Taylor Swift fills concert halls around the world with her “The Eras Tour”. The US superstar is currently traveling in Singapore. Six concerts have been scheduled since Saturday. Originally only three were planned, but the number was increased again due to the overwhelming rush for advance sales. All concerts are sold out and a total of around 300,000 spectators from Singapore and the entire region are expected. It has now been announced that the government of the South Asian city-state has concluded an exclusive deal with the 34-year-old. This means: Singapore will be the only station in a Southeast Asian country.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong confirmed the deal at a news conference in Melbourne on Tuesday, saying Swift had received “certain incentives” to only perform in Singapore. The money came from a government fund that was set up to rebuild tourism after the corona crisis. “It has proven to be a very successful agreement. I don’t see that as unkind,” Lee said when asked if he had encountered “bad blood” among other heads of state over the agreement. Instead, he suggested that if Singapore had not entered into an exclusive agreement, a neighboring country would have done so. A lawmaker in the Philippines reportedly accused Singapore of saying the move was not something “good neighbors do.”
Back in February, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin publicly claimed that a concert promoter had told him about the exclusive contract with Swift. Accordingly, Swift was offered up to three million dollars (around 2.76 million euros) per concert if she performed exclusively in Singapore during her tour.
However, the sum was disputed by Singapore’s Culture Minister Edwin Tong in Parliament on Monday. “I can say that they are not correct and nowhere near as high as suspected.” Due to “commercial confidentiality,” Tong added, he could neither disclose the amount of the grants nor their conditions. At the same time, he emphasized that the investment in the US singer’s concerts was worth it.
However, in his opinion, the subsidy payments from his government may not have been decisive for the concerts in Singapore. “Concert organizers of top artists make their own calculations and check where they want to perform and for how long,” he said, pointing to the good infrastructural conditions in Singapore.
However, the fact is: Taylor Swift stimulates the economy with her performances, and her concerts bring millions into the coffers of municipalities. “Swifties,” as their fans are called, pay around $200 to $800 for a concert ticket. There are also expenses for overnight stays, food, drinks and, for some fans, outfits.
Swift had never performed in the Southeast Asian country before. In 2014, she canceled a planned concert in Bangkok after the military seized power following much unrest and mass protests.
Watch the video above: Taylor Swift is also in the spotlight at the Super Bowl. After Kansas City’s win, there are intimate scenes with her boyfriend Travis Kelce. During the game, the pop star surprises with an action.
Sources: Associated Press, AFP, DPA
