On social media, fans are calling it the “great war”. Tips are being shared on how best to prepare. Online support groups are sharing experiences. Relatives and friends have been enlisted to assist in the struggle.
The prospect of staring for hours at a screen in the hope of securing a Taylor Swift tour ticket is widely known by now, but never more so than across south-east Asia, where just one tour stop, Singapore, has been included on the star’s schedule.
Fans began queueing outside post offices in Singapore on Wednesday, hoping to secure tickets on Friday, reported the Straits Times, but elsewhere in the region, fans have blamed unstable politics and poor infrastructure as some of the reasons why their home countries are missing from the star’s schedule.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote in a recent editorial that complaints from fans had “ended up highlighting the sad state of Philippine infrastructure”.
The country is home to a large Swift fanbase. Quezon City in Metro Manila was once listed by Spotify as being home to the fifth-biggest number of Swift’s listeners in a ranking of global cities.
Prior to the announcement of the tour dates, the fan group Swifties Philippines ran a hashtag campaign #WeWantErasTourPhillipines to try to draw Swift to the country, even organising an event by drag performer Taylor Sheesh, who recreated the Eras tour in a packed mall in Quezon City. Taylor Sheesh’s lip-sync performance, complete with costume changes, went viral on social media.
Charlyn Suizo, 30, a software engineer from Laguna, and an admin for the Swifties Philippines group, hoped it would send a message to Swift. “We organised several campaigns to knock on Taylor Swift’s door to really [ask her to] listen to us and invite her to come here,” she says.
Suizo was saddened that no tour dates were announced for Manila, but adds that she thinks infrastructure is a problem. “We don’t have a big stadium that would fit the stage, the technology that would be used for the logistics and the necessary setups for her to do the concert,” she says.
Transport connectivity is another problem. There is no direct public transport link to the Philippine Arena, the biggest stadium, which can seat 50,000 people. Suizo spent four hours travelling from Manila to the venue for a recent Bruno Mars concert. About half the audience arrived late, she added.
“Let’s hope there is [investment], because it really is an eye-opener for the government and everyone,” she added. The Philippines was missing out on the economic opportunities associated with hosting big concerts, says Suizo.
By contrast, Taylor’s six shows in Singapore, where tickets start at S$108 ($80), are expected to bring a major boost to its tourism sector, as is a visit by Coldplay, which recently announced six shows there.
Singaporean media have pointed to the city state’s connectivity, facilities and the tourism board’s efforts to position it as an entertainment and events hub as reasons for its attractiveness.
‘We love you, we are waiting for you’
In Thailand, fans believe Taylor’s tour dates might also reflect concerns about political instability. Many remember bitterly how Swift had to cancel her 2014 concert in Bangkok after the military coup by the now caretaker prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
Pongpond Karnsubwedchkij, 19, of the Thai fan group Saratay, says he plans to travel to watch her shows elsewhere. But he adds: “I would love to hear her say ‘Sawatdee kah Thailand’ rather than ‘Hello Japan’, or ‘Hello Singapore.’”
He thinks the political situation is changing, citing the recent election, in which the progressive Move Forward party won the most seats.
Pongpond’s message to Swift? “We love you, we are waiting for you and we will continue to wait. And finally, Prayuth is no longer prime minister. Please come here.”
Elsewhere, some have questioned whether some performers have been deterred by intolerant attitudes in the host country. When Coldplay announced tour dates in Indonesia and Malaysia in May, it was met with a backlash from conservative politicians and religious groups over the group’s support for LGBTQ+ issues.
But Swifties say they will continue to celebrate her music in their home countries, with both Saratay and Swifties Philippines organising listening parties to coincide with the release of the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) album.
Many will also keep trying their luck getting tickets for Singapore. Gabriel Eric Villanueva promised to try to get tickets for his fiancee, Smile Carvajal, when he proposed last year. On Wednesday, he wore the same shirt from the day of his proposal for good luck, while his friend, who qualified for a presale, entered the queue on his behalf.
They were number 257,930 in the queue, but unsuccessful.
He will try again on Friday when the general sale begins. They will buy any ticket that is available, as long as it is reasonably priced. “Even if it’s just the cheapest ticket – just to be there,” says Carvajal.
