After the Eras Tour helped Singapore earn more than 500 million USD, experts analyzed why Taylor Swift did not return to Korea to perform for more than a decade.

According to Korea Joongang Daily, why hasn’t Taylor Swift been to Korea since 2011? is the question weighing heavily on Korean Swifties. The American pop star last performed in Korea about 13 years ago.

It is not difficult to understand that Taylor Swift did not return to Korea.

Korea struggled to find a reason

In February 2011, Taylor Swift had a show at the KSPO Dome in Songpa district, southern Seoul, with a capacity of 15,000 people. However, the show did not sell out. That is one of the reasons why the female singer is not interested in Korea.

Neither the management company of Swift (Universal Music) nor the tour promotion company Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) commented on why the female singer only stopped in Japan and Singapore for the Eras Tour in Asia. But those in the Korean industry all agree on one thing: It’s difficult for Taylor Swift to perform in Korea, even if she wanted to.

The main Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, South Korea’s largest sports stadium, began renovations last year, not reopening until December 2026. Meanwhile, renovations of the Gocheok Sky Dome finish this month, but the field will not be open for any music events during the baseball season. World Cup stadiums rarely allow concertgoers to walk on the meticulously manicured turf.

Korea has concert venues, but not all of them can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. Ko Kee Ho, vice president of the Korean Concert Industry Association (Mciak), said: “The current booking congestion is very serious. Taylor Swift didn’t come to Korea to attract attention, but there were big stars like Coldplay and Sam Smith who also ignored us.”

It is customary for concerts to be held at sports stadiums, but stadiums with enough capacity are scarce in South Korea. KSPO Dome has 15,000 seats, considered a good choice for artists. That means stars flock here to book performances.

Korea doesn’t have a stadium with enough capacity for Taylor Swift to perform?

“This is almost a war for all artists, inside and outside Korea,” said a representative of the organizer of the annual Seoul Jazz Festival.

Currently, Gocheok Sky Dome and KSPO Dome are both the best choices for famous artists. But currently, the two stages only give priority to domestic artists because they are booked for many weeks. Usually foreign stars only hold concerts for a few days. Finally, Korea ignores many foreign artists because of giving priority to domestic idols and singers.

Taylor Swift has not made an official statement about not choosing Korea. And no artist ever said why they prefer which country. But clearly, Korea does not have a stadium large enough for female artists to perform.

The two other locations in Asia that she stopped at were Tokyo Dome in Japan and Singapore National Stadium, both of which can accommodate up to 55,000 people at the same time.

Taylor Swift held four concerts in Japan and a whopping six shows in Singapore. This means that if she held a show in Korea, she would have to perform twice or even triple the number of shows to achieve the same revenue.

Another reality is that Taylor Swift’s last show in Korea did not leave a good memory for the female singer, especially when tickets in Korea were not sold out. Therefore, Mr. Chung Tae Young, CEO of Hyundai Card, said that hearing Swift say “Hello, Seoul” next time is just wishful thinking.

An industry insider said that there will come a time when Taylor Swift will think about going to Korea to perform. “Revenue is important, but it shouldn’t always be a priority. Swift’s agency has to consider everything, potential income, expenses, fan base, online engagement.”. .

Taylor Swift is not very popular in Korea

The fact that Taylor Swift’s previous concert in Korea did not sell out despite its small capacity puts this country behind on the priority list. But there are also some people who believe that the female singer’s rejection of Korea comes from national power.

It is reported that the Singapore government offered incentives, including a $3 million sponsorship for the female singer to perform exclusively in Singapore during Era Tours Southeast Asia.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong later confirmed to the media that Singapore had a certain incentive for Swift, but it was not an unfriendly action towards neighboring countries.

“When the deal is successful, I do not see it as wrong or unfriendly to neighboring countries,” Mr. Lee Hsien Loong said at the ASEAN Summit.

Koreans are not too interested in Taylor Swift.

In addition, the weather is also the reason why Taylor Swift did not come to Korea. Korea’s harsh sub-zero temperatures during winter make it difficult for artists and bands to perform outdoors. Because Korea does not have an indoor stadium large enough, that is a big disadvantage for this country.

It is especially important to note that Korea is the most successful idol training center in the world. Taylor Swift is not too suitable for the Korean audience’s tastes and preferences.

According to experts, the Korean music industry is conservative in accepting foreign culture. No foreign song has topped domestic music charts like Melon, Genie Music or Bugs.

Le Sserafim’s Perfect Night (2023) once caused controversy when it won No. 1 on the music charts. This is the only song with English lyrics that can do this. But the song also comes from a domestic group.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023) is a film that resonates with the female singer’s team in the music market. But according to the Korean Box Office Information System (Kobis), the work is not hot in Korea, reaching a peak of 37% of the total tickets assigned to the film, a low number for blockbusters.

The fact that the female singer calls herself a “storyteller” also shows the difference between music listening culture between Americans and Koreans. Korean audiences prefer to see the big picture rather than the image of a woman triumphant and unique in her own culture.

“Taylor Swift’s songs are a bit different from other pop stars that Koreans often love, such as Benson Boone or Charlie Puth. And it’s not uncommon for artists to thrive in one country but not go viral in another. Kpop artists are the same,” said pop music critic Kim Do Heon.