Why Taylor Swift can’t perform in other South East Asian countries? Eras Tour sparks ASEAN discord with reported Singapore exclusivity deal

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is considered to be the most successful tour in the history of pop music, with an economic value that is estimated to be over $5 billion. Such financial potential has, in turn, affected the economies of cities and countries where Taylor Swift performed during the tour.

As reported by Bloomberg, Melbourne's economy was boosted by a record $1.2 billion after she performed in the city. This has apparently led to countries vying for the economic potential of such a Taylor Swift performance, with Singapore apparently leading the way in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) cooperation group.

On February 16, 2024, Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin made a press statement at the iBusiness Forum conference in Bangkok that claimed Singapore had signed an exclusive agreement with Taylor Swift and AEG, the tour's presenters, to the detriment of the rest of ASEAN, stating:

"The Singapore government is astute. If she came to Thailand, it would have been cheaper to organise it here, and I believe she would be able to attract more sponsors and tourists to Thailand. "

He continued:

"Even though we would have to subsidise at least 500m baht, it would be worth it. If I had known this, I would have brought the shows to Thailand. Concerts can generate added value for the economy."

Due to demand, three additional dates have been added to the Eras Tour so far, (for a total of six shows), while none are scheduled in the other nine ASEAN countries of Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Phillippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

---

More about Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and her exclusivity deal with Singapore

While no further statement has been provided by AEG or Taylor Swift in either public or private spheres, the concerts currently scheduled in the Eras Tour align with Thailand PM's statements.

There are more than 50 dates in Taylor Swift's 2024 Eras tour schedule. Aside from the six Singapore dates, the only tour acts scheduled in Asia were the four performances that took place in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome from February 4, 2024 to February 10, 2024.

The remaining tour dates for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour 2024 are given below:

• February 23, 24 & 25, 2024 – Sydney, Australia, at Accor Stadium
• March 2, 3 & 4, 2024 – Singapore at National Stadium Singapore
• May 9, & 10, 2024 – Paris, France, at Paris La Defence Arena
• May 17, 2024 – Stockholm, Sweden, at Friends Arena
• May 24, 2024 – Lisbon, Portugal, at Estadio Da Luz
• May 30, 2024 – Madrid, Spain, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
• June 2, 2024 – Lyon, France, at Groupama Stadium
• June 7 & 8, 2024 – Edinburgh, UK, at BT Murrayfield Stadium
• June 14 & 15, 2024 – Liverpool, UK, at Anfield Stadium
• June 18, 2024 – Cardiff, UK, at Principality Stadium
• June 21 & 22, 2024 – London, UK, at Wembley Stadium
• June 28 & 29, 2024 – Dublin, Ireland, at Aviva Stadium
• July 5 & 6, 2024 – Amsterdam, Netherlands, at Johann Cruijff Arena
• July 9, 2024 – Zsurich, Switzerland, at Stadion Letzigrund Zurich
• July 13, 2024 – Milan, Italy, at San Siro Stadium
• July 18, 2024 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany, at Veltins Arena
• July 23, 2024 – Hamburg, Germany, at Volksparkstadion
• August 2, 2024 – Warsaw, Poland, at PGE Narodowy
• August 9, 2024 – Vienna, Austria, at Ernst-Happel-Stadion
• August 16 & 17, 2024 – London, UK, at Wembley Stadium
• October 18, 19 & 20, 2024 – Miami, Florida at Hard Rock Stadium
• October 25, 26 & 27, 2024 – New Orleans, Lousiana at Caesar’s Superdome
• November 01, 02 & 03, 2024 – Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium
• November 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 & 23, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario at Rogers Centre
• December 6, 7 & 8, 2024 – Vancouver, British Columbia at BC Place

Aside from the Eras tour, Taylor Swift has also recently announced a new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which is expected to be released on April 19, 2024. The singer is also expected to announce the next of her first seven albums to be re-recorded in the near future.