Whittlesea Show 2026 Timetable: Dairy Cattle From 9:30am Saturday, Fun Dog Show 4pm, Grand Parade 2pm Sunday 8 November (Whittlesea, VIC)

The Whittlesea Show timetable is published only in part: the 2026 schedule gives exact start times for the livestock judging, the free competitions and the Grand Parade at 2pm on Sunday, but not for the circus, the stage acts or the other attractions. This guide lists the main times the Whittlesea Agricultural Society has put in writing as of 27 October 2026, split by day. Tickets, parking and public transport are in our getting there and tickets guide.

What starts before the weekend?

The schedule says the show begins with horse-only events on Friday 6 November, and the full show runs on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November at the Whittlesea Showgrounds on Whittlesea-Yea Road. The society’s website lists public opening hours of 9am to 5pm on the Saturday and Sunday only, so treat Friday as the exhibitors’ day unless the society says otherwise. The schedule also says horse classes and show jumping run in several rings across the weekend, and it lists the ring, the start time and the entry rules for each class in its horse section.

What is on, and when, on Saturday 7 November?

Time	What	Where
9am	Commercial beef cattle judged; Valais Blacknose sheep judged; pygmy goats penned ready for judging	Cattle yards and pavilions
9:30am	Poultry judging begins; Guernsey and Holstein dairy cattle judged	Poultry Pavilion; cattle area
10am	Jersey dairy cattle judged	Cattle area
10:30am	Unlisted breeds of dairy cattle judged	Cattle area
11am	Presentation of winners after domestic trade cattle judging	Commercial Cattle area
12pm	Beef Handler’s Spectacular and Southern Star Advisory Beef Judging Spectacular	Cattle area
12:30pm	Boot throw (free)	Main Arena
3pm onwards	Fun and games: egg throw, bread waiters race, egg and spoon race, sack race (free)	Main Arena
4pm	Fun Dog Show (free)	Oak Stage
4:30pm	Earliest time poultry and sheep exhibits can be removed from their pavilions	Poultry and sheep pavilions
5pm	Show closes; most pavilions close	Whole showgrounds

The schedule also says alpacas are on display on Saturday and woodchop events run across both days. Neither has a published start time.

What is on, and when, on Sunday 8 November?

Time	What	Where
9am	Stud sheep (short wool and long wool) judged; stud beef cattle breed classes judged	Sheep Pavilion; cattle area
10am	Sheep and prime lambs judged (schedule: judged Sunday 10am)	Sheep Pavilion
10am	Hoof and Hook competition judged (cattle must arrive before 9am)	Cattle area
12:30pm	Boot throw (free)	Main Arena
1pm	Supreme Beef Exhibit and the supreme champion beef bull and female judged	Cattle area
2pm	Grand Parade	Main Arena
5pm	Show closes; photography exhibits can be collected	Whole showgrounds

The society’s attractions page and its schedule both put the Grand Parade at about 2pm on Sunday. A line in the general regulations says prizewinners in the Horses and Stud Cattle sections parade at 3pm, so aim to be at the Main Arena before 2pm.

Which sessions are free to join?

The society says turning up is enough for the Fun and Games on the Main Arena; entry is free on the day, though you still need a show ticket to be inside the grounds (the schedule says members ticket or daily gate ticket only). The boot throw has classes for boys and girls aged 4 to 7 and 8 to 12, plus men’s open and ladies’ open. The Fun Dog Show on the Oak Stage on Saturday at 4pm is free to enter. Online entries close at midnight on Wednesday 28 October at showday.online/show/whittlesea, and the schedule says you can also enter on the day by arriving 10 minutes before. All dogs must stay on a lead, and the classes include the smallest dog, the cutest dog, the fluffiest or scruffiest dog and the fanciest dressed dog.

Which attractions have no published times?

The attractions page lists these 2026 acts without times: Eroni’s Circus, Elijay’s Freestyle Show, Beloka Kelpies working dog display, Fizzics Education science shows, helicopter rides, The Stilt Divas, show jumping and mounted games, Oak Stage and Village Green Stage performances, Black Snake Production reptile education, the Royal Flying Doctors, SES and CFA displays, and Incredibooth. The schedule’s feature list also names carnival rides, showbags, stage coach rides, motorcycles and vintage engines. Ask at the Administration Building or look for a program board on the day; the society has not said whether one will be posted.

Which day is best for the animals?

If you want to see	Go on	Source detail
Dairy cattle judging	Saturday	Judged from 9:30am (Guernsey and Holstein), then Jersey and unlisted breeds
Beef cattle, Hoof and Hook	Sunday	Beef breed classes from 9am, Hoof and Hook at 10am, supreme exhibits at 1pm
Sheep competition	Sunday	The society’s Hobby Farm page says the full sheep competition program is on day 2
Alpacas	Saturday	On display in the Hobby Livestock area on Saturday
Poultry	Saturday	Judging starts at 9:30am; birds stay until at least 4:30pm
Animal Nursery and woodchop	Either day	Open across the day, both days

What is open all day on both days?

Several areas have no start time because the society says they are open across the day. The Animal Nursery has baby farm animals to pat and feed, from miniature ponies to ferrets, piglets, lambs, goats, chickens and rabbits. The Food Expo is on the north hill near the Administration Building and is open all day on both days, with a seating area under the large oak tree and vendors who let you try the food first.

The Heritage Pavilion has historical machinery and a working blacksmith area, plus hay baling and sheep shearing demonstrations, but the society has not published times for the demonstrations. The Hobby Livestock display in the Sheep Pavilion includes pygmy goats, miniature Mediterranean donkeys, Valais Blacknose sheep, miniature Highland cattle and miniature Babydoll sheep, and the breeders are there to talk about their animals. Art is shown inside the Football Club building. The woodchop runs standing block and underhand chops across the weekend, and the schedule says the Whittlesea Agricultural Society reserves the right to cancel any event.

Plan around the closing time. The general regulations say most pavilions close at 5pm on both days, and the poultry and sheep sections say exhibits cannot be removed before 4:30pm, so the animals are on show until then. If the Grand Parade at 2pm is your priority, the cattle yards and the Animal Nursery are the places to fit in before or after it.

What if the times change?

The schedule is the society’s own planning document, and the society says it reserves the right to cancel any event. We have not seen a wet-weather plan. We will re-check the society’s pages closer to the weekend and update this guide if the times move. For questions the society’s office is on (03) 9716 2835 or info@whittleseashow.org.au.

Sources

• Whittlesea Agricultural Society — Whittlesea Show (dates and hours; checked 27 October 2026)
• Whittlesea Show — 2026 show schedule (cattle, sheep, poultry, Fun and Games and Fun Dog Show times, Grand Parade)
• Whittlesea Show — Attractions (2026 activities)
• Whittlesea Show — Pavilions (cattle days, hobby livestock)
• Whittlesea Show — Hobby Farm Livestock (alpacas, sheep competition day)
• Whittlesea Show — Fun Dog Show
• Whittlesea Show — Fun and Games
• Whittlesea Show — Woodchop
• Whittlesea Agricultural Society — General regulations (pavilion closing, parade line)

Featured image: a bull being shown at the 2013 Royal Melbourne Show, not the Whittlesea Show (photo: Chris Phutully from Australia / CC BY 2.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Whittlesea Agricultural Society or the City of Whittlesea. Times and the program can change; check the society’s pages before you go.