The venue for a long-awaited RollingStones concert in Belgrade will be changed in a bid to spare hundreds ofhorses from a potentially traumatic experience. (File Photo)

BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The venue for a long-awaited Rolling Stones concert in Belgrade will be changed in a bid to spare hundreds of horses from a potentially traumatic experience, according to media reports Thursday.

The July 14 concert was due to be held at the Serbian capital's Hippodrome racetrack until race horse owners and animal rights activists warned the animals would suffer from noise and crowds during the concert, expected to be attended by tens of thousands.

"The concert will not take place on the Hippodrome," said Raka Maric, manager of Music Star Production.

Reaction to the story of the horses became heated after the news media reported that local hostlers had said they were ready to sedate the animals to keep them calm during the concert.

"The Rolling Stones' band members are great animal lovers," Maric said in the letter. "We didn't manage to convince The Stones' management that the concert would not harm the horses."

Instead, the concert scheduled for July 14 would be held at a big park in central Belgrade, media reports said.

The band has never played in Serbia. Organisers said some 25,000 tickets have already been sold, priced from 35 to 300 euros (47 to 407 dollars).

(Agencies)