Taylor Swift October Concert in Manila Not Happening, But…

By ROWENA JOY A. SANCHEZ
September 23, 2010, 2:15pm

MANILA, Philippines - Fans eagerly anticipating Taylor Swift’s concert in Manila will have to wait longer as her supposed October show is not happening.

Renzie Baluyut, president of Divan Media who is organizing Taylor’s upcoming concert, said in a statement posted on the Manila Concert Scene website on Sept. 23 that they were “originally gunning for an October show.” However, “recent developments require us to make some adjustments in the schedule…”

This is not to say that a T. Swift concert is not happening at all. As Baluyut said, “we’re working on moving the date back a little bit.”

Baluyut also said that his team has been working with the award-winning singer-songwriter’s agency and management for several weeks now. He assured Taylor’s Filipino supporters that “we’re all preparing for something big and exciting— details are going to be out very soon.”

On the same day, Taylor Swift’s official club in the Philippines, Taylor Swift Philippines, posted on its website an email response from a rep of Taylor’s official management team about the concert rumor.

“I can assure you that the (October) concert is not happening. I work directly for Taylor for her management team in Nashville. Please get the word out as much as possible that this is not happening. I have passed this along to the correct people,” wrote the rep named Jordan.

Prior to this, a statement was posted on Taylor’s official Facebook page, which read:

“Recent rumors indicate that Taylor Swift is playing a concert in Manila at the Araneta Coliseum on October 22, 2010. This rumor is UNTRUE and Taylor will NOT be performing in Manila on October 22, 2010 at the Araneta Coliseum.”

The said statement was also posted on Taylor Swift Philippines on Sept. 1. As of this writing, the post on Facebook is no longer available.

Many speculate that Taylor’s Manila visit had to be deferred because of the forthcoming release of her third studio album, “Speak Now.” Release date for the album is slated for Oct. 25, three days after the rumored concert.

While both Taylor’s management team and local concert organize already clarified the rumor, convenience store 7-Eleven (which serves as one of Divan Media’s partners) has recently launched a promo wherein customers can win free tickets to the said Oct. 22 show.

The company has yet to make an announcement on the matter. As of this writing, though, the promo is still up on its official Facebook page. And just last Sept. 22, 7-Eleven through its official Twitter account, told a fan, “That's right! Taylor Swift is coming to Manila! Concert is this Oct 22. Find out how to win tickets here.”

Baluyut, in the latter part of his statement, said that 7-Eleven remains as one of their partners.

“7-11 has been very supportive of our efforts since Day 1, and we’re working with them (together with other partners as well) to come up with a more immersive, more interactive concert and promotional experience for all of Taylor Swift’s fans in the Philippines,” he said.