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Culture · Asia Pacific

Crown sells lower-level Birdcage marquee tickets for $2,195

Crown has begun selling tickets to the lower levels of its Birdcage marquee for $2,195 each, a first-time move. The marquee’s top level remains reserved for VIPs and high rollers.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 2 outletsHow it's made

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2 outletsLatest reporting 2 min read
Coverage: Too few ratedL 0 · C 1 · R 1
Updat3 graphic: Crown
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What happened

Key facts

  • Crown is selling tickets to the lower levels of its Birdcage marquee for $2,195 each, marking the first time it has offered this access for sale (per The Sydney Morning Herald).
  • The top level of Crown’s marquee is reserved for VIPs and high rollers (per The Sydney Morning Herald).
  • Don Julio’s two-level, front-row Hacienda is open to anyone with Birdcage entry (per The Sydney Morning Herald).
  • Herald Sun reported that Magpies star Isaac Quaynor was sprayed with bubbly at a Flemington Birdcage preview (per heraldsun.com.au, The Sydney Morning Herald).

The brief

Crown is selling tickets to the lower levels of its Birdcage marquee for $2,195 each, the first time it has offered those spaces for paid access. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the marquee’s top floor remains reserved for VIPs and high rollers, leaving the new ticket offer limited to its lower levels.

Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers said the paid access would help make the Melbourne Cup carnival “as accessible as possible”. Her remarks accompanied a broader update on ticket sales: Rogers said sales were up 10 per cent across the four days. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that 100,000 people were expected for Derby Day on Saturday.

The article also described a separate hospitality offer from Don Julio at the Birdcage. Its two-level, front-row Hacienda is open to anyone with Birdcage entry, while access to a concealed bar is by invitation or a “tap on the shoulder”. The account does not describe the hidden bar as part of Crown’s ticket offer.

Guests admitted to Don Julio’s hidden bar are offered a seated tasting of 1942 tequila and a five-course meal prepared by chef Claudette Zepeda, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The distinction between general Birdcage entry and access to the concealed bar is specific to Don Julio’s setup; it does not change the stated access terms for Crown’s marquee.

The Herald Sun headline separately reported that Magpies star Isaac Quaynor was sprayed with bubbly at a Birdcage preview at Flemington. It provides no further detail about the preview or the incident.

The reporting therefore describes several different access arrangements within the Birdcage: Crown’s newly sold tickets cover lower marquee levels, the Crown top floor is reserved for VIPs and high rollers, and Don Julio’s Hacienda is open to Birdcage entrants while its concealed bar requires invitation or personal selection.

Rogers’s stated aim for paid access and the reported carnival-wide ticket figures provide the event’s broader commercial context.

Why it matters

  • Crown’s $2,195 ticket makes lower-level access to its marquee available for purchase, while the top floor remains reserved for VIPs and high rollers.
  • The reported 10 per cent increase in carnival ticket sales and expected 100,000 Derby Day attendance indicate the scale of the event’s ticket market.
  • Don Julio separates access to its Hacienda, available to anyone with Birdcage entry, from its invitation-based concealed bar and its tasting and meal offer.

What to watch next

  • Whether Crown continues selling lower-level marquee tickets and whether the stated price remains $2,195.
  • Whether the Victoria Racing Club’s reported 100,000-person Derby Day expectation is met.
  • Whether Don Julio admits guests to its concealed bar by invitation or a “tap on the shoulder” during the carnival.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
2 source articles · 2 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 1 Center · 1 Right
Where the outlets are based: Asia 100%
Outlet political mix
Too few rated
Left
Center
Right
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1 outlet
1 outlet
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Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
2 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
Limited coverage
  • Coverage is currently limited to 2 outlets.
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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The Birdcage sits within the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, whose central race was first run on November 7, 1861.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. The Victoria Racing Club, which stages the carnival, was formed in 1864.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Crown Resorts was established.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Flemington’s Birdcage operated as a precinct of sponsor and hospitality marquees during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. Magpies star Isaac Quaynor was sprayed with bubbly at a Flemington Birdcage preview.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

At the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival, Flemington’s Birdcage operated as a precinct of sponsor and hospitality marquees, where access was commonly allocated through invitations and corporate or VIP arrangements. The Birdcage sits within the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, whose central race was first run on November 7, 1861.

The Victoria Racing Club, which stages the carnival, was formed in 1864. Crown Melbourne, the casino and entertainment complex, opened in 1994; Crown Resorts was established in 2007.

Original sources

2 articles from 2 outlets · Asia · Show all

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