An Indonesian minister believes that his country is capable of hosting exclusive music concerts that can compete with Singapore, Tempo reported.

Coordinating Minister for Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan was referring to Singapore's exclusive deal with Taylor Swift's team to get the global superstar to perform only in Singapore for her Southeast Asia leg of "The Eras Tour".

"If Singapore can profit, why can't we?"

"What Singapore is offering, we'll do the same for other artists. We must be willing to compete. If Singapore can profit, why can't we?" said Luhut, as quoted by Jakarta Globe. 

Speaking at the closing of Business Matching 2024 on Thursday (Mar. 7) in Denpasar, Bali, Luhut said that discussions are already underway for the plan.

A decision has been made for an entertainment company to secure exclusive contracts with other artists and organise concerts.

Luhut believed that Singapore's exclusive contract with Swift has generated significant revenue for the city-state, including foreign exchange earnings and full hotel occupancy during "The Eras Tour".

“For two weeks, you can't go to Singapore because of a Taylor Swift show. Hotels are fully booked for nine days. Why? Because Indonesia could not host her show,” said Luhut, as quoted by Tempo.

Improve licensing system

Just last year, Indonesia's Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said that the country's licensing system could be improved to accelerate the process of booking a show from artists.

He was explaining why Singapore had six concert dates for British band Coldplay while Malaysia and Indonesia only had one show each.

Both concerts sold out extremely quickly, prompting calls for second dates to be put on.

However, on the day of Coldplay's first-ever concert in Indonesia on Nov. 15, about 300 protesters in Jakarta gathered outside the stadium to jeer at concertgoers.

The protesters chanted and held banners, expressing their opposition to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's support for the LGBT community.

The protesters were confronted by the police and clashed with officers.

Offered subsidies for concerts

On Feb. 16, Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin claimed that global concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) told him that the Singapore government had offered Swift up to S$4 million (US$3 million) in subsidies for each of her six concerts in Singapore, in exchange for her to not perform elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

A Thai government spokesperson later clarified that the claim was made "not to criticise or express jealousy", but to "admire and compliment" Singapore.

On Feb. 28, Joey Salceda, a representative of Albay province in the Philippines House of Representatives, criticised Singapore in a media statement.

The Philippines politician said that's not "what good neighbours do" and claimed that Singapore "hurt" the Philippines.

Earlier this week on Mar. 6, a Malaysian opposition politician asked the Malaysia government to explain why Swift is not performing in Malaysia as part of "The Eras Tour".

Bersatu's legal and constitution bureau deputy chairman Sasha Lyna Abdul Latiff claimed that the country was in talks with Swift's team from as early as 2022, although she was later rebutted by a member of the government.

Defended exclusivity deal

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on the sidelines of the Asean-Australia Summit summit on Mar. 5, 2024, defended the exclusivity deal with Swift.

PM Lee referred to the business deal as a "successful arrangement" and was funded by a "post-Covid" fund in an effort to boost tourism after the pandemic.

PM Lee suggested if Singapore had not made the deal, another of the 10 Asean countries might have done so.

"I don't see that as being unfriendly. Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does. I don't explicitly say you will come here, only on condition that you will go other places."

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Top image via @taylorswift/Instagram and Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan/Facebook.