Ah, Autumn Racing Carnival season is almost here. 

There’s something special about the races in autumn. While Spring Racing continues to be the more popular series of events, it would be amiss to dismiss the wonders of enjoying company and celebrating when the weather’s noticeably cooler and the foliage is warmer. Not to mention the fashion! The richness in textures, the depth in colours. 

What’s different between this year and the past years? There are a lot more opportunities and ways to celebrate! Read on to find out more.

What is Autumn Racing Carnival?

The Autumn Racing Carnival is a series of events in Sydney, hosted by the Australian Turf Club (ATC). It’s six weeks of celebrating fun and fashion trackside. For fashion lovers like us (that’s you and our team), it’s a season for exploring different palettes, patterns and textures while trying to stay authentic to our personal styles.

While the term Autumn Racing Carnival is what ATC calls their series of festivities during the season, there are other racing clubs in Australia that also hold events at this time. 

Victoria Racing Club have their own Flemington Autumn Carnival, and Perth Racing have the Ascot Autumn Racing Carnival.

What to wear to Autumn Racing Carnival

There are different dress codes for different race clubs, so it’s best to check each place to confirm. There are also different dress codes for different membership tiers at each club. Member areas require more formal and traditional attire while general admission areas tend to be a bit more relaxed. 

If you’re looking for more specific style notes, though, we got you. Autumn is such a fun and exciting season to dress up for.

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Go deep

The thing to note about Autumn Racing Carnival style is that it’s distinctly different from Spring Racing Carnival style. While we’re all for wearing brights all-year-round, we say take the season as a chance to play with bold and rich colours — reds, browns, oranges, blues. 

Think texture

Rich textures like velvet, corduroy and suede. Oh, we’re just getting started. Autumn is the perfect season to enjoy these luscious fabrics — not only for how they look but also for their utility. While it’s still ultimately up to personal choice, we recommend keeping pieces in these fabrics in use when the weather’s colder so you can feel more comfortable and confident wearing them (as opposed to when the heat index is higher and they feel heavy and icky).

Wool is the way

As you may know, racewear isn’t complete without headwear. Instead of straw, which is the best choice for spring, opt for wool. Cowboy hats and berets are what to look for. Browns and blacks are go-to options. Red and blue are great too.. If you’re more of a headpiece or headband type of person, choose velvet and corduroy as fabric choices. In terms of colour, go for jewel tones.

Check out our Autumn Racing collection for options.

Autumn Racing Carnival 2026 Schedule

Ready to have fun during the carnival? Here are the key dates to take note of.

Sydney

The festivities in Sydney during this season are the longest — a total of six weeks, starting from March. You’ll have plenty of opportunities for fun and fashion!

Chandon Ladies Day: 14 March (a touch of pink)
TAB Golden Slipper Day: 21 March (a touch of gold)
Family Stakes Day: 28 March (relaxed but poised)
The Championships Day 1: 4 April (black and white)
The Championships Day 2: 11 April (big and bold) 

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Melbourne

For Victoria folks, enjoy the autumn festivities at Flemington in three weekends, starting from late February.

Australian Guineas Day: 28 February (chic and classic)
Super Saturday: 7 March (Fashions on the Field)
TAB Australian Cup Day: 28 March (big and bold)

Perth

Folks in Western Australia have the longest Autumn carnival (love it!), starting from mid-March until May.

St. Patrick’s Race Day: 14 March (a touch of green)
Rock Magic Stakes Day: 21 March (relaxed but poised)
Drummond Golf WA Oaks Day: 28 March (feminine and elegant)
Schweppes WATC Derby Day: 11 April (black and white)
Quokka Day: 18 April (big and bold)
WA Sires’ Produce Stakes Day: 2 May (relaxed but poised)
Ascot Closing Day: 9 May (big and bold)

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