Market Report: Malaysia
Despite its religious conservatism, Malaysia’s strategic position makes it a popular pit stop for international artists. And if Ed Sheeran’s +–=÷x tour and J-pop duo Yoasobi’s sold-out shows are any indication, the sector’s on course for a strong period of growth.
Primary ticketing
Key players include TicketCharge, AirAsia RedTix, GoTix, and Ticket2U (considered to be the leading ticketing platform).
Some companies have started integrating dynamic pricing algorithms in an effort to promote the use of digital ticketing, while TicketCharge has been operating under the TEG umbrella since the Australia-based live ents giant acquired them seven years ago.
“The Malaysian live music industry is worth way more than a billion ringgit and can bring in a revenue of six to eight times more than expected when big concerts are held”
Distribution of sales
Up to 70% of fans obtain their tickets through digital channels, but printed tickets are still widely used.
Value of market
“The Malaysian live music industry is worth way more than a billion ringgit and can bring in a revenue of six to eight times more than expected when big concerts are held,” says global entertainment agency RK Live director Rahul Kukreja.
Secondary ticketing
After scalpers had a field day during Coldplay’s World of the Spheres Tour last year, the Malaysian government promised to enact new legislation to monitor and control scalping activities. At press time, the bill is yet to be drafted.
International/domestic splits & genres
While Malaysia has proven to be a viable stop-over for international artists over the years, a significant portion of live performances are made up of homegrown talents — estimated to account for 60% of shows.
Cultural analysis
The popularity of Malay pop, K-pop, and Western pop reflects a multicultural society where there’s a strong appetite for live concerts despite strict religious laws governing it.
Taxes & charges
Event tickets are subject to 6% service tax. Ticketing companies generally charge between 5% and 10%.
Country Profile: Malaysia
Malaysia’s live music scene has been extremely active in 2024, with a mix of major international tours and some associated challenges for promoters.
In 2025, Green Day will perform for the first time here at the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, marking a milestone for the nation’s concert landscape.
Demonstrating Malaysia’s increasing presence on the global touring map, Live Nation is bringing Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism Tour to the country later this year, while other acts stopping here include Bruno Mars at Kuala Lumpur National Stadium and Imagine Dragons at the National Hockey Stadium.
Promoters in the market skilfully navigate its unique cultural conditions, although things don’t always run according to plan. This year saw the Good Vibes Festival cancelled out of respect for the coronation of the king. The festival was cancelled the year before after The 1975’s Matty Healy hit out at the country’s strict anti-LGBT laws and kissed a male bandmate on stage. Organisers are suing the band over violation of performance rules.
“Festivals in general are facing tough times as consumers prefer headline shows by their favourite acts over multi-act festivals.”
Wan Alman, director of entertainment at Future Sound Asia, says: “The market is pretty competitive now as a number of new promoters have entered the scene, and there are shows by international acts every week. Consumers are more discerning with which show they’ll buy tickets to, and not every show will sell out. Rising artist fees and operational/ production costs coupled with generally lower sponsorship amounts from brands have proven to be very challenging for live event organisers and promoters.”
Asian acts thrive here, with K-pop continuing to dominate the market and acts like Yoasobi and Fujii Kaze gaining a growing fanbase. Alman says: “Festivals in general are facing tough times as consumers prefer headline shows by their favourite acts over multi-act festivals.”
Looking ahead, Malaysia remains a promising market. Wave To Earth, a Korean indie band, recently sold out two nights in Kuala Lumpur, reflecting the strong demand for regional artists. Upcoming shows by Cigarettes After Sex in 2025 also highlight how international acts continue to draw large crowds, with their upcoming Kuala Lumpur concert already the biggest to date.
Alman believes the market will become more selective: “I think the rise of Asian acts will continue to drive the market, and the increasingly unsustainable Western artist fees will eventually level out.”
Arena Market: Malaysia
At a capacity of 11,000 to 16,000, Malaysia’s most prominent live entertainment centre for touring artists remains the Axiata Arena. Formerly known as the Putra Indoor Stadium before a major rebrand in 2017, the multipurpose indoor venue in Kuala Lumpur features 3,000 retractable seats; five corporate suites; centre-hung and ribbon LEDs; an advanced two-sound system; and preprogrammed floodlighting.
Having hosted Westlife, Jacky Cheung, and Jason Mraz in the past, popular acts such as IU and LANY are due to perform at the Axiata Arena as part of their world tours this year. The Axiata is also part of the KL Sports City Complex, which includes the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. The 85,000-capacity venue, which happens to be the 15th largest in the world and the biggest of its kind in Southeast Asia, saw major artists like Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, and Muse play sold-out shows there over the past 12 months.