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In the wake of Coldplay selling out all six shows at the Singapore National Stadium and with Taylor Swift's tickets that will go on sale on Jul. 5 with UOB's presale, concert tickets seem hard to come by.
What could make the fight for concert tickets even harder are Singaporeans having to compete with people in the region attempting to purchase tickets, especially when the artists have limited shows in Southeast Asia.
Like Coldplay, who only have one show in Malaysia on Nov. 22, 2023, but are playing a record six shows in Singapore in January 2024.
Or like Taylor Swift, where her only stops in Asia are Japan and Singapore, playing four shows in Tokyo and six shows in Singapore.
Why do Singaporeans want Singpass presale?
Getting concert tickets is not an easy feat.
Many Singaporeans have suggested prioritising Singapore residents in their bid for concert tickets to implement a Singpass presale.
Especially after seeing how other countries handle their ticketing sales.
In Japan, presale tickets for Swift are only available for American Express cardholders that are issued in Japan only.
While in Australia, Swift's concert is declared a major event in Melbourne to curb ticket scalpers. According to 9 News, anyone found selling tickets for more than 10 per cent of the original price could face a penalty of AUD$500,000 (S$452,942.40).
Concerts to be accessible to all
In response to comments on social media that requested Singpass presale to let Singaporeans have priority in purchasing concert tickets for Swift, Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said briefly on Jun. 24 that the government "can't quite do that".
He went on to explain that "we need to make sure it's fair that when Taylor performs here and any concert that performs here, we'll have access to all, not just to Singaporeans. [Be]cause that won't be right".
"But we can make sure that there are more events for Singaporeans to enjoy."
@mothershipsg Minister Edwin Tong responds to TikTok comments from Taylor Swift’s fans about her concert in Singapore #tiktoksg #sgnews #edwintong #taylorswift #theerastour #sgconcert #singaporenationalstadium ♬ original sound - Mothership.sg
It is likely that one of the aims of bringing such international acts to Singapore is to draw tourists with spending power from neighbouring Southeast Asian countries and the region.
In a Sports Hub press release on Jun.21, Tong said, “since the Government took over the reins of the Singapore Sports Hub in December 2022, the KASM (Kallang Alive Sport Management) team has actively curated a portfolio of world-class marquee events".
"Taylor Swift’s only-in-Singapore concert outside of Japan is an example of the calibre of events we are targeting to augment our offerings to Singaporeans and tourists alike", he added.
Digital travel platform Agoda has observed an 8.7-time search increase for accommodations in Singapore during Coldplay’s concert series in January 2024, The Straits Times reported.
Travel platform Traveloka also saw a 60-fold increase in the number of bookings for accommodation in Singapore during the Coldplay and Taylor Swift concert dates in March next year, its president Caesar Indra told South China Morning Post.
GovTech: Private sector services able to use relevant SingPass services but request to use subject to assessment
In response to Mothership's queries, GovTech shared that private sectors are able to request to use relevant Singpass services (e.g. Myinfo).
However, each request to integrate with a relevant Singpass service "must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, regardless of whether this is for the purchase of concert tickets or otherwise".
"GovTech conducts a rigorous assessment and approval process to make sure the requests are relevant to and reasonable for the specific user journey."
GovTech stated that they require organisations that integrate with Singpass Myinfo to be active Singapore-registered entities, as these entities would be subject to local regulations such as the Personal Data Protection Act and cybersecurity laws.
Mothership has also reached out to SISTIC for comments.