Chairul Fikri, Jakarta – American pop icon Lady Gaga is set to perform in Singapore in May 2025 as part of her world tour promoting her latest album, Mayhem.
The Bad Romance singer announced on Instagram on Monday that she will hold a four-day concert at the National Stadium on May 18, 19, 21, and 24.
"MAYHEM Singapora! Singapore. National Stadium. May 18, 19, 21, 24," Lady Gaga wrote.
Her announcement sparked disappointment among Indonesian fans, who lamented that the singer did not schedule a stop in Jakarta.
"Jakarta please," one Indonesian fan commented.
"No Jakarta?" another added.
Some fans speculated that Lady Gaga might have excluded Indonesia from her tour due to past controversies. In 2012, she was forced to cancel her Jakarta concert after facing security concerns and protests from conservative groups. The police ultimately denied her a permit for the June 3, 2012, show.
"She was heavily protested before. She must not want to deal with that again," one fan wrote.
Despite the disappointment, many Indonesian fans expressed their eagerness to travel to Singapore to see the pop superstar live.
"Hopefully, I can get tickets! Might as well go sightseeing in Singapore," one fan remarked.
In addition to Singapore, Lady Gaga's Mayhem world tour includes stops in Mexico on April 26, 2025, and Copacabana, Brazil, on May 3, 2025.
Indonesia's capital outflow to Singapore concerts
Lady Gaga's Singapore-exclusive stop echoes a similar situation last year when Taylor Swift's Eras Tour skipped Indonesia, prompting many fans to travel to Singapore instead.
Former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo previously voiced his concerns about the financial impact on Indonesia when Singapore secured an exclusive six-day deal for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in early March 2024. He estimated that more than half of the 360,000 total attendees were Indonesian fans.
"So there was capital outflow, as Indonesia's money went to Singapore. We were not only losing the money on the concert tickets, but we were also losing money as people spent on hotels, transport, food, and beverages," Jokowi said in June, 2024.
The former president did not specify the total financial loss for Indonesia, but he emphasized the importance of attracting major international artists to perform locally to prevent similar outflows in the future.
With Lady Gaga's upcoming Mayhem tour skipping Indonesia once again, history appears to be repeating itself as Indonesian fans prepare to flock to Singapore for yet another major concert event.