Thousands of punters have come from every corner of Australia to the isolated outpost on the edge of the Simpson Desert to take in the races, known as the Melbourne Cup of the outback.
But it's not necessarily the sport of kings that's brought them to one of the most remote thoroughbred carnivals in the world.
Friends and former neighbours Jacki Tran and Gracelyn Chipperfield, from the Queensland coast, travelled to the races to honour their late husbands, neither of whom got the chance to visit Birdsville.
"It was always in our plans," Ms Tran told AAP of her late husband.
"But he passed and I'm here to say, 'I've got this babe'."
For Murray Dunlop and Laurie Driscoll, a trip to the races is a celebration of their lifelong friendship, first forged six decades ago as schoolboys in Leeton, in the NSW Riverina.
They travelled together from northern NSW, taking in the outback Queensland pit stops of Roma, Quilpie and Betoota on the dusty trek to Birdsville.
"Everywhere we've been, the people have been so friendly," Mr Dunlop said.
Mr Driscoll added: "That's bush people. You say g'day to someone in the city and they'd think you're funny."
Many punters have taken the necessary long way around to town, with flooding closing much of the major 517km arterial Birdsville Track that traverses three deserts and two states.
Those coming from the southern states have swapped a 1200km journey up the track from South Australia for a 1600km trek via Broken Hill and Tibooburra in western NSW.
Birdsville Race Club vice president Gary Brook said it wasn't the first time weather and patchy road conditions had presented challenges, but that was all part of the event's unique charm.
"Life isn't always easy in the outback," Mr Brook told AAP.
"If you wanted to go to a race meeting where everything was the same and everything was perfect, you could probably go to one of those in the city.
"I would guarantee that if people have been to the Birdsville Races, and another 20 race meetings over the last 20 years, I don't think they could recall those meetings in the same way they could with Birdsville."
Crowds took in the first day of racing on Friday, with groups of friends and family wearing matching outfits, costumes and even the odd sequin in the 32C heat.
The event on the edge of the Simpson Desert began in 1882 as a small meet for 150 stockmen and horse owners.
It has since exploded into an iconic event that attracts 60 times the ordinary local population of 100 people.
Staff at the Birdsville Hotel, a classic country pub built in 1884, started planning for the huge influx of visitors as early as June.
"The races, without a doubt, is our absolute favourite week of the year," hotel manager Ben Fullagar told AAP.
"It's a homegrown, local event that is very important to the town and the community, which means it's very important to us."
This AAP article was made possible by support from the Birdsville Race Club
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