Can Singapore maintain its ‘exclusive' concerts going forward?

The Star

6 days ago

IN the snaking lines for Lady Gaga merchandise at the Singapore Sports Hub's foyer in May, one could hear a smattering of Tagalog and Vietnamese, Thai and Hindi, and mainland Chinese Mandarin among the chatter.
It was a smorgasbord sampling of fans from Asia and beyond, who had descended on Singapore for Lady Gaga's only shows in the region.
As with Taylor Swift's runaway success of sold-out shows in March 2024, the Republic had once again managed to work out such a deal – making sure that Lady Gaga performed only there.
Besides the economic boost, this strategy of securing international superstars for Singapore-exclusive shows could fuel the country's aspirations of being a global entertainment epicentre – and is one that should be pursued for as long as possible.
Swift set a high bar, With six shows that sold over 300,000 tickets, Swift's concerts – combined with British band Coldplay's six shows in January 2024 – injected up to S$450mil (RM1.5bil) into the Singapore economy, bringing in high international visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy rates and tourism revenue, according to private-sector estimates.
Economists estimated that Gaga's concerts have generated as much as S$150mil in tourism receipts but it appeared that tickets took longer to sell.
The rise in business during the week of the Gaga shows was far less pronounced than when Coldplay and Swift were in town in 2024. While Gaga also has a smaller and niched following, 2025 has also been a slow year for business due to the shaky global economy.
Still, paradoxically, tourism experts say the climate of global economic uncertainty could encourage spending on such one-off events. Associate Professor Kuan-Huei Lee, director of programmes, business, communication and design at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), said: 'During periods of crisis and economic uncertainty, individuals may increase their spending on emotional or aspirational goods and experiences that they perceive as 'once-in-a-lifetime' events, such as a Lady Gaga concert.'
Can the formula be repeated?
Lady Gaga's recent run of shows marks the second time in two years that a major international act has chosen Singapore as its only regional stop.
However, pulling off such 'once-in-a-lifetime' events on a regular basis could be a challenge. Not only is it contingent on mega artistes' touring schedules and attracting them to Singapore, but other countries in the region could also emulate the Republic's strategy. But observers agree that Singapore is well placed to keep the momentum going.
Several key factors make it a preferred choice in the region, noted tourism expert Benjamin Cassim, senior lecturer at the School of Business at Temasek Polytechnic.
These include the availability of hospitality and tourism infrastructure for travelling artistes, their teams and visitors attending the concerts, as well as venues with a proven track record that are equipped to deliver in terms of size and technical support.
Accessibility is another element, including the ease of getting to Singapore, and travelling within it safely, with an efficient public transport system that is close to venues.
Cassim noted that the Republic has already established itself as a premier entertainment and sports events destination, not just within the Asia-Pacific region, but also globally.
'A major catalyst for this transformation is probably the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix event that Singapore started hosting in 2008,' he said.
The F1 Singapore GP's consistently stacked and high-quality off-track entertainment line-ups – with concerts by A-listers, built around the marquee race event – have been a template that has since been imitated by other F1 races around the world.
'The more concert and entertainment events Singapore hosts, the more experience the relevant stakeholders get at honing their craft,' said Cassim. 'This increases our levels of expertise to successfully deliver top-notch events.'
For concert promoters as well, Singapore is a reliable choice, though it is the most expensive in the region. It costs about 25% to 30% more to stage a concert here, compared with other places in the region such as Seoul, Bangkok and Jakarta, noted Zaran Vachha, co-founder of independent touring company Collective Minds.
'Bringing someone like Lady Gaga here costs millions of dollars, and at that level, they don't want things to go wrong,' he said.
'And in the region, despite it being the most expensive, Singapore is the least risky place to do that – in terms of everything from securing venues, licensing, approvals and visas (for artistes and crew), to (ensuring) ticket demand.
'It's a safety net for both promoters and artistes.'
Securing the next big fish
While Singapore has a first-mover advantage in this space, and the ability to make it happen again, it should pursue this 'Singapore-exclusive' strategy for as long as it can before others catch up.
'Replicating Singapore's advantages as a tourist destination is challenging,' said SIT's Prof Lee, noting that organising such events involves well-oiled coordination between the public and private sectors – the government, venue operators, lodging and logistics.
She added: 'As neighbouring countries continue to lag behind in competing with Singapore, it is crucial for Singapore to secure exclusive agreements.
'These should align with fan travel patterns, capitalise on logistical strengths, integrate additional activities for tourists to enjoy outside the concert, and closely observe emerging competitors in the region to adapt and adjust.'
In 2024, Singapore hit a record S$29.8bil in tourism receipts, driven largely by visitors from markets such as China, Indonesia and Australia, said the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
Between January and September 2024, tourism receipts showed that spending grew across all categories, led by the sightseeing, entertainment and gaming category, which increased by 25 % to S$4.6bil.
STB's outlook for 2025 is even more bullish, with expectations of receiving 17 million to 18.5 million international visitors, bringing in S$29bil to S$30.5bil in tourism receipts, surpassing 2024's numbers.
After 2024's sold-out shows by Taylor Swift and 2025's run of shows by Lady Gaga, perhaps Singapore should angle for its next big fish in 2026.
With such marquee concert events in the year attracting top tourism eyeballs and dollars, and with Singapore shifting priorities to quality tourism instead of quantity in terms of visitor numbers, the Republic must strike while the iron is hot – and continue on its rodeo run to lasso the highest stratosphere of superstars in the world.
There is a very limited list of such stars, and one Beyonce Knowles-Carter – currently on her reportedly 94% sold-out run of Cowboy Carter shows around the US and Europe for 2025 – happens to be on it. — The Straits Times/ANN