Taylor Swift in Singapore: boosting economy and tourism

Singapore has devised a novel approach to stimulate economic growth by leveraging concerts featuring global superstars. As a result, the nation is poised to attract hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism revenue.

Singapore has experienced a surge in live musical performances following the conclusion of pandemic-related lockdowns. Renowned artists such as Blackpink, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran have successfully attracted large audiences, selling out their respective concerts.

Coldplay took the lead in contributing to economic growth this year by staging six sold-out performances in January. Singapore was Asia’s main stop for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres World Tour, significantly boosting the country’s tourism industry. Now, Singapore is shifting its focus to another prominent global pop star, Taylor Swift. Scheduled to perform six shows from March 2 to March 9, Singapore stands as her sole stop in Southeast Asia.

According to the Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, Singapore planned to make a deal with Taylor Swift aiming to restrict her performances in other parts of Southeast Asia during her Eras tour.

During a business forum held in Bangkok in February, Thavisin mentioned that, according to information from concert promoter AEG, the Singaporean government allegedly proposed subsidies ranging from US$2 million to US$3 million for a concert, as part of an exclusivity arrangement.

“But the Singaporean government is clever. They told [organizers] not to hold any other shows in [Southeast] Asia,” shared Thavisin.

Anticipation is high for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts in Singapore, with hotel bookings for March 2024 experiencing a notable 10% surge after the announcement of concert dates.

Based on data from STR, March is poised to achieve the highest occupancy rates among the first eight months of 2024, with Swift’s six scheduled shows early in the month.

The demand for flights to Singapore in March has also seen a remarkable increase, especially from Southeast Asia, as Swift’s Eras Tour is limited to three countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Flagship carrier Singapore Airlines and budget airline Scoot both reported a substantial increase in flight demand to Singapore for March. Singapore Airlines revealed a booking surge, with statistics pointing to a notable double-digit percentage increase compared to previous periods. Similarly, Scoot experienced a surge in demand, particularly from travelers originating in Southeast Asian countries.

Jetstar Asia, another key player in the region, confirmed a significant spike of around 20% in demand for routes connecting popular destinations such as Bangkok, Manila and Jakarta to Singapore.

According to Erica Tay, director of macro research at Maybank, Taylor Swift’s concerts are projected to generate between 350 million to 500 million Singaporean dollars in tourism receipts, assuming a substantial portion of concertgoers are flying in from overseas. This reflects the substantial economic impact of hosting such A-list performers in Singapore.