Part of The 1975-Malaysia festival suit dismissed

A High Court judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit filed against The 1975 by the promoter of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival.

Future Sound Asia (FSA) sued the group and touring company The 1975 Productions LLP in the UK for £1.9 million (€2.3m) in “substantial losses” over the cancelled festival.

The event was scheduled to run over three days at Sepang International Circuit in July 2023 and feature performances by the likes of The Strokes, The Kid Laroi and Dermot Kennedy.

But The 1975’s opening night headline set was cut short and the remaining two days shut down by the authorities after the group’s frontman Matty Healy launched a “profanity-laden speech” against Malaysia’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage.

“There is no good reason why the matter should go to trial”

FSA alleged that The 1975 Productions LLP breached its contract and the four band members were in breach of a duty of care. But Judge William Hansen ruled yesterday (24 February) that the musicians cannot be held personally liable for losses sustained.

“I have given that submission careful consideration but ultimately have concluded that the claimant’s case is bad as a matter of law and that there is no good reason why the matter should go to trial,” he said.

The group’s lawyer Edmund Cullen KCC had previously asked the court to remove the individual members from the litigation, arguing that it was “really quite bizarre” they should be held personally liable as FSA’s contract was with the band’s company, The 1975 Productions LLP, only.

The judge allowed the case against The 1975 Productions LLP to move forward, but ordered FSA to pay legal costs of £100,000 (€121,000).

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Read More Like This

News|20 Feb 2025

The 1975 deny liability for Malaysia fest shutdown

Promoter Future Sound Asia is suing the band in the UK High Court over the cancellation of the 2023 Good Vibes Festival

News|02 Jan 2025

Four die after NYE music festival in Malaysia

The victims, who had attended Pinkfish Countdown 2024 at Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon, are suspected to have taken ecstasy

News|30 Dec 2024

Best of 2024: Behind the scenes of The 1975’s tour

After their third consecutive year on tour, IQ learns just what it takes to take such a cultural phenomenon on the road