The Singapore Tourism Board admitted in providing a grant to help bring Taylor Swift’s world tour to the country next month, her only stop in Southeast Asia.
STB and the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth (MCCY) said this on Tuesday (Feb 20) in response to media queries, although they stopped short of confirming if an exclusive deal was struck preventing the US pop sensation from holding her Eras world tour elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Questions surrounding a performance deal surfaced on Friday when Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the Singapore government offered US$2 million to US$3 million per show in exchange for exclusivity in Southeast Asia.
According to Mr Srettha, concert promoter AEG had informed him of the arrangement.
In their joint response to CNA’s queries, MCCY and STB did not specify the size of the grant or the conditions attached to it.
They said MCCY and the Kallang Alive Sport Management had “worked directly” with AEG for Swift to perform in Singapore at the National Stadium, recognising that there would be “significant demand” from local and regional fans.
“STB also supported the event through a grant,” they added.
Kallang Alive Sport Management, a wholly owned entity under MCCY, manages the Singapore Sports Hub where the National Stadium is located.
Swift has six sold-out shows scheduled to be held from Mar 2 to Mar 9.
More than 300,000 tickets have been sold, with a “significant” number of fans travelling from other countries, said MCCY and STB.
“It is likely to generate significant benefits to the Singapore economy, especially to tourism activities such as hospitality, retail, travel and dining, as has happened in other cities in which Taylor Swift has performed,” they added.
Singapore is one of two stops in Asia on her Eras tour. Swift performed four shows in Tokyo earlier this month.
CNA
