Bad blood over subsidies for Taylor Swift's Singapore tour
Bad blood over subsidies for Taylor Swift's Singapore tour
Image source, EPABy Frances Mao in Singapore
In the glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore, the glitter is out, the limousines polished and the hotel pillows plumped.
The city welcomes this week the Taylor Swift's Eras tour - an honor, but one that has come to an end. a cost.
This price was initially estimated at 24 million Singapore dollars (14 million pounds sterling; 18 million dollars) for the six shows which will be exclusive to the Southeast Asian country.
Culture Minister Edwin Tong has since told Singapore's CNA that this figure does not was “nowhere as high”. " - although he has always refused to comment on the exact figure. The TV station, however, suggested that it may only be S$2 million for the six.
< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10">But the fact that money had been spent only emerged after an outburst from the Thai Prime Minister, who accused Singapore of paying concert organizers 2 to $3 million per night.
This sparked criticism across the region. In the Philippines, a lawmaker criticized the move, saying "it doesn't is not what good neighbors do" - and called for a formal protest against the subsidy.
But while governments see red, it is the fans who pay the price, literally.
Swift is heard throughout Southeast Asia, home to around 700 million people - ...
In the glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore, the glitter is out, the limousines polished and the hotel pillows plumped.
The city welcomes this week the Taylor Swift's Eras tour - an honor, but one that has come to an end. a cost.
This price was initially estimated at 24 million Singapore dollars (14 million pounds sterling; 18 million dollars) for the six shows which will be exclusive to the Southeast Asian country.
Culture Minister Edwin Tong has since told Singapore's CNA that this figure does not was “nowhere as high”. " - although he has always refused to comment on the exact figure. The TV station, however, suggested that it may only be S$2 million for the six.
< p class="ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10">But the fact that money had been spent only emerged after an outburst from the Thai Prime Minister, who accused Singapore of paying concert organizers 2 to $3 million per night.
This sparked criticism across the region. In the Philippines, a lawmaker criticized the move, saying "it doesn't is not what good neighbors do" - and called for a formal protest against the subsidy.
But while governments see red, it is the fans who pay the price, literally.
Swift is heard throughout Southeast Asia, home to around 700 million people - ...
Image source, EPA
