Should you see Taylor Swift in Singapore or Tokyo? Getting tickets to The Eras Tour in Asia is a hot mess as fans face Ticketmaster crashing, UOB credit card applications and lottery registrations

Jul 6 , 2023

Taylor Swift has made US$300 million from 22 shows so far and with ticket sales of more than US$13 million each night while on the road, The Eras Tour is set to become the highest-grossing tour in music history. Photo: AFP

The Eras Tour will land in Tokyo Dome from February 7-10 before stopping in Singapore from March 2-4 and 7-9 – yes, Tay Tay is skipping Hong Kong, and everywhere else in Asia …

Tickets start at just US$61 in Tokyo – almost US$20 less than Singapore and well under the US average of US$250 – but there’s a complicated ticket lottery system; don’t worry, we’ll talk you through it

No artist has ever made more than US$1 billion in sales, but Taylor Swift is on track to do so with her soon-to-be record-breaking Eras Tour.

Fans in Asia made headlines this week after crashing ticketing firm Ticketmaster, as demand for presale tickets for Tay Tay’s Singapore shows literally exploded the internet.

Pop star Taylor Swift attends an event at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada, in September 2022. Photo: AP

The Eras Tour has made US$300 million from 22 shows so far, and with ticket sales of more than US$13 million each night while on the road, it’s set to become the highest-grossing tour in music history, beating Elton John’s farewell tour – which wraps in Sweden on Saturday.

This year has been a gigantic one for the concert business, with major tours by Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Drake, Madonna, Metallica and others filling stadiums and arenas. But for fans, the once-simple act of buying a ticket has now devolved into braving nerve-racking presale registrations and crashing websites, just to be met with exorbitant prices and fees.

Taylor Swift performs onstage during The Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona, US, on March 17. Photo: AP

This however has not stopped millions of fans from clamouring for a chance to see the superstar on tour. Swift announced on June 21 that she will eventually be making stops in Tokyo and Singapore early next year – her only dates in Asia, despite having one of her largest fan bases in the Philippines.

While disappointed with the announcement, that leaves Asian Swifties with only one thing on their minds – Singapore or Tokyo?

Of course, seeing the tour first in Japan might prove priceless, but there are other factors to consider. We weigh up the odds.