Pup Cup Dog Grooming Competition Runs 10-12 July in Coffs Harbour

Pup Cup Coffs Harbour 2026 is a three-day grooming competition at Coffs Harbour Exhibition Hall from 10 to 12 July, with Beginner through Masters classes in scissor, poodle, gundog, and hand-strip work. Updated 7 July 2026.

The Pup Cup says public spectating and vendor stalls are free. Pets stay home unless they are entered in a class or are a genuine service animal. Entry sessions cap at 20 competitors. Standard entry is $90 after early-bird pricing closed on 1 June.

NSW and Queensland stylists who skipped Melbourne in March get a Mid North Coast date they can actually drive to.

What happens across the three days

Friday through Sunday is built around judged ring time, not a pet drop-in. Purebred scissor classes sit beside gundog styling, hand-stripped terriers, poodle work, and creative categories. Group winners go through to a Best in Show that mixes the top dogs from each discipline.

Sessions of 20 keep table time honest. That’s why the $90 fee exists after 1 June: you’re buying a judged slot, not a salon appointment. Sponsors demo tools on the exhibition floor between classes. If you only want to watch scissoring, go when the poodle and scissor rings are listed on the day’s running order.

We will not invent a winner. Results go up here if organisers publish Best in Show names after 12 July.

Why a judged ring still matters this winter

June’s news.com.au WA footage kept handling on the front page. A competition does not licence a salon. But it does put a dog on a table under a judge while peers watch the lift, the dryer pass, and whether the stylist stops.

Owners comparing local rooms can ask whether a groomer trains through Pup Cup or PIAA AusGroom (Melbourne, 6–8 March 2026). That’s a different question from a five-star Google card. So watch how unfamiliar dogs are held. Don’t treat the hall as proof that every Coffs salon works this way.

Visiting Coffs Harbour as an owner

Leave the family dog at home. Organisers only allow competition dogs and service animals on site. If you’re already on the Mid North Coast, treat the Exhibition Hall as a classroom: drying technique, scissor control, how long a table actually takes.

You can’t book a tidy in the ring. You also shouldn’t turn up hoping for a walk-in bath. If you need an everyday groom after the weekend, use the post-headline booking checklist rather than guessing from a vendor stall.

How this sits on the 2026 competition calendar

AusGroom in Melbourne set the national tone in early March. Pup Cup is the winter NSW date for stylists who couldn’t fly south. Expect vendor socials pushing low-stress dryers and fear-free kits. That marketing is not a result sheet.

If you compete, check the running order the night before. If you spectate, give the ring space when a dog is being stacked. Don’t crowd a handler who is trying to settle an unfamiliar coat.

Frequently Asked Questions