From saddling paddock to prime real estate: The evolution of Flemington’s Birdcage

Flemington’s exclusive Birdcage enclosure returns for four days across the Spring Racing Carnival, where some of the biggest sponsors and corporate marquees will entertain celebrities and VIP guests once again.

The Birdcage has attracted A-list actors and supermodels from around the world over the years, including Naomi Campbell, Dita Von Teese, Kim Cattrall and Nicole Kidman, who have drawn crowds to merely catch a glimpse of the stars.

The general public can also buy their way into the Birdcage this year in a push to bring what was once a VIP-only zone to the top-paying curious.

For $1,900, you will get access to the exclusive debut of the Marmont marquee in the Birdcage – a Crown restaurant and bar that brings a touch of California to the track.

But long before celebrities and VIPs took over the Birdcage at Flemington in the 1980s, the term itself referred to an area where horses were stabled in preparation for their race.

Crowds flock to the Birdcage to rub shoulders with celebrities and other VIPs. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty

The ‘birdcage’ was a nickname given to the saddling paddock at the historic Newmarket Racecourse in England.

At Flemington, it was established back in 1887 to create a barrier between the horses and the spectators all in the name of safety.

The Birdcage became a fully fenced off area and sponsored for the first time in 1985, known as The Foster’s Melbourne Cup.

This is when the demand for marquees really kicked off – when commercial sponsorship grew and the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) upgraded the nursery and Birdcage carparks with big TV screens, paving and toilets.

Real estate has always been a premium within the Birdcage enclosure, with corporate sponsors reportedly paying millions to have a top-tier spot here back in the mid 2000s.

The new-look Lexus pavilion at the Birdcage spans three levels. Picture: Supplied

It’s very tight-lipped on what each sponsor forks out each year in 2025, but insiders confirm its six figure sums to make the magic happen within, covering all aspects from design to build and delivery of the marquee and all the trimmings from shipped-in caviar and champagne.

Position is the greatest selling point – the famous Millionaire’s Row – a term dubbed by the late socialite Lillian Frank, where you’ll find the crème de la crème of sponsors this year.

This is where the excellent views of the track don’t come cheap for Lexus Australia, Crown, TAB, Nine and newcomer in the Birdcage, Kirin Ichiban.

The Birdcage takes 15 weeks to construct and occupies 18,000 square metres. More than 2500 people work on bringing it together including builders and service staff.

Designing and constructing these exclusive marquees comes down to the creative thinkers at Gloss Creative, Dot Dot Dash, Moth Design, The Big Group, PIM Group and Spacecube, which are all granted big budgets to keep the party and dining mood elevated over the Cup Carnival period.

G.H Mumm’s yacht themed marquee is spread across three floors. Picture: Jane Rocca

The Lexus Pavilion is the crown jewel at Flemington and one of the most sought-after invitation-only marquees.

This year they’ve unveiled a new building altogether, a foldable origami-style, three-storey construct that goes back to a Clayton factory to be stored when the season is over.

They’re big on sustainability at Lexus – unearthing dining chairs they used 15 years ago for guests, while reupholstering other pieces for a makeover.

A large artwork titled Liminal Cycles by Slovakian creatives Crafting Plastic was acquired from Milan’s Salone di Mobile last year. It’s a living, breathing bioplastic work that’s sustainably-made and reacts to movement.

According to The Big Group’s Bruce Keebaugh, being seen at Flemington as a brand is what matters.

Flemington’s Birdcage was established in 1887 to create a barrier between the horses and spectators. Picture: State Library Victoria

Mr Keebaugh said the traditional advertising campaigns of the 1980s now go into custom-built marquees at the track because audiences want experiences.

“These builds are now considered brand activations, you can’t put a price on its value because the return is far greater in the long run,” Mr Keebaugh said.

“In the olden days of media advertising [the ‘80s], we would have done massive national advertising campaigns, but today by building live experiences, we are bringing the story to the audience and that’s what it’s all about at Flemington and Lexus.”

The pavilion will have a shelf life of five years and continue to be reinvented each racing season.

G.H Mumm’s chartered yacht theme dials up the party glamour over a three-floor extravaganza this year.

The Crown Melbourne marquee at the Birdcage. Picture: Chrissy Dore

Lauren Willis, senior account director of PIM Group, has been working on the design and development at G.H Mumm for the best part of 12 months.

“We started the concept ideation at Christmas last year, and started designing the concept in March,” Ms Willis said.

“Sustainability is key for us too. All the joinery is reused and we refurbish them from previous years. The main bars on both levels are now in their third year of use. We work with all kinds of textures and materials from rattan, hessian fabric and natural timbers to reflect the sailing theme.”

G.H Mumm’s prestige manager Chris Sheehy has been the king of sabrage at Flemington for the past 11 years and recalled the evolution since their first brand activation that took place in a tent marquee.

“The G.H Mumm marquee has certainly grown in size, the building and structure has gotten bigger in the time I have been coming to the races,” Mr Sheehy said.

Actress Kim Cattrall at the Birdcage in 2012. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

“At Mumm it’s all about focusing on guests and now we’re pushing the experience to dial up the champagne moment.”

Dot Dot Dash director and founder Shirin Pulitano has been working with the VRC for the past two decades, delivering on design concepts from The Park to the Birdcage. This year Dot Dot Dash is behind the fit-out at Don Julio in the Birdcage.

In the 1990s, Ms Pulitano helped work on bespoke chalets at Flemington where brands hosted up to 80 guests.

Then came the more elaborate two-storey marquees in the Birdcage, which brought a new level of peacocking to the vicinity. Budgets aren’t what they used to be, but delivering an elevated experience is what her company is about.

“All the elements we introduce are very bespoke,” Ms Pulitano said.

The Spring Racing Carnival draws huge crowds to Flemington racecourse every year. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty

“At Don Julio we’ve created a beautiful gold façade, it’s about creating a high impact with lower budgets.”

But for every elaborate design move within the Birdcage comes a conga line of strict laws to adhere to.

“Everything we use had to be fire retardant and it’s a very regulated process when designing for the precinct,” she said.

“At Don Julio we’ve used steel fabrication to fit with this, but it’s also about coming up with new ideas within boundaries of constraint.”

The building for the Birdcage commences in July each year and takes 15 weeks to bring it together, with more than 5,000sqm of multi-level structure to be found.