Christmas will come early for Victorian racegoers after the government gave approval for the general public to return to the track.

The Victoria Racing Club confirmed it has been given the green light to host up to 5000 people on course at Flemington for its Christmas race day on Saturday.

It will be the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in March that the general public will be allowed trackside in Melbourne.

Owners will also be able to stay for the entire meeting from Saturday, rather than be placed under time restrictions.

"We like to think this is an early Christmas present for many and we hope our members and guests relish the opportunity to celebrate a return to some normalcy at headquarters," VRC chief executive Steve Rosich said.

The Christmas race day will be the last of 25 meetings at Flemington this year, with 15 of those held behind closed doors due to the pandemic.