancy suits, ties, cocktail dresses and fascinators — it’s the perfect opportunity to dress up, look and feel your absolute best, and take loads of photos with friends and family. Alternatively, you can go in the opposite direction and dress up as a horse or a jockey to make your mates laugh!

Mix humour and class by wearing a suit or dress, and top the look off with our Deluxe Plush Horse Head. Your friends won’t be expecting it, and it’ll make for some memorable photos to post on social media. Alternatively, rock up to the event in our Brown Horse One-Piece Suit Costume
and forget the fancy dress altogether. 

While the horses are the stars of the show, you can’t forget about the jockeys on their backs. We’ve got Unisex Green & White Jockey Costumes ranging from Small to X-Large, so you can star as one of the jockeys this year. Top off the look with a pair of Black Plastic Jockey Glasses and a Black Horse Crop, or simply don one of our glitter jockey hats in gold, black, silver or red. 

Shop Melbourne Cup decorations online with Shindigs!

If you're looking for Melbourne Cup party decorations, you've come to the right place! Here at Shindigs, we offer a wide range of Melbourne Cup decorations, perfect for those horse racing-themed parties. We offer fast shipping throughout Australia,
so you can be sure to get your decorations in time for the big race. 

Browse our selection and order your Melbourne Cup decorations online today! We offer fast and affordable shipping throughout Australia and
free click-and-collect services from our store in Lambton NSW (just five minutes from the Newcastle CBD).