US singer-songwriter Taylor Swift accepts the Best Pop Vocal Album award for "Midnights" on stage during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024. (Photo by Valerie Macon / AFP)
Singapore: Singapore on Tuesday said it had provided a grant to help bring Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour to the city-state, the solo Southeast Asian stop for the pop-icon.
In a joint statement, the culture ministry and the Singapore Tourism Board said authorities had worked directly with the concert organisers.
The statement follows reports that Thai premier Srettha Thavisin last week alleged the city-state had made an exclusive deal for Swift to perform only in Singapore and not in any other Southeast Asian countries.
Singapore declined to reveal the grant amount and did not say if an exclusive deal had been reached, citing business confidentiality.
It did not make direct reference to the allegations but said Swift's shows were "likely to generate significant benefits to the Singapore economy."
A veteran in the entertainment business who did not want to be named told AFP that exclusive deals "are not unusual to request but not so usual for artists to accede to the request".
"Some of the bigger organisers could have more sway."
Since culling pandemic curbs, Singapore has attracted many international artists, including Blackpink, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay.
Swift will perform six sold-out shows at the National Stadium in Singapore in early March with more than 300,000 fans expected to attend.
After Singapore, Swift will head to Europe on her tour that is predicted to make a staggering estimated $2 billion.
