Taylor Swift Eras tour angers southeast Asia as Singapore scores lucrative six-night residency

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Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras concerts have sparked a diplomatic row after Singapore guaranteed a lucrative six-night residency – at the expense of its disgruntled neighbours.

The deal, thought to be worth around £14m has led to a backlash among the city-state’s neighbours due to an exclusivity clause negotiated by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, which prevents her from performing anywhere else in southeast Asia.

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras concerts have sparked a diplomatic row after Singapore guaranteed a lucrative six-night residency – at the expense of its disgruntled neighbours.

The deal, thought to be worth around £14m has led to a backlash among the city-state’s neighbours due to an exclusivity clause negotiated by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, which prevents her from performing anywhere else in southeast Asia.

The popstar is playing six shows in Singapore from 2 to 9 March, under a deal that has been branded “unfriendly” by critics in Thailand and the Philippines, who complain that they are being deprived of the tourist boom brought by Swift’s tour.

Last month, Filipino lawmaker Joey Salceda said the deal, for which Swift is reportedly being paid an incentive worth £2.3m per show, “isn’t what good neighbours do”.

Speaking from the Australian city of Melbourne, where he is attending an Asean leaders’ summit, Lee confirmed that Swift was provided with “certain incentives” from a government fund established to rebuild Singapore’s tourist industry after the Covid pandemic.

While he declined to say how much the deal was worth, Lee said he didn’t regard it as unfriendly towards his neighbours.

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras concerts have sparked a diplomatic row after Singapore guaranteed a lucrative six-night residency – at the expense of its disgruntled neighbours.

The deal, thought to be worth around £14m has led to a backlash among the city-state’s neighbours due to an exclusivity clause negotiated by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, which prevents her from performing anywhere else in southeast Asia.

The popstar is playing six shows in Singapore from 2 to 9 March, under a deal that has been branded “unfriendly” by critics in Thailand and the Philippines, who complain that they are being deprived of the tourist boom brought by Swift’s tour.

Last month, Filipino lawmaker Joey Salceda said the deal, for which Swift is reportedly being paid an incentive worth £2.3m per show, “isn’t what good neighbours do”.

Speaking from the Australian city of Melbourne, where he is attending an Asean leaders’ summit, Lee confirmed that Swift was provided with “certain incentives” from a government fund established to rebuild Singapore’s tourist industry after the Covid pandemic.

Chinese fans of Taylor Swift arrive in Singapore for the first of her sold-out shows in the city-state (EPA)
While he declined to say how much the deal was worth, Lee said he didn’t regard it as unfriendly towards his neighbours.

“It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly,“ he said, suggesting a neighbouring country might have done the same had they got there first.

“Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don’t explicitly say ‘you will come here only on condition that you’ll not go to other places,’” he added.

He also suggested that Australia might have made similar “mutually acceptable, sensible arrangements” with Swift when she performed in Sydney and Melbourne ahead of her Singapore shows.

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice
Taylor Swift’s ongoing Eras concerts have sparked a diplomatic row after Singapore guaranteed a lucrative six-night residency – at the expense of its disgruntled neighbours.

The deal, thought to be worth around £14m has led to a backlash among the city-state’s neighbours due to an exclusivity clause negotiated by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, which prevents her from performing anywhere else in southeast Asia.

The popstar is playing six shows in Singapore from 2 to 9 March, under a deal that has been branded “unfriendly” by critics in Thailand and the Philippines, who complain that they are being deprived of the tourist boom brought by Swift’s tour.

Last month, Filipino lawmaker Joey Salceda said the deal, for which Swift is reportedly being paid an incentive worth £2.3m per show, “isn’t what good neighbours do”.

Speaking from the Australian city of Melbourne, where he is attending an Asean leaders’ summit, Lee confirmed that Swift was provided with “certain incentives” from a government fund established to rebuild Singapore’s tourist industry after the Covid pandemic.

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Chinese fans of Taylor Swift arrive in Singapore for the first of her sold-out shows in the city-state

Chinese fans of Taylor Swift arrive in Singapore for the first of her sold-out shows in the city-state (EPA)
While he declined to say how much the deal was worth, Lee said he didn’t regard it as unfriendly towards his neighbours.

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“It has turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t see that as being unfriendly,“ he said, suggesting a neighbouring country might have done the same had they got there first.

“Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don’t explicitly say ‘you will come here only on condition that you’ll not go to other places,’” he added.

He also suggested that Australia might have made similar “mutually acceptable, sensible arrangements” with Swift when she performed in Sydney and Melbourne ahead of her Singapore shows.

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Taylor Swift performing in Singapore

Taylor Swift performing in Singapore (Getty Images for TAS Rights Mana)
“If that’s what’s needed to be done to get an outcome which is mutually beneficial and which, from Singapore’s point of view, serves not just to grow the economy but also to bring in visitors and goodwill from all over the region, I don’t see why not,” he said.

“If we had not made such an arrangement, would she have come to someplace else in southeast Asia or more places in southeast Asia? Maybe, maybe not. These are things that she will decide.”