Singapore says Taylor Swift gig grant not as high as speculated

Singapore says Taylor Swift gig grant not as high as speculated

Taylor Swift is playing six sold-out shows in Singapore
Taylor Swift is playing six sold-out shows in Singapore. Photo: Roslan RAHMAN / AFP
Source: AFP

Singapore said Monday its grant to Taylor Swift for her concerts in the city was nowhere near as high as speculated, following media reports that the superstar was offered millions of dollars per gig.

Around 300,000 people from Singapore and around the region are expected to attend the six sold-out shows that began March 2 -- but some neighbours were not happy about being left off The Eras Tour.

Some, including reportedly the Thai prime minister, have said that Swift was paid millions to keep her from performing anywhere else in the region.

"There has been some online speculation as to the size of the grant. I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated," Singapore's culture minister Edwin Tong told parliament.

Read also

Italy says it wants Chinese carmakers but only under conditions

"Due to business confidentiality reasons, we cannot reveal the specific size of the grant or the conditions of the grant."

Tong added that the "economic benefits to Singapore are assessed to be significant and outweigh the size of the grant".

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had reportedly said, citing a concert promoter, that Singapore offered Swift up to US$3 million per concert if she did not play anywhere else in Southeast Asia.

A lawmaker in the Philippines also criticised Singapore, reportedly saying this was not "what good neighbours do".

Tong played down the role the grant may have played in convincing Swift to perform only in Singapore.

"Promoters of top artists will do their own calculation and assess where they want to perform and for how long," he said, citing Singapore's location and infrastructure as key factors.

Read also

WTO talks enter final day with no clear sign of progress

Since the end of pandemic curbs, a number of top artists have performed in Singapore, including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Blackpink and Harry Styles.

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.