Fears of a plot to sabotage an upcoming art show featuring a freshly slaughtered animal has led to the Dark Mofo organisers announcing they would reissue tickets because of concerns for the "safety of the artist, performers and audience".

WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT.

The three-hour '150 Action' show, directed by 78-year-old Hermann Nitsch, has been promoted as a "bloody, sacrificial ritual performed by the patriarch of Viennese Actionism, his devoted disciples and an orchestra" and is set to take place in June as part of the Dark Mofo festival, produced by Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

Tickets to the performance, which MONA has warned "contains distressing imagery, nudity and strong adult themes, and is not suitable for children", is understood to feature performers dressed in white interacting with the slaughtered animal's entrails and blood.

Dark Mofo's creative director Leigh Carmichael said the ticket cancellation and reissuing was "necessary", after it found a number of people who registered to attend had done so to "disrupt the performance" or "deny access to others".

"We believe the number of tickets affected is approximately 200, and therefore significant enough to pose credible concerns around disruption," he said.

Dark Mofo declined to reveal the identity of the individuals involved in the mass purchase.

Local volunteers have been invited to take part in the performance. ( Supplied: Museum of Old and New Art )

The performance has been the target of public outrage since the announcement, with an Animal Liberation Tasmania petition calling for the show to be dumped attracting over 21,000 signatories.

"It's an unfortunate situation, and we regret the inconvenience caused to those who did manage to secure tickets early," Mr Carmichael said.

"However we need to start the ticket allocation process again, as the safety of the artist, performers, and audience members remains our first priority."

People who have purchased tickets to see the separate 'In Conversation with Nitsch' event will be given priority booking, a Dark Mofo organiser said.

Security measures have been increased for the show, with a bag check policy, photo ID checks and the "right to deny entry" enforced.

Dark Mofo said while they "respect people's rights to protest lawfully" they hope it happens outside of the event, which is to take place in an undisclosed location in Hobart's CBD.

'Health and safety concerns remain'

Animal Liberation Tasmania (ALT) welcomed the decision to reissue tickets but said health and safety concerns of the performance itself remained.

"If the organisers of '150 Action' are so concerned over public safety there are questions about disease transition, the carcass and the blood will be in an uncontrolled environment for a prolonged period of time," spokesperson Kristy Alger said.

Ms Alger said ALT had sent a submission to Health Minister Michael Ferguson outlining their concerns over the event's safety.

She confirmed ALT used "peaceful means of opposition" and there was "never ever a question of endangering public safety through our actions".

MONA's owner David Walsh responded to the fallout which followed the show's announcement in April by taking to social media in a long defence of Nitsch as a "great social artist using sordid spectacle to make a point that no amount of Facebook frivolity will ever drive home", but later apologising after criticism over his reference to the Auschwitz concentration camp.