The Big Dance on Cup Day at Royal Randwick, Tuesday 3 November 2026: Race Ticket Covers Transport, First Race 11:45am, City Circle Closed From 9:40pm (Sydney, NSW)

This has now finished. The details below applied up to Tuesday 3 November 2026 and are kept as a record.

A ticket to The Big Dance on Cup Day at Royal Randwick on Tuesday 3 November 2026 includes travel on all public transport modes to and from the racecourse, according to Transport for NSW. Gates open at 10:30am, the first race is at 11:45am and the last race is at 6:05pm. After the last race the page lists a concert by Furnace and the Fundamentals. Planned trackwork closes the City Circle from 9:40pm, so check your trip home before you leave. Sydney is on daylight saving time (AEDT) in November, so all times here are Sydney time.

This guide is based on the Transport for NSW event page, read on 31 October 2026. For an earlier race day at the same venue, see our Spring Champion Stakes guide.

Does my race ticket cover public transport?

Yes. Transport for NSW says valid pre-purchased tickets to Everest Carnival 2026 at Randwick Racecourse between 19 September and 7 November (inclusive) include travel to and from Royal Randwick Racecourse. Show your event ticket or ATC Members card to transport staff when boarding. The ticket covers:

• Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity services (non-booked services bounded by Bomaderry, Goulburn, Bathurst, Scone and Dungog stations)
• Sydney Metro services
• Sydney metropolitan and outer metropolitan bus services
• Sydney, Parramatta and Newcastle light rail services
• Sydney and Newcastle ferries

Keep the ticket safe for the trip home. Without it you need your Opal card or contactless payment method, because you must have a valid ticket when travelling on public transport. The ticket is valid on those modes until 4am the following day. An additional train station access fee applies to travel to or from the Domestic and International Airport stations, and the event ticket does not cover it.

Race day tickets also include free Park&Ride parking, according to the page. Park&Ride gives up to 18 hours of free parking each day when you complete a public transport trip. When leaving the car park, use the intercom button at the exit gate and show your event ticket. If you use a Transport Connect account, the boom gate opens automatically and you need to request a refund in your account. See our Park&Ride guide for how it works.

How do I get there by train and light rail?

The closest station to Royal Randwick Racecourse is Central. Change there for a light rail service to Royal Randwick on the L2 Randwick line, leaving from Chalmers Street, or catch an L3 Kingsford line service to Kensington to get within walking distance of the racecourse. Additional light rail services run between Central Chalmers Street and Royal Randwick to help you get to and from the event. The page links a Randwick Racecourse transport map (PDF, 456KB).

Stop	Line	Where it is
Royal Randwick	L2 Randwick	On Alison Road, just across from the racecourse
Kensington	L3 Kingsford	On Anzac Parade, a short walk from the racecourse entry on Ascot Street

The L2 line runs between Circular Quay and Randwick via Central (Chalmers Street), and the L3 line runs between Circular Quay and Juniors Kingsford via Central (Chalmers Street). Both run regularly from 5am to 1am daily. If you are on Sydney Metro, the page says the M1 line runs turn-up-and-go services between Tallawong, Chatswood and Bankstown from early morning until late. Change at Central for the L2 or L3.

Light rail line	How to reach Royal Randwick or Kensington
L1 Dulwich Hill	Runs between Central (Grand Concourse) and Dulwich Hill via Darling Harbour and the Inner West; change at Central for an L2 or L3 service from Chalmers Street
L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford	Direct to Royal Randwick (L2) or Kensington (L3)
L4 Westmead and Carlingford	Alight at Parramatta Square, take a train from Parramatta station to Central, then an L2 or L3 service

Transport for NSW reminds passengers that trams cannot stop quickly or easily, so stop, listen and look around for trams and use the designated pedestrian crossings.

What trackwork affects trains on 3 November?

Planned trackwork on Tuesday 3 November runs into the evening, when many people head home. On the City Circle, from 9:40pm to 1:30am, trains do not run on the City Circle or between Central and Wynyard. For travel in the City, use T4 Eastern Suburbs line trains, Metro, light rail, local buses or walk. For T1 North Shore line stations, change at Wynyard or use Metro services. The table lists the changes by line, with the times Transport for NSW gives.

Line	Times	What changes
T1 North Shore	9:40pm to 1:30am	Trains run between Berowra and Wynyard only. Use Metro between Chatswood and the City, or change at Wynyard for light rail. Trains do not run between Wynyard and Central
T1 Western	9:40pm to 1:30am	Changed timetable between Penrith and Central, platforms 1-14 only, with extra stops at some stations between Parramatta and Burwood
T2 Leppington & Inner West	9:20pm to 1:30am	Buses replace Inner West trains between Strathfield and Central; express trains continue. Changed timetable between Leppington and Olympic Park; change at Lidcombe
T3 Liverpool & Inner West	9:20pm to 1:30am	Buses replace Inner West trains between Strathfield and Central; express trains continue. Trains run between Liverpool and Lidcombe only; change at Lidcombe
T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra	9:30pm to 1:30am	Some trains make extra stops at St Peters and Erskineville
T5 Cumberland	11:50pm to 1:30am	Changed timetable between Richmond or Leppington and Olympic Park; some trains start and end at Granville
T8 Airport & South	9:30pm to 1:30am	Trains via the Airport start and end at Central. T8 trains do not run between Sydenham and the City; T4 trains run between Sydenham and Bondi Junction with extra stops at St Peters and Erskineville
T9 Northern	9:30pm to 1:30am	Changed timetable between Hornsby and Central, platforms 1-14 only, with some extra stops at Croydon and Ashfield

Transport for NSW adds that City Circle trackwork may also affect how you travel on several of these lines. Use the Trip Planner on the day for the latest changes.

Which buses and ferries can I use?

Regular Sydney Buses travel between the city and the eastern suburbs via Anzac Parade and Alison Road, with stops near the racecourse. The page names routes 339, 373, 374, 375 and 396. There is one bus stop closure, from 9am to 7:30pm: the Route 339 stop on Darley Road opposite Randwick TAFE (Stop ID 203144) is closed for services towards Clovelly. Use the Centennial Park Main Gate stop on Darley Road (Stop ID 203145) instead. For ferries, catch any service to Circular Quay and change for light rail to Royal Randwick on the L2 or to Kensington on the L3.

Where can I park, and where are the clearways?

There is free parking in the Infield car park on site, with entry via High Street opposite UNSW. Members Private Reserved Parking is in the multi-deck car park, with entry via Ascot Street, and members must display their members car park permit at all times. If you drive, traffic will be heavier than usual on roads around the racecourse, so allow additional travel time. Live conditions are on Live Traffic NSW.

Special event clearways are in place at these times and places, and they are strict no-parking zones:

Hours	Where
4am to 7pm	Darley Road between Alison Road and the Grand Drive roundabout (western side)
8am to 7pm	Ascot Street between Doncaster Avenue and the roundabout at the Ascot Street entry to the racecourse (both sides)
3pm to 7pm	High Street between UNSW Gate Two Avenue and Anzac Parade (southern side)

Where do taxis and rideshare drop off?

Taxi entry is via the Ascot Street entrance, where there is a secure taxi rank for drop-offs and pick-ups. Taxis, rideshare and hire cars are not permitted to stop on Alison Road, Ascot Street or Doncaster Avenue. For rideshare, the page gives two drop-off and pick-up points: Darley Road between Alison Road and the Darley Road roundabout (western side), and the bus plaza at the front of the racecourse on Alison Road, reached by the slip road from Alison Road or Darley Road. From 3pm to 8pm there are restrictions on rideshare pick-up locations because of expected heavy traffic, with pick-ups on sections of Alison Road, Ascot Street, Darley Road and Doncaster Avenue restricted, so you need to select a pick-up location away from the racecourse.

Sources

• Transport for NSW — The Big Dance on Cup Day, Everest Carnival (read 31 October 2026)
• Live Traffic NSW

Featured image: Royal Randwick Racecourse from the air, June 2012 (photo: Maksym Kozlenko / CC BY-SA 3.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Royal Randwick Racecourse, Australian Turf Club or Transport for NSW. Services, closures and prices can change; check the official pages above and the signs on the day.