The Formula 1® Grand Prix

The Australian Grand Prix is one of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia. It was first run at Phillip Island in 1928 and has moved many venues over the years.

The race became part of the Formula One World Championship in 1985. The world-class 4-day Grand Prix continues to be a pillar of the Victoria’s major events calendar. It moved to Victoria from South Australia in 1996 and is secured in Victoria until 2037. It has been held in the City of Port Phillip at the Albert Park Circuit since 1966, with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, when the races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Albert Park circuit is considered to be quite fast and relatively easy to drive, drivers having commented that the consistent placement of corners allows them to easily learn the circuit and achieve competitive times. However, the flat terrain around the lake, coupled with a track design that features few true straights, means that the track is not conducive to overtaking.

The Grand Prix regularly draws crowds of over 270,000 spectators, with the 2024 drawing a record crowd of 452,055, including 132,106 on the main raceday.

Porsche Carrera Cup

The Porsche Carrera Cup Australia is an Australian motor racing series open to Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars.

The series races across the country at some of the larges motorsport events in Australia.

The 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup season brings exciting changes, including the global debut of the new 992.2 GT3 Cup car in major series like Australia and the Supercup, aligning regulations for longer races and an international format. The Porsche 992.2 GT3 Cup car, now simply called the 911 Cup, is the next evolution of Porsche’s one-make racer.

The 2026 Porsche Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Championship will consist of seven-rounds.  The annual visit to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix will serve as round one, of the Carrera Cup.  As well as maintaining a presence at Australia’s largest motorsport events, Carrera Cup will also compete at some of Australia’s best permanent circuits in a well-balanced 2026 schedule.

Carrera Cup will retain its position as the premier support category on the Repco Supercars Championship program in 2026 with every round hosted at major Supercars events.

The championship opens at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

South Melbourne & the Grand Prix

The City of Port Phillip and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation are collaborating in 2025 on a South Melbourne Live Music Walking Trail on both the Saturday and Sunday of the Grand Prix.

• Music will be programmed at South Melbourne’s famous heritage pubs, all walking distance from the track and from each other, featuring local artists
• Race goers will be invited to exit through South Melbourne gates and explore South Melbourne’s iconic pubs as they fill with live music to celebrate race weekend
• High-quality busking activations on the key street corners
• Traders will be invited to activate premises in addition to this as well as encouraged to stay open for longer hours
• Traders will be invited to provide any incentive offers at food/beverage outlets to entice visitors
• Promotion of event and broader F1 AGP initiatives by traders throughout South Melbourne to be featured on GP and CoPP channels
• Map featuring locations and activations to be produced by GP
• Toblerone and corflute signs produced by GP to direct patrons to and up Clarendon Street and into venues
• Bunting/posters created to decorate local businesses