Vietnamese fans spend tens of millions of dong to watch Taylor Swift concert in Singapore

Vietnamese fans spend tens to hundreds of millions of dong on tickets, travel, and hotels to go to Singapore to see Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour".

The singer held six concerts in early March at the Singapore National Stadium (March 2-4 and March 7-9). Two days before the first concert, tens of thousands of members and fans on forums continuously updated the atmosphere of the queue at the airport and the activities at the Singapore center to "heat up" the event.

Nhat Duy, 30 years old, Ho Chi Minh City, said he wanted to travel and watch a concert so he left early and met many "teammates" with the same excitement at Tan Son Nhat airport on the morning of January 3.

A female fan in Ho Chi Minh City updates information about the concert before leaving for Singapore on March 6. Photo: Tan Cao — A female fan in Ho Chi Minh City updates concert information before leaving for Singapore. Photo: *Tan Cao*

Many people are willing to spend a lot of money to see Taylor Swift perform. In July 2023, a "fever" of ticket hunting took place. The issuer released 300,000 tickets, of which VIP tickets cost more than 900 USD (more than 20 million VND), and quickly sold out. Hoang Giang, 36 years old, Dong Nai hunted a pair of CAT 5 tickets for 16 million after Tet through an intermediary purchase, while the original price was only 4.1 million.

When booking a hotel, he said he was "shocked" because most economy class rooms in Singapore were "fully booked". A week before the show, he spent nearly 20 million VND to secure a room because "it got harder to find one as the date got closer".

"The amount of money I have spent is more than 50 million VND, not including additional expenses. If I had to buy VIP tickets, I think the cost would be double. However, I accept it because I am so eager to see my idol perform," Hoang Giang added.

Compilation of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour moments — Some moments of Taylor Swift at Eras Tour. Video: *Instagram Taylor Swift*

According to Hoang Giang's observation, the prices of all services in Singapore have increased many times, causing difficulties for those who are new to planning like him. In addition to ticket and hotel costs, other items such as transportation costs can also cause "headaches". According to the websites of many airlines, as of February 29, ticket prices to Singapore during the concert range from 6 to 15 million VND each way. However, many people still accept to spend money to satisfy their thirst for watching their idols.

Thai Chau, 22, from Ho Chi Minh City, said he would watch the concert on March 9 with two friends, and was lucky enough to buy tickets during the first sale. He immediately booked his flight and accommodation, so there were no additional costs or expenses that exceeded his expectations. "However, the amount of money I spent on the trip so far is more than 20 million VND," this audience member said.

Bao Tran took a photo with Taylor Swift's Lover album, excitedly waiting to see her idol perform. Photo: Tan Cao — Bao Tran took a photo with Taylor Swift's "Lover" album, excitedly waiting to see her idol perform. Photo: *Tan Cao*

To reduce financial pressure, many fans save money by cutting out unnecessary items. Bao Tran, 30 years old, Ho Chi Minh City, chose to watch the last show on the evening of March 9, flew to Singapore the same morning, and after landing, moved to the stadium. After the show ended, Tran chose to go straight to the airport, stayed overnight there before returning home the next morning. "My purpose was to see Taylor perform live, not to travel, so I chose to optimize the cost at 10 million VND, including a concert ticket of 1.2 million, transportation of 5.5 million, and food of 3 million," she said.

According to Tran, when applying this method, you should not bring luggage because there will be no place to store it. Just exchange a little money, bring a toothbrush, and a thin blanket.

Huy Hoang, 25 years old, Ho Chi Minh City, booked a flight to Malaysia, then traveled to Singapore by train or bus, which would save half the cost compared to a direct flight. In addition, many people find ways to save money by posting information about finding roommates and sharing taxi fares on forums. Others set up a "Taylor Concert Group" to help each other when needed. According to Bao Tran, joining a group is good for those traveling alone or experiencing a concert abroad for the first time. She advises carefully checking the information and background of the members traveling with you to ensure safety.

Audience Vo Trung Hau prepared an outfit including a T-shirt, necklace, bracelet, and hat with the main color pink to go to Singapore to watch his idol's concert. Photo: Character provided — Audience member Vo Trung Hau prepared an outfit including a T-shirt, necklace, bracelet, and cowboy hat with the main color being pink, which took three days to prepare. Photo: *Character provided*

At the same time, Vietnamese fans invest in costumes to create highlights and promote culture when watching shows. On many groups, fans exchange information about ordering ao dai, planning to bring conical hats. Others choose dresses based on the theme of Taylor's albums or cosplay the singer's costumes, making their own beads to create necklaces and bracelets at a cost of several million VND. Others use motifs and symbolic images associated with Taylor such as guitars, the number 1989, the snake king, poems, printed or pasted on their costumes.

Thai Chau prepared a predominantly black outfit, ordering sparkling accessories from abroad several weeks in advance to have time to attach them before leaving on March 6. This audience member said that on the morning of February 29, the organizers sent out information about the dress code, which prohibited fans from wearing clothes with bulky accessories that could block other people's vision, so he would moderate it. According to many fans with experience attending concerts, for an event that attracts nearly 55,000 spectators like The Eras Tour , it is best to choose a simple outfit including a T-shirt and flat sandals to comfortably blend in with your idol.

Taylor Swift sings 'Blank Space' on Eras Tour in Nashville — Taylor Swift sings "Blank Space" during her Eras Tour in Nashville in 2023. Video: *YouTube Jake Reed*

The Eras Tour is Taylor Swift's high-profile tour, taking place on multiple continents. In October 2023, Taylor became a billionaire thanks to the success of the tour. In December 2023, Guinness recognized her Eras Tour as the highest-grossing concert series of all time, reaching over $1 billion, surpassing Elton John's record of $939 million. The singer earned about 85% of all ticket sales - a high and rare rate in the music industry. She ended her most recent show in Sydney, Australia on February 24.

Taylor Swift, 34, is an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame with her country music in 2006. After 10 albums, Taylor has received 14 Grammy Awards and 29 Billboard Awards. In addition to touring, she has released re-recorded albums such as Fearless, Red, 1989. She currently has a net worth of about 1.1 billion USD, and was chosen by Time as "Person of the Year" 2023.

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