SINGAPORE: Much has been written about Singapore’s exclusivity deal with pop superstar Taylor Swift, given that her Eras Tour has provided a sizable economic boost to the cities where it held shows since it began in March 2023.
Singapore is expected to earn as much as S$500 million from the six shows Swift is performing from March 2 to 9, and other Southeast Asian countries have called Singapore out. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, not unexpectedly, has defended the deal.
Read related: PM Lee defends exclusive Taylor Swift concert deal and says it was not an unfriendly act towards SEA neighbours
A March 6 article in Free Malaysia Today (FMT) characterized the situation as “an expensive lesson for Malaysia” not only due to the missed economic opportunity but for the lost chance of establishing the country as a must-see in Southeast Asia.
“With Visit Malaysia Year coming up in 2026, we hope that the Malaysian government will not be left behind and will give its full support and encouragement to efforts to bring in prominent international acts.
The Malaysian government should not only encourage them (international acts) to come and perform here, but also provide the necessary funding and incentives which will in turn generate huge numbers in terms of tourist arrivals from the region and beyond,” the piece quotes Karyawan president Freddie Fernandez as saying.
The loss is especially bitter because Mr Frankie D’Cruz, a columnist for FMT, claimed the day before that “Malaysia had Taylor Swift in its grip and did nothing.”
The government allegedly had Swift in its sights in 2022, when it struck a deal for Kuala Lumpur Sports City in Bukit Jalil to become “a magnet for sports and live entertainment.”
“For some reason, when Anwar Ibrahim became the prime minister after GE15, the deal was not maximised, and the American company’s role was reduced to consultants for the optimisation of the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil,” added Mr DCruz.
On Mer 6, however, Malaysia’s Daily Express reported Sportswork Group Sdn Bhd as saying that Swift’s concert was never offered to Malaysia under the joint contract with Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM) and US-based company ASM Global.
Swift’s exclusive deal with Singapore was first brought to public attention by the Prime Minister of Thailand.
Last month, at the iBusiness Forum 2024 in Bangkok, where he gave the keynote speech, Mr Srettha Thavisin claimed that Swift and her team had been offered between US$2 and $3 million (S$2.7 to S$4 million) for each of her shows for the sake of performing only in Singapore. He claims he learned about the alleged deal from the promoter AEG.
On Mar 5, however, a spokesman for his office said that Mr Srettha had not meant to be critical of Singapore, but to “admire and compliment” it. /TISG