Minister Edwin Tong refutes high spending claims on Taylor Swift’s Singapore concerts

In a recent interview with Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Edwin Tong, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, responded to the widespread speculation about the costs incurred by Singapore to secure Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” concerts exclusively for the region.

Diverging from earlier claims made by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Tong stated, “The numbers that you see online – it is nowhere as high as what is being speculated,” challenging assertions that Singapore had expended up to US$3 million per concert.

According to a report by the Bangkok Post, Srettha alleged that Singapore had secured exclusive rights for Taylor Swift to perform at the renowned National Stadium in the city-state, effectively shutting out other Southeast Asian nations from hosting the pop sensation.

According to Srettha, AEG informed him that the Singapore government financially supported Taylor Swift’s concerts, offering US$2 million to 3 million per show in exchange to perform solely in Singapore.

CNA’s report suggests that the actual amount Singapore committed to securing Swift’s six shows falls significantly lower, between US$2 million to US$3 million in total, countering the higher figures previously circulated.

Tong sought to refocus the narrative away from just the financial aspects.

“What I’ll say is this: It’s not just about a grant or a deal, but the overall package,” he said, implying that the decision to host Swift was part of a larger strategy, though specifics of this strategy and its outcomes remain under discussion.

The minister’s comments come amid scrutiny over the value and transparency of the deals made to attract international stars to Singapore. While Swift’s six concerts have sold out, attracting over 300,000 fans, questions linger about the true cost to Singapore’s taxpayers and the direct benefits of hosting such events.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) had earlier confirmed the government’s support of the upcoming Taylor Swift concerts in Singapore, facilitated through a grant.

On Tuesday (20 Feb), in response to inquiries from Singapore’s primary media outlet, The Straits Times, over the claims made by Srettha, STB and MCCY issued a joint statement expressing their confidence that the concerts are poised to bring substantial benefits to the Singaporean economy.

The statement highlighted the anticipated positive impact on various tourism sectors, including hospitality, retail, travel, and dining, drawing parallels with the success observed in other cities where the pop star has performed.

Notably, the statement revealed that over 300,000 tickets have already been sold for the concerts, attracting a considerable number of fans from different countries.

BBC in a report, however noted that it has reached out to Singapore’s tourism board about the net gain from the concerts but they have refused to reveal foreign visitor estimates or other modelling.