Ronan will take to the Mounting Yard to sing When You Say Nothing At All, before being joined by Australian pop sensation Ricki-Lee to perform his smash hit Lovin’ Each Day.
The Welcome to Country ceremony will be delivered by Uncle Colin Hunter Junior, while the Australian National Anthem will be sung by Greta Bradman, the eldest grandchild of another Australian sporting hero, Sir Donald Bradman.
Mr Wilson said that the 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup marked an opportunity to celebrate some of the year’s most significant moments in Australia’s sporting and racing culture.
“The Melbourne Cup Carnival is Australia’s original major event, and we are proud to use this opportunity to celebrate the contributions of our country’s sporting, racing and entertainment stars,” Mr Wilson said.
“It’s also a poignant moment to celebrate one of Flemington’s legends, John Patterson OAM, and his legacy.
“The Lexus Melbourne Cup is broadcast into over 200 countries and territories with a potential global reach of 750 million people, making it one of the nation’s largest and most impressive platforms to promote Melbourne and Australia to the world, and we couldn’t have asked for a more fitting lineup for this important occasion.”
All the action from the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival can be seen live and free across the Nine Network, the official broadcast partner and new home of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.