For all the fanfare and fuss, when horses take to the track for the Melbourne Cup, the racing itself occupies just a fraction of the day. So it’s not the only competition that occupies organisers’ minds. The spring racing carnival, like any other major sports event, pours time and money into securing big-name musical talent.
This year Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Empire of the Sun will perform at the Melbourne Cup, while Ronan Keating and The Temper Trap will headline other race days. “Racing takes up 26 minutes of an eight-hour program, so we want to provide headline performances after the feature races,” says Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers. The actual time horses spend racing on Melbourne Cup day is but a small fraction of the entire day.
Credit: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images “Racing and the horse are at the heart of everything we do but what complements our iconic race days are the elements that make this week so unique, including entertainment.” In common with other major events – including the AFL and NRL grand finals, Australian Open and Formula 1 Grand Prix – the carnival competes to secure international and local stars, offering lucrative contracts in the hopes of attracting new fans and reaching new audiences. Top talent can cost millions.
Robbie Williams’ planned performance at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix came with a $1.94 million bill for the singer. His AFL grand final performance was reported to be about $1 million.
The cost of .
