Lawmaker challenges Singapore's 'Eras Tour' exclusivity deal with Taylor Swift promoter

WASHINGTON (TND) — After spurring U.S. lawmakers to question Ticketmaster's hold on the concert market, stimulating the national economy by billions, and finding herself at the center of a right-wing media conspiracy theory about the 2024 election, Taylor Swift and her 'Eras Tour' may be the focus of a blossoming international diplomatic incident.

A lawmaker in the Philippines' government is calling on his nation's Department of Foreign Affairs to formally protest a reported deal brokered between the government of Singapore and concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) to make that country the sole stop on the 'Eras Tour' in Southeast Asia.

Joey Salceda, a member of the Philippines' House of Representatives from the center-rightLakas–CMD party, called for the action Wednesday, saying the move by Singapore "isn't what good neighbors do" and "our countries are good friends. That's why actions like that hurt."

He also told The Straits Times, one of the oldest and most-respected newspapers in Singapore, that that country's government offered AEG millions of dollars to ensure Swift would only perform there on the global leg of the tour.

Some $3 million in grants were allegedly given by the Singapore government to AEG to host the concert in Singapore. The catch was that they do not host it elsewhere in the region," he said.

His story is corroborated by similar testimony from Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin at a business forum in Bangkok earlier this month. Thavisin publicly claimed at the event that AEG directly told him about the deal they struck.

“[AEG] didn’t tell me the exact figure but they said the Singapore government offers subsidies of between $2 million and $3 million,” Thavisin said -- according to The Guardian. "But the Singaporean government is clever. They told [organisers] not to hold any other shows in [south-east] Asia.”

According to reporting by The Straits Times, a contingent of Singapore government officials flew to Los Angeles in early 2023 -- before any international dates of the 'Eras Tour' had been announced -- to meet with representatives from AEG about Swift performing in their country. The paper further reports that, over the course of months of negotiations, the Singapore team promised the promoting giant to "deliver" Asia for the pop juggernaut.

Once the discussion had progressed and we saw the opportunity of holding an only-in-Singapore event, we then thought it made sense to take a whole-of-government approach and brought in other relevant agencies to really have Team Singapore bringing in Team Taylor,"Keith Magnus, the chair ofKallang Alive Sport Management, which manages the 55,000-seat stadium Swift is performing in, told the Times.

The initial announcement of Singapore as the only 'Eras Tour' stop in Southeast Asia left many of the fans in the region disappointed. However, some Filipino fans admitted that bringing Swift's massive 'Eras Tour' production to their country would likely prove impossible.

“We don’t have a big stadium that would fit the stage, the technology that would be used for the logistics and the necessary setups for her to do the concert,” 30-year-oldCharlyn Suizo told The Guardian.

The BBC has also reported the deal may have have just $2 million - $3million for all six shows rather than per night.