5-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has defended the exclusive deal with Taylor Swift that made Singapore the only stop in Southeast Asia on her Eras Tour. He stated that the arrangement was not “unfriendly” to neighboring countries and has proven to be mutually beneficial. PM Lee made these remarks at a press conference following the 9th Singapore-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Melbourne on March 5.
In response to criticism that the agreement undermined cooperation within ASEAN, PM Lee emphasized that a successful arrangement had been reached. He stated, “I don’t see that as being unfriendly. Sometimes, one country makes a deal. Sometimes, another country does.” He further explained that the incentives provided to Swift were from a fund aimed at reviving the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.
PM Lee acknowledged that if Singapore had not made this arrangement, Swift might have chosen to perform in another location in Southeast Asia or multiple places in the region. He noted that the terms of the deal were mutually acceptable and highlighted that Swift had recently performed in Australia in February.
The concerts began in Singapore on March 2 at the National Stadium and will conclude on March 9. In a joint statement on February 20, Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Singapore Tourism Board disclosed that they had worked directly with promoter AEG Presents and provided a grant to help bring Swift to Singapore. While the specific details of the deal were not revealed, it has been speculated that the amount is in the millions per show.
The exclusivity of the deal has sparked controversy among politicians in neighboring countries, particularly in Thailand and the Philippines. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin revealed in mid-February that the Singapore government had offered subsidies of up to US$3 million (S$4 million) for each concert to secure the exclusivity agreement. This announcement led to criticism from Philippine lawmaker Joey Salceda, who called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to formally protest against the deal, stating that it was detrimental to diplomatic relations between Singapore and Manila.
