On Monday, Singapore’s culture ministry denied reports that the city-state gave Taylor Swift a grant to keep her concerts in the city exclusive to Southeast Asia. Minister Edwin Tong said the government “moved fast and early” to secure the shows but was mindful of a holistic approach. He would not disclose how much money was given, citing confidentiality reasons.
He added that the concert will bring significant economic benefits to Singapore and the region. Those gains will likely come from tourism activities such as hospitality, retail, and travel, as well as from business and leisure spending by attendees.
Tong was responding to a public outcry over the alleged largesse that helped secure Taylor Swift’s sold-out performances at the National Stadium this month. Some 300,000 people from Singapore and around the region are expected to attend the six sold-out gigs that began March 2. The pop superstar’s show in the Lion City is her only stop in Southeast Asia on this leg of her tour.
Several governments, including Thailand’s prime minister, were reportedly unhappy about being left off The Eras Tour. The country’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin allegedly told a business forum earlier this month that Singapore paid her promoter AEG millions to ensure she did not play elsewhere in the region.
According to the Straits Times, one of Singapore’s oldest and most respected newspapers, some $3 million in grants were allegedly offered by the Singapore government to AEG for Taylor Swift to host her concerts in the city. Moreover, the deal was supposedly made before any of Swift’s other international dates for the tour were announced.
The Straits Times reported that Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, community, and Youth worked with concert promoter AEG Presents to help land gigs for the American singer in the country. However, the ministry said it should have disclosed the grant size given to AEG to attract Swift to the city.
But critics say the country uses taxpayer money to boost a booming entertainment sector. They also argue that the influx of high-profile acts from overseas could increase prices and inflation.
Music observer Wendi Putranto assessed that it is common practice for promoters to seek government support to bring top artists to Singapore. She said this is to offset the costs of putting on concerts, which are only sometimes profitable.
But Putranto urged the government to shift its focus from relying on financial incentives for events to developing Singapore into an attractive destination for tourists and global artists, similar to Las Vegas, without needing handouts. She says Singapore has a lot going for it: a good location, efficient infrastructure, and the security of its people. This is why the country has successfully attracted world-famous performers, including Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and Blackpink. To become the preferred venue for such shows, Singapore has offered tax breaks and other benefits to those renting out its venues.