Taylor Swift faces animal activist backlash for agreeing to Melbourne Cup show

Victoria is abuzz with news Taylor Swift will perform her newest songs at the Melbourne Cup in November. But her “disappointed” fans are begging the pop icon to cancel her only Australian performance — this is why.

The horse race that stops a nation has landed the pop superstar who rules the world.

But Taylor Swift is already facing calls from fans and animal activists to cancel her planned performance at the Melbourne Cup on November 5.

In a major coup for the Victoria Racing Club, the “Shake It Off” icon will perform two songs from her new album Lover in lead-up to the world-famous $8 million race.

While most fans have expressed their excitement, her animal-loving supporters voiced their disappointment on social media.

“Please don’t perform the Melbourne Cup,” fan Julia Kenney wrote. “Don’t make me choose between my love for you and my disdain for socially acceptable (nay celebrated) animal cruelty. It’s the race the ‘stops the nation’ for all the wrong reasons.”

@taylorswift13 I’m actually disgusted that you could support something as vile as horse racing and the Melbourne cup. Drunk girls, toxic masculinity and horse torture / murder on a yearly basis. Please come to our city, but you shouldn’t be doing this. Yours, a HUGE fan.

— mjkcan (@durangodoug2) September 11, 2019

@taylorswift13 please do better. working with amazon was unethical and now the melbourne cup? you set such a big example and need to make better decisions

— tayler xx (@itsasadpicture) September 11, 2019

Wait Taylor is preforming at the Melbourne cup??? I cant support that. @taylorswift13 please change your mind

— Sarah is standing in daylight ☀️💛 (@summer_0f_89) September 11, 2019

The amount of tweets that people can quickly get to Taylor’s attention should make it easy to get her to see how screwed up it is that she is performing at the Melbourne Cup. It’s time for @taylorswift13 to pull out of this gig and not support animal cruelty.

— 🌈 Stefanie 🌈 (@AbuelaSwiftie) September 11, 2019

@taylorswift13 taylor please say no to the melbourne cup. horse racing is a barbaric, backwards practice and it makes me feel ashamed to be australia. please don't support this. over 137 horses have died for a sport. thats 137 too many. please.

— Mira ♡ (@tayswiftoce) September 11, 2019

@treepaine PLEASE do not do the melbourne cup. this is directly supporting animal cruelty please research it and that is EVERYTHING I and MANY swifties stand against. This is one of the worst things taylor could do for her career. I will no longer be a fan @taylorswift13

— Sammy (@ShakeITAwfSam) September 11, 2019

“A bit grossed out that the incredible (Taylor Swift) is throwing support behind the horrible ‘sport’ of horse racing (aka animal torture day) at Melbourne Cup,” another fan said.

Coalition For The Protection of Racehorses has also been quick off the mark with a campaign to ask Swift to say #NupToTheCup on social media.

“Taylor Swift has put money before compassion by agreeing to perform at the 2019 Melbourne Cup,” the group posted online in the wake of the announcement.

“Horses are being killed for gambling profits and entertainment.

“If Taylor Swift cares at all about other animals the way she appears to care about cats, she will cancel her show and make a strong statement that animal abuse is unacceptable.”

Taylor Swift is known for her love of cats.

But the the 10-time Grammy Award-winner said she was excited about her return to Australia.

It will be her only performance while in the country.

“I can’t wait to come to Melbourne, and I can’t wait to come to the Melbourne Cup,” Swift told promoter Michael Gudinski, who sealed the deal for the VRC, at an invite-only show in Paris this week. “I’ve heard so much about the race.”

Swift will perform in the Mounting Yard, which means she will be visible to anyone with a general admission ticket.

Gudinski, who was in Paris with wife Sue to meet with Swift and her management team, said securing Swift is “a massive statement for the VRC,” and his company, Mushroom Events.

International pop star Taylor Swift will perform two of her latest songs at the Melbourne Cup.

He added: “It will be amazing, and it will put more worldwide focus on our great race.

“It sets the bar really high for the future, but it also means the entertainment industry and music business sees the level we’re working at.”

Gudinski credited the deal with good timing, as Swift will be in Asia on a promotional tour in November, and his sellout run of stadium dates with the pop queen four years ago.

Swift — who has sold more than 50 million albums and 150 million singles worldwide — is one of the most successful artists of all time.

Victoria Racing Club chief executive Neil Wilson said her appearance would bolster the Cup’s growing international exposure.

Swift said she “can’t wait” to perform at the race that stops the nation.

“Melbourne Cup Day is the most celebrated day on Australia’s major event calendar and with a reach of one billion people globally, it’s only fitting the VRC welcomes the world’s most celebrated star for the event,” he said.

“To think you can come to Flemington and watch not only the race that stops a nation but see one of the world’s biggest, if not the biggest, entertainer perform for the cost of a general admission ticket is phenomenal.

“We look forward to welcoming Taylor Swift to our wonderful event.”

Gudinski said the Swift deal took several weeks to lock down.

“It’s about working through and trying to manage what the event wants … and what the artist is prepared to do,” he said. “There’s quite a lot of tentacles and things behind the scenes.

Music promoter Michael Gudinski was instrumental in securing Swift.

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“But I couldn’t be prouder of Mushroom Events, and happier for the VRC.”

Last month, the Herald Sun revealed discussions to bring Swift, Shawn Mendes or Camila Cabelo to perform at the Cup.

Confirmation she will be trackside is expected to spark a ticket rush as sports and music fans from near and far to flock to Flemington for the event.

Aussie acts including Birds of Tokyo and Dean Lewis will also play during Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington.

To buy tickets head to flemington.com.au

— With AAP