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.”