Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival cancelled

Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival 2024 has been cancelled out of respect for the coronation of the king, organisers have announced.

Last year’s edition was also partly cancelled after The 1975’s Matty Healy hit out at the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.

Despite the fallout, the festival was due to return on 20 and 21 July, albeit in a different location than last year and one day shorter.

However, promoter Future Sound Asia today (1 July) announced it received a letter from authorities stating that “large-scale performances involving international artists are not to be held on 20 July and are to be rescheduled to a later date, out of respect for the Coronation Ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia”.

It continues: “Due to the nature of Good Vibes Festival (GVF) which involves multiple touring acts over multiple days, rescheduling the festival is not possible.”

“Due to the nature of Good Vibes Festival (GVF) which involves multiple touring acts over multiple days, rescheduling the festival is not possible”

As a result, Future Sound Asia has cancelled the festival, originally scheduled for 20 and 21 July at Resorts World Awana in Genting Highlands.

It added that all ticket purchasers for GVF will automatically receive full refunds to the payment method used for their purchase.

The 2024 edition would have featured J Balvin, Peggy Gou, Joji, BIBI and more, as well as returning Malaysian acts who had their performances cancelled from the 2023 event.

Last year’s 10th-anniversary edition was axed after The 1975’s Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage.

The set was cut short, and promoters Future Sound Asia (FSA) were ordered by the government to call off the rest of the three-day festival at Sepang International Circuit.

FSA described Good Vibes Festival’s cancellation as a “catastrophic financial blow” and demanded £2 million in compensation from The 1975. Legal proceedings are ongoing.

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