Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that a closed-door deal for Taylor Swift to perform in Singapore ensures she will not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Eras tour.
“(Our) agency negotiated with her to perform in Singapore, making Singapore her only stop in Southeast Asia,” he told a regional summit press conference in Melbourne. According to Reuters.
The announcement is the first confirmation in Singapore that Swift’s agreement to perform in Singapore contains an exclusivity clause that prevents her from performing in other countries.
Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Tong Edwin twice refused to answer the question during a parliamentary meeting on Monday.
He also did not disclose the amount of funding provided to Swift, but said the amount was “not as high as speculated.”
“For commercial confidentiality reasons, we cannot disclose the exact size of the grant or the terms of the grant,” he said.
On February 16, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin reportedly claimed that Singapore offered Swift’s team $2 million to $3 million per performance in exchange for not performing in other regional cities. One question caught people’s attention. bangkok post.
Diplomatic eyesore
Grant payments to Swift promoters have become a diplomatic thorn in Singapore’s side, sparking criticism from neighboring countries for brokering a deal that excludes them. The highest grossing tour of all time.
Philippine House of Representatives member Joey Salceda said this was “not what good neighbors do,” local media reported, adding that such an agreement violated ASEAN principles.
Lee disputed that characterization on Tuesday, saying: “It turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t think it was unkind.”
Taylor Swift performed at the National Stadium in Singapore on March 2, 2024. Singapore and Tokyo are the only stops in Asia during Taylor Swift’s global Eras tour.
Ashok Kumar/tas24 | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Swift’s six concerts in Singapore are expected to bring $260 million to $372 million to the island’s economy, assuming 70% of concertgoers come from overseas.
During her first three concerts in Singapore, Swift asked the audience to applaud – first the locals, then those who traveled from overseas to attend the show. Each time, the passengers’ applause grew louder.
According to data from travel software company RateGain, the average daily room rate in Singapore hotels rose from US$256 to US$400 this week. Bookings from tourists from Malaysia increased by 92%, tourists from Thailand increased by 111%, and tourists from Indonesia increased by 92%. Tourist bookings increased by 189%.
Swift’s previous tour with Eras, the 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour, only made one stop in Asia – Tokyo.
But her previous tours – Speak Now, Red and the 1989 Tour – included Shanghai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Smart or selfish?
Singapore’s deal has sparked debate over whether it was smart trading or greed.
“This is certainly a bold and astute strategic move for Singapore,” said Selena Oh, Singapore’s director of communications.
But others say the winner-take-all mentality has hurt regional tourism still recovering from the pandemic, as well as fans who can’t afford the high travel costs to see Swift in person.
“It’s a bit selfish to only think about Singapore and not the wider region. Apparently (Singapore authorities) don’t really care about anyone but themselves,” said Christian de Boer, general manager of Hotel Cambodia. express.
You have to do the math and find out what is in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans. “
Edwin Tang
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Singapore
Some likened the deal to the way cities compete to host major sporting events such as the Olympics, Super Bowl and World Cup.
“When F1 decided to come to Singapore, did anyone protest? Did anyone pretend there was no money or other material considerations?” said Singapore editorial consultant Irene Hoe.
Concerts — where artists travel from city to city to reach their fans — aren’t always that competitive.
But that may be changing as experience-led tourism pushes concerts into money-making juggernauts, with fans willing to travel across continents to see their favorite artists.
A “despicable” deal?
During a parliamentary meeting on Monday, Singaporean politician Gerald Giam asked Tang whether the Singaporean government had negotiated for the island to become Taylor Swift’s only “white space” in Southeast Asia, and referenced her hit song of the same name.
“Is it aware that this might be considered mean by some of our neighbours?” he asked.
Tong replied: “You have to do the math and figure out the situation of Singapore and Singaporeans.‘ maximum profit. “
About The Author
