Earlier this morning, it was confirmed that Taylor Swift will be performing at this year's Melbourne Cup.
Now for those who are unaware, the Melbourne Cup is a big deal in Australia. It's often described as "the race that stops the nation" and involves celebrities, high-end designers and, of course, horse racing.
The media heavily glamorises the event, with widespread coverage of fashion, celebrity attendances and performances on the day.
But in recent years, a number of horse-related injuries and deaths have exposed the darker side of the Melbourne Cup. This has led people to not only boycott the event, but the horse racing industry in general.
While Taylor's international fans may not be aware of the Melbourne Cup's history, many of her Australian fans feel disappointed in the singer's decision to perform there.
tbh I’m actually genuinely disappointed that Taylor agreed to perform at the Melbourne Cup. You can still be a huge fan and express disappointment and disagree with something she does. She’ll probably get dragged for doing it, and I’m not looking forward to it.
This is the worst PR decision Taylor Swift and her team have made in recent years to perform at the Melbourne Cup. As a fan and Melbourne resident, I am genuinely disgusted and disappointed. Expect a barrage of hate coming Taylor’s way in the future. 💀💀💀 ILL-ADVISED
I’m honestly surprised @taylorswift13 is performing at the Melbourne Cup considering how abusive it is towards the horses. Horses are known to die almost immediately after the race (sometimes during) due to the cruelty sustained by them at the hands of their Jockey’s.
taylor performing in the Melbourne Cup is like if she came to Spain to perform in a bullfight, i wouldn't go because they treat bulls SO. BAD. and this isn't about being international, y'all are using the international card because it's an opportunity to see Taylor live and NO.
I would love to see Taylor perform cause it’s the day after I hit 4 years being seizure free and to know that I could’ve celebrated it with Taylor, I just can’t give my money to an event like the Melbourne Cup, no matter how much I’d love to see her again
I get that Taylor rarely comes to Australia and I’m so sorry international fans don’t have a lot of opportunities but it’s 2 songs… it’s not a whole set… horses are dying and being abused like are two songs really more important?
Michael Gudinski, who is a successful and influential figure in the Australian music industry, was the one responsible for securing Taylor's performance.
And according to a fan on Twitter, Gudinski — who has worked with Taylor before — used his connection to convince both Taylor and her team that she should perform at the Melbourne Cup without mentioning its problematic history.
Idk if this makes sense I’m half asleep but for my international pals this is why Taylor’s appearance is super problematic and causing a lot of drama
The same fan goes on to say that Taylor and her team should have researched the event before accepting.