Enchanted Evenings: A Look Back At Taylor Swift's World Tours In Singapore
We’re just a day away from the Eras Tour in Singapore, and given the amount of media coverage, F&B deals for concertgoers, and Taylor Swift-themed events around the island, her arrival has all the hype of a national holiday.
It wasn’t always like this, though. As someone who attended The Red Tour in Singapore in 2014, I’m a little blown away by the hold Taylor has on our populace this time around. Ten years ago, she was just another celebrity pop act gracing our shores; while she certainly enjoyed mainstream popularity, it wasn’t “cool” to be a Swiftie in Singapore unless you were a preteen or teenage girl. There were certainly no Swiftonomics, no Taylor Swift trail at Marina Bay Sands, and no few (if any) fans queuing outside SingPost for days at a time to get concert tickets.
A Taylor Swift concert back then was by no means an indie gig, but her 90-minute shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium felt downright quaint compared to what we (and 300,000 other concertgoers) will be enjoying this weekend and next.
ICYMI, let’s get lost in the memory of Taylor’s previous stops in Singapore:
Speak Now World Tour
Date: 9 February 2011
Location: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Opening Act: Sezairi
Attendance: 8,964
Remember when Taylor used to post vlogs on her YouTube channel? We didn’t either, until her Asia vlog from 2011 resurfaced in the wake of the Eras Tour in Singapore. Back then, 21-year-old Taylor could land at Changi Airport Terminal 3 as per normal and wander around Chinatown relatively unnoticed. Fun fact: Tickets were priced at S$175, S$150, S$125, S$105, S$90 - practically pennies compared to what they’re worth today
Skip to 0:45 above for a glimpse of her performing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium to just under 9,000 fans, and to 2:10 to see her marvel at the “forest” inside Changi Airport (please tell us someone’s bringing her to Jewel’s Forest Valley this time around).
The Red Tour
Dates: 9 June, 12 June 2014
Location: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Opening Act: Imprompt-3
Attendance: 16,344
Taylor’s star had certainly risen during her second tour in Singapore, where she performed songs from her album, Red. No vlogs this time around, but she did feature a couple of classic surprise songs: Long Live, from her album Speak Now, and Teardrops on My Guitar, from her debut album.
Like I said earlier, I actually attended this one at the behest of a friend, but ended up having a great time - Taylor’s fan interactions, stage presence, and stamina felt almost unparalleled even then. She talked about her songwriting process and even shared about her mother’s upbringing in Singapore as if we were her friends, not just her fans. Needless to say, sparks flew, and by the end of the night, I was kiiiind of a Swiftie.
The 1989 World Tour
Dates: 7-8 November 2015
Location: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Opening Act: None
Attendance: 17,726
While Taylor’s 1989 World Tour was known for its surprise guests, sadly, none appeared when she was in Singapore - however, we did get You Belong With Me as a surprise song. I can’t recall a single viral moment from this show, but it was her highest-attended, and generated over $3.2 million (S$4.30 million) in revenue - impressive, but just a fraction of the S$500 million she’s projected to inject into Singapore’s economy (via tourism receipts) in 2024.
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