In 2024, Singapore secured an exclusive deal with Taylor Swift to make the country her only stop in Southeast Asia, despite her massive fan base in neighboring markets, including Indonesia.
Illustration of a music concert. (Shutterstock/Artie Medvedev)
Business groups in the music event sector have welcomed the government's plan to develop international-scale concert venues through investment by state asset fund Danantara. However, they warn that it may not be enough to stop concertgoers from traveling abroad for major shows, and urged broader reforms to improve the industry's supply chain and overall standards.“Our biggest challenge is that we don’t have a venue that’s truly dedicated to live performances and designed specifically for concerts and music festivals,” Indonesian Music Promoter Association (APMI) chairman Dino Hamid told The Jakarta Post on July 20.
He noted that many facilities in Indonesia had yet to meet international standards for hosting concerts because they are typically multipurpose venues primarily designed for sports events.
Dino added that the lack of dedicated global standard facilities had hindered the country from hosting “tier one” artists, who typically require stadium-level venues. Promoters also struggle with bookings and determine venue availability well in advance, as the facilities are prioritized for sporting events.
