The glitzy Asian city-state of Singapore is polishing its limousines and bringing the sequins out – it is time to host none other than Taylor Swift. The city is hosting the Eras Tour this week, which is an absolute honor but does not come without a hefty cost. The cost was reportedly as high as S$24 million (£14m; $18m). This was rumored to be for six consecutive shows exclusive to the region of South East Asia. However, Culture Minister Edwin Tong has talked to Singapore’s CNA and clarified the country’s figure was not nearly as high as it was claimed to be. Instead, he hinted that the amount might be around $2m for all six shows. However, the fact that any amount of money has been spent at all had only come to light after the public outburst of the prime minister of Thailand. He accused the country of paying concert organizers US$2-3m every night.

This triggered criticism across South East Asia, where in the Philippines, lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the move saying “this isn’t what good neighbours do” while calling for a formal protest against the amount of money that was supposedly spent. However, where the governments are accusing each other and letting out public outbursts, it is the fans who are paying the price- quite literally. Taylor Swift’s fan base surrounds all parts of South East Asia – from alleyways in Ho Chi Minh to taxi cabs in Bangkok. So many were left disappointed when they learned that all six of the shows were to be held in the region’s most expensive city. The country’s currency which is one of the strongest in all over Asia has always been a deterrent for the visitors. For the chance of seeing Taylor Swift perform live, many fans are willing to bear it with a grin.

Flights have been constantly touching down at Singapore’s Changi Airport all week, maximum of them are coming from China and its other territories. Taylor Swift will not perform in China so Singapore is the next best thing for Chinese Swifties. One woman flying down from Shenzhen told in an interview with BBC that she and her friend have already spent S$1,200 each on just tickets to see the ‘Bad Blood’ singer. As the hotel rates in the city surged, they were restored to camping at another friend’s house for the night. For an example of the luxe end of things, hotel Marina Bay Sands, one of the landmark hotels of Singapore has sold out Swift packages worth S$50,000. These packages include four VIP tickets and a three-night stay in a suite. Allen Dungca is another concertgoer from the Philippines who told BBC that he had scraped his life savings for him and his mother to come and see Taylor Swift. The Philippines has arguably one of the most dedicated fan bases of the ‘Shake It Off’ singer. According to Spotify data, Quezon City in Manila has played most of the streams that the artist got last year on the largest music streaming platform.