In the glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore, the sequins are out, limousines polished and hotel pillows plumped.
The city’s hosting Taylor Swift’s Eras tour this week – an honour, but one that has come at a cost.
That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.
That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.
But the fact any money had been spent only came to light after an outburst from the prime minister of Thailand, who accused Singapore of paying concert organisers US$2-3m per night.
That triggered criticism across the region. In the Philippines, a lawmaker criticised the move, saying “this isn’t what good neighbours do” – and called for a formal protest against the grant.
But while governments are seeing red – it’s the fans who are paying the price, literally.
Swift is heard everywhere across South East Asia, home to roughly 700 million people – from alleyways in Ho Chi Minh to taxi cabs in Bangkok.
So for many it was a punch in the guts to learn all six shows would be held in the region’s most expensive city.
In the glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore, the sequins are out, limousines polished and hotel pillows plumped.
That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.
The city’s hosting Taylor Swift’s Eras tour this week – an honour, but one that has come at a cost.
But the fact any money had been spent only came to light after an outburst from the prime minister of Thailand, who accused Singapore of paying concert organisers US$2-3m per night.
That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.
That cost was initially reported to be as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m) for the six shows to be exclusive to South East Asia.
But the fact any money had been spent only came to light after an outburst from the prime minister of Thailand, who accused Singapore of paying concert organisers US$2-3m per night.
That triggered criticism across the region. In the Philippines, a lawmaker criticised the move, saying “this isn’t what good neighbours do” – and called for a formal protest against the grant.
But while governments are seeing red – it’s the fans who are paying the price, literally.
Swift is heard everywhere across South East Asia, home to roughly 700 million people – from alleyways in Ho Chi Minh to taxi cabs in Bangkok.
So for many it was a punch in the guts to learn all six shows would be held in the region’s most expensive city.
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