Singapore lauded for ‘masterclass in concert economics’ with Eras tour, especially after Messi fiasco in HK

SINGAPORE: While neighbours in Southeast Asia were none too happy with the exclusive deal made with pop superstar Taylor Swift for Singapore to be only the Eras Tour stop in the region, the country is getting praise for what’s being called a “masterclass in concert economics.”

A recent piece in global business news site Quartz, published on Wednesday (6 Mar) lauded Singapore’s strategy, especially when viewed in comparison to Hong Kong’s recent experience with soccer great Lionel Messi.

In February, an outcry ensued after Messi stayed on the bench at a friendly match with a local team in Hong Kong, particularly because a few days later, he played a match in Japan.

Thousands of people who had come to watch Messi in Hong Kong were greatly disappointed and booed the no-show. They loudly chanted “we want Messi” and later demanded refunds for the HK$1,000 (S$171) tickets they’d paid.

Messi, who had a hamstring injury, had been deemed unfit to play.

The government of Hong Kong issued a statement on the matter, saying, “Regarding Messi not playing the match today, the Government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed about the organiser’s arrangement. The organiser owes all football fans an explanation.”

More than a fortnight later, the Argentinian player took to Chinese social media site Weibo to do so, adding: “I’ve heard people say that I didn’t want to play (in Hong Kong) for political reasons and many other reasons that are totally untrue. Had that been the case, I wouldn’t have even travelled to Japan or visited China as many times as I have.”

Quartz pointed out that Singapore stands to make a tidy profit from The Eras Tour, which has given cities an economic boost everywhere Swift has played since the concert tour began in March 2023. Some expect that the six shows in Singapore could boost the economy by as much as S$500 million.

“Swift’s music empire depends on attracting new fans and keeping existing ones. Given her reputation as a savvy businesswoman, she and her team presumably calculated that the benefits of taking Singapore up on its deal outweighed the drawbacks. And in the free market in which pop concerts operate, the highest bidders get to call the shots,” the piece points out.

Quartz noted that the two incidents—Singapore’s masterstroke in sealing exclusivity with Swift and the disastrous Messi episode “likely serve as useful reference points for where best to focus their efforts.

“Singapore rolled out the red carpet for a star performer. Hong Kong saw red when a star player sat out of a match.” /TISG