Revealed: The real reason this year’s Melbourne Cup parade was cancelled

The Melbourne Cup Parade will be replaced by a week of riverside celebrations next month due to a one-off scratching of the traditional race eve ceremony. Here’s why.

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp and Victorian Racing Club Chairman Neil Wilson at the 2022 parade. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Melbourne Cup Parade will next month be replaced with a week of riverside celebrations in a one-off scratching of the traditional race eve ceremony.

The Victoria Racing Club will on Thursday announce a Cup Week live site at Petanque Social on Crown Riverwalk, instead of the much loved parade that has stopped traffic since 1983.

But the VRC has vowed to bring the parade back to CBD streets next year and blamed state government construction works rather than animal rights activists as the reason for pausing this year’s ceremony.

The Herald Sun can reveal the new live site will run across all four days of the Carnival and the days in between, with big screens, DJs, food and entertainment.

Traditionally the cup is paraded through the streets of Melbourne on the eve of the cup. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

In a nod to the parade, jockeys, trainers, Cup connections and the cup itself will be presented to fans along the river walk on Cup Eve, similar to how they are traditionally feted at Federation Square.

VRC chief executive Steve Rosich said the new live site would be the go-to venue for Cup Week celebrations outside of Flemington and could become a permanent part of the race that stops a nation.

“We are clear that our intent is to bring the parade back to the city when we can again next year,’’ he said.

“And whether that means we end up with this live site and a parade, we will certainly look at that possibility as well,’’ he said.

Mr Rosich stressed that “Big Build’’ works along the usual parade along Swanston St to Federation Square had made this year’s event unworkable, not protesters.

“The practicalities of the Big Build were that we had to consider alterative options this year and we’ve the opportunity to look at this one year activity differently and to innovate,’’ he said.

“And to establish a permanent site for the week which racegoers and event enthusiasts alike can engage with the Melbourne Cup Carnival.’’

Other parade routes were considered before the decision to settle on “the week long activation.’’

The Cup Eve celebration will be staged from 11am, with an industry event for connections of all 24 runners of the race that stops a nation afterwards.

All 37 races over the Cup Carnival will be televised on big screens at Petanque Social for the public, from midday every race day and 10am on Melbourne Cup Day.

It is not the first time Crown Riverwalk has hosted a live site for major events, with golf legend Tiger Woods chipping balls into a floating river target to tee off the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne.

Crown Melbourne chief executive Mike Volkert said the site would be: “An extension of the magic of Flemington.’’