Taylor Swift Show Organizers’ Tricks

Taylor Swift concludes her Singapore leg of the “Eras Tour” on March 9. However, ticketing issues that fans face are still not diminishing.

Despite the tour nearing its end in Singapore, ticketing issues persist. According to the Straits Times, after Taylor Swift’s opening performance on March 2, the organizers, AEG Presents, reportedly added more seats to the VIP 1 section closer to the stage at the Singapore National Stadium for subsequent nights, but at a discounted rate of over 70%.

Initially priced at $1,228 per seat, VIP 1 included an exclusive merchandise box with 4 Taylor Swift prints, a lanyard, tote bag, souvenir concert ticket, pin badge, stickers, and a postcard. However, the additional seats were priced at $348 without the merchandise.

This approach left many VIP 1 ticket holders feeling disgruntled. They were upset about paying significantly more but not receiving the best service.

On March 5, TikTok user @leonardlowe5 posted a video complaining: “They (the organizers) added more Cat 1 seats in front of VIP 1, closer to the barricade. This means VIP 1 had to pay an additional $900 but did not get better seats. Just the VIP merchandise alone cannot be worth that much. We paid for it to be as close to Taylor as possible. I tried to contact them to find a fair solution, but the organizers did not respond. Please help us.”

Under the post, many netizens expressed their agreement: “We paid an extra $900 and they got better views”, “Unfair. I don’t know if I can accept it when they pay much less but get better seats”…

AEG Presents has not commented on this issue. However, the show tickets clearly state: “Organizers may add, withdraw, re-arrange or substitute artists or audiences (if any) or change the program, prices, event times, venues, seating arrangements, or audience capacity.”

Scams and Ticket Speculation

In addition, some Swifties continue to face unpleasant experiences related to scams and ticket scalping.

On March 7, Singapore police reported that at least 1,241 individuals had fallen victim to e-commerce scams related to concert tickets since January. Most cases involved tickets to “Queen of Country Music” performances.

TikTok account @cruel.blue shared a video recounting a memorable experience at the Singapore National Stadium on March 4 with tickets purchased from the Viagogo ticket exchange website. However, she realized she was scammed when two other people sat in her assigned seats. Subsequently, she was escorted out by security personnel.

Similarly, Thai internet star Chopluem Thammapunya took to Instagram to express disappointment after being scammed. She flew to Singapore to attend the March 3 concert with tickets purchased online. However, she burst into tears when denied entry because someone else with the same ticket number arrived earlier.

Not being scammed, many others face the situation of being demanded exorbitant ticket prices by resellers. Wendy Tan is one such case.

She told the Straits Times that she was at the stadium from March 2 to 4, carrying a sign clearly stating her need for tickets. On March 3, she met a man offering to sell Cat 9 tickets for $500, while the original price was only $88. By 8:30 p.m., when half of the concert had started, he refused to sell for $50 but insisted on $100. “I decided not to buy because he was an opportunist,” Wendy Tan recalled.

On March 4, Wendy saw the man offering to sell Cat 9 tickets to a 20-year-old Russian tourist for 300 euros ($437). She advised the girl not to buy, and they hunted for tickets together. Luckily, they found an original ticket seller, and Wendy gave her ticket to the girl because she only had one evening layover in Singapore.

“About 15 minutes later, I found a second seller willing to sell VIP 4 tickets for all the cash I had, nearly $200. The original price was $528. We oppose buying from scalpers and always care for each other. I was happy that everything went well. But it’s disgusting how speculators take advantage of fans who spend a lot of money on flights and hotels to welcome their idols on stage,” Wendy said.