Sneak a peek inside Emirates’ Birdcage marquee at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Emirates will welcome guests through the doors of its classic Australian homestead inspired marquee, taking inspiration from its local destinations – Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney – into an interior filled with vibrant flora and fauna including eucalyptus mint, waratahs, kangaroo paws and cockatoos.

To create the design, Emirates collaborated with Bazmark Inq head designer, Silvana Azzi Heras, who has worked alongside Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin for the past 18 years.

Inspired by Australia’s extraordinarily vibrant and unique flora and fauna guests of the Emirates marquee will be greeted by a towering 4m Australian gumtree, which will take pride of place in the centre of the marquee. This will be complimented by 1930’s inspired Australian Art Deco furnishings with a contemporary Australian design.

Racegoers will also be able to enjoy unsurpassed views of the Flemington racetrack for the race that stops a nation™, on a sweeping veranda that will extend the length of the marquee, and be adorned with rainforest ferns and palms found in Victoria’s Otway ranges.

Autore Group, one of the world’s largest South Sea pearl companies, will offer guests the chance to sample pearl meat, a rare and prized seafood served in pearl shells sourced from the crystal waters off the north west coast of WA.

The Emirates marquee will once again host the Birdcage’s only fully serviced, sit-down restaurant offering guests a dining experience with a tasting plate of five locally produced dishes inspired by the five Emirates destinations.

Developed by Wolgan Valley One&Only, Executive Chef Nancy Kinchella, who earned a Michelin star during her time in London, the tasting plate will include dishes such as Adelaide-inspired citrus cured South Australian Kingfish, finger lime pearls and salmon caviar and Melbourne-inspired dish featuring Victorian Lamb loin with sheep’s yoghurt and cumin scented jus.

Locally sourced ingredients will also feed their way into the grazing dishes served throughout the day including Sydney Balmain Bug and crab ravioli and Roasted Barramundi fillet from north of Brisbane, and a spectacular Marine Life seafood spread which will celebrate our Island’s waters.

There will also be some surprising and unexpected Australian ingredients served in the marquee with pies and milo making an appearance as well as a cocktail list including The Ned and The Splice.

And to pay homage to our Australian culture, guests can also celebrate the Emirates Melbourne Cup with a traditional Aussie BBQ on the outdoor terrace.

Emirates’ famous salon will again be offering guests hair-styling and make-up touches throughout the four race days across the Carnival. ‘The Parlour’ will house two hair stylists from the expert team at Melbourne’s Joey Scandizzo Salon and Lara Srokowski, the national make-up director for Lancôme and her team of expert make-up artists will host two beauty stations – one for skin touch-ups, and a bright lip station, showcasing lip art and the red lip look.

Also making a return will be the only fully-equipped flushing toilets in The Birdcage, ensuring all Emirates’ guests are well catered for throughout the Carnival.

This year’s entertainment will pay tribute to Australia’s heritage and indigenous culture with a contemporary dance performance in collaboration with Stan Yarramunua, a well-known Aboriginal artist and didgeridoo player who has commissioned work for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince, Bono, AC/DC and Snoop Dogg.