Spurred on by neighbouring Singapore’s success with Taylor Swift, Malaysia is offering financial incentives for promoters to bring international stars to the country.

In a bid to boost event tourism, the Malaysian government has pledged a RM10 million (€2m) annual grant to support “high-impact” concerts and large-scale events (defined as over 15,000-capacity). A 30% production rebate will also be made available to organisers who book at least 30% domestic talent.

The Concert and Event in Malaysia Incentives (CEMI) scheme will be managed by government-backed investment arm MyCreative Ventures with support from the Ministry of Communications.

“This move will not only elevate Malaysia’s image as a regional entertainment hub, but also stimulate the tourism sector through the increase in domestic and international visitor arrivals,” says Music Malaysia chair Freddie Fernandez.

Dato’ Alan Foo, chair of national trade body ALIFE, says the initiative is a “pivotal moment” for the Malaysian live scene.

“We are deeply encouraged by the government’s recognition of the live events industry as a vital contributor to Malaysia’s cultural economy,” says Foo. “This grant — paired with a rebate mechanism that rewards organisers for hiring Malaysian talent — is a powerful step forward. It empowers organisers, attracts international acts, and ensures meaningful participation for our local ecosystem.”

The government says the scheme is in recognition of the knock-on benefits for airlines, hotels and other businesses, as well as increased employment opportunities within the concert industry.

Singapore’s reported exclusivity deal with Taylor Swift to make the island nation her only Eras Tour stop in south-east Asia, which saw the singer perform six nights at Singapore National Stadium in 2024, was estimated to have generated up to US$500 million in economic impact.

“It is a timely move, given past incidents that were unfortunate and could have been avoided”

However, the Malaysian authorities have revised their guidelines for international artists playing in the country in an effort to avoid a repeat of The 1975’s infamous set at the 2023 Good Vibes Festival.

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

The measures include the formal adoption of a “kill switch” to instantly terminate performances by international artists that breach government regulations.

“This is an important measure to ensure the safety and smooth operation of events,” says communications minister Fahmi Fadzil, as per Free Malaysia Today. “It is a timely move, given past incidents that were unfortunate and could have been avoided.”

Overseas acts must apply for a permit through the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) before they are granted permission to perform. Fernandez says the amended regulations will also expedite the application process for promoters in obtaining approval from the authorities.

“This update will be particularly beneficial for small-scale performances and promotional events, with the processing time reduced from 14 days to just seven days,” he says. “This will streamline organisers’ operations and ensure smoother event implementation.”

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Live Nation is set to launch its first live music venue in Southeast Asia, with a new multi-purpose facility planned for Singapore.

The 3,000-cap Grange Road music hall will feature multiple rooms and stages – and will host both developing and established global talent, as well as local artists.

The project is a partnership between Live Nation and Lendlease Global Commercial REIT (LREIT), supported by Singapore Tourism Board.

“Live Nation is pleased to expand the live music market in Singapore with the new venue.” says Greg Gillin, SVP of venue development, Live Nation Asia.

As noted in IQ Magazine‘s recent Spotlight.. on Singapore feature, buildings in the 1,000-to-5,000-capacity range are currently rare in the territory, meaning that most international acts below arena level do not visit.

“We’ve got a lot of small venues and one or two larger venues. And in between, there’s really nothing between 5,000 and 6,000 capacity,” said Steven Woodward of Midas Promotions. “It’s recognised as a problem, but it’s very hard to deal with, especially in a land-scarce area like Singapore.”

“It is exciting to see Live Nation and LREIT’s commitment”

An opening date is yet to be confirmed for the venue, which will also serve as a community asset with a café and bar that can be utilised as a smaller event space, capable of hosting meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions, and community events.

“It is exciting to see Live Nation and LREIT’s commitment to developing the Grange Road event space as Asia’s first flagship entertainment venue along the iconic Orchard Road,” says Jean Ng, assistant chief executive, experience development group for Singapore Tourism Board.

“This initiative will contribute significantly to the ongoing rejuvenation of Orchard Road, expand the lifestyle offerings in the precinct and boost its attractiveness to locals and visitors. By working closely with our industry partners, we are cementing Orchard Road’s position as a must-visit lifestyle destination, while affirming Singapore’s reputation as the region’s live entertainment capital.”

Kelvin Chow, CEO of LREIT, adds: “This is also a great opportunity for us to play a part in Orchard Road’s rejuvenation by injecting a live entertainment venue in a world class shopping street. We are excited to see our partnership with Live Nation and STB come to fruition when the multi-functional event space is completed.”

Last week, Live Nation announced the launch of South Africa’s largest dedicated live entertainment space, The Dome, which is set to open in Johannesburg in January 2025. Its acquisition of Lisbon’s MEO Arena in Portugal was also confirmed last month.

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A reported grant of $2–3m per show to ensure that Singapore had exclusive Southeast Asia rights for Taylor Swift might not have been welcomed by the governments of Thailand or The Philippines, but the controversial move proved that the city-state’s ruling party has a good understanding of what benefits the live music industry can bring when A-list acts visit.

With a population of just 6m, the island nation punches well above its weight in terms of attracting international tours, and the corporates are on hand to assist, with AEG, Live Nation, and Eventim all having offices there. Elsewhere, promoters who regularly bring live entertainment to the powerhouse republic include Midas Promotions, Primuse, UnUsUaL Entertainment, Lushington Entertainments, Collective Minds, IMC, Symmetry Entertainment, Now/Live, Base, and LAMC.

Primuse is typical of the regional promoters that use Singapore as its base. While the company has Dream Theater and Swan Lake Grand Ballet touring through Singapore, much of its work is outside of the country in markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, and China.

While Live Nation’s 2024 international touring activity in Singapore has seen shows by Coldplay, Laufey, Bruno Mars, Imagine Dragons, LANY, and Conan Gray, incoming tours for the remainder of the year include the likes of Stray Kids, Ben Elton, Olivia Rodrigo, and Dua Lipa. On the Mandopop side, acts like Mayday, AccuseFive, Tarcy Su, Wan Fang, Penny Tai, and Wakin Chou, have visited; as have J-Pop acts Fujii Kaze and Atarasshi Gakko.

“Over the last three years, Singapore has seen a meteoric surge in K-pop concerts”

Ticketmaster Singapore reports, “Over the last three years, Singapore has seen a meteoric surge in K-pop concerts. From 2022 to 2024, the number of events on Ticketmaster has grown by 250%, which proves that Korean pop has never been more in demand.” To that end, Live Nation has promoted shows in 2024 by ShiNee, IVE, ITCY, NCT Dreams, Stray Kids, Amber Liu, and Seventeen.

Following Taylor Swift’s six Eras Tour dates in March, forthcoming promotions by AEG Presents Asia include Fujii Kaze’s Best Of tour in October and three nights of gaming with BLAST Premier World Final Singapore – Counter Strike in November.

However, not every development is positive. Authorities are battling a massive rise in concert ticket scams, with reports that consumers lost at least S$518,000 in the first half of last year. And that figure no doubt rose as Coldplay and Swift shows piqued interest.

Another issue that those who book and promote shows in Singapore know all about is the scarcity of venues in the country. Like most Asian territories, buildings in the 1,000-to-5,000-capacity range are rare, meaning that most international acts below arena level do not visit.

“We’ve got a lot of small venues and one or two larger venues. And in between, there’s really nothing between 5,000 and 6,000 capacity. It’s recognised as a problem, but it’s very hard to deal with, especially in a land-scarce area like Singapore,” observes Steven Woodward at Midas Promotions, who have Singaporean shows by Crash Adams and The Script in the coming months, while Matt Maltese plays the UCC Ho Bee Auditorium at the National University of Singapore on 13 November.”

“We’re not just competing against the Western artists; we’re also competing with K-pop, Japanese, Taiwanese, and other Chinese artists”

“We’re not just competing against the Western artists; we’re also competing with K-pop, Japanese, Taiwanese, and other Chinese artists, due to the multiple cultures here – 70% of Singapore is Chinese,” says Woodward.

However, he notes that the National Stadium’s roof has proved crucial in securing the likes of Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran, as it protects events from the changeable Southeast Asian weather.

Other than the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, acts can make use of its sister arena venue, the Singapore Indoor Stadium (15,000-cap), which this year has hosted the likes of NCT Dream, Conan Gray, and Olivia Rodrigo, while in July 2023, it became the home of Hong Kong superstar Jacky Cheung, who sold out a remarkable 11 shows on his 60+ Concert Tour. Other venues used for concerts are Capital Theatre, The Star Theatre, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, The Theatre at Mediacorp, Gateway Theatre, Annexe Studio, and the Esplanade Theatre.

But there’s good news on the horizon. Earlier this year, a replacement venue for the Indoor Stadium was announced as part of government plans that include a S$165m fund to attract and host major events.

“They’ve already got a piece of land set aside, so the current stadium will stay where it is until such time as the new one opens,” reveals Woodward. “[Marina Bay Sands] are also building a new venue as part of their development – a 15,000-capacity indoor venue. But it will be three to five years minimum before those new buildings are available.”

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Ne-Yo is to headline a “first of its kind” autumn festival in Vietnam.

The American singer-songwriter has been announced as headliner of the 8WONDER Moon Festival, which will take place at Ocean City – an urban complex in Eastern Hanoi – from 6-8 September.

Organiser VinWonders says the concert, which will form the centrepiece of the festival on 7 September, will be “Southeast Asia’s first music event to simultaneously feature top-tier US, UK and K-pop stars”.

As well as three-time Grammy Award winner Ne-yo, confirmed acts include Korean rapper B.I, Chi Pu, HIEUTHUHAI and Gerdnang, plus other leading V-Pop artists.

The event is the follow-up to 8WONDER Summer in Nha Trang and 8WONDER Winter in Phu Quoc in 2023, both of which were headlined by Charlie Puth

The festival promises to “take visitors on a global autumn journey” and feature “unique experiences from five continents”. VinWonders Water Park and Wave Park, meanwhile, will host various sports and entertainment activities such as the Wonder Water War, beach sports, pool parties, and the Ocean Youth Camp.

Tickets are available in four general admission ticket categories for standing areas around the main stage. Prices range from VND 900,000 (€33) to VND 2 million (€72). VIP seating is priced from VND 6 million (€218) to VND 8 million (€291) per ticket.

The event is the follow-up to 8WONDER Summer in Nha Trang and 8WONDER Winter in Phu Quoc in 2023, both of which were headlined by Charlie Puth.

Promoter VinWonders, an entertainment brand under the umbrella of Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup, is a theme park owner, with top priced VIP tickets also offering free entry to VinWonders Wave Park and Water Park on 7 September.

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Thailand is set to import a second international festival brand after securing a deal with Belgium’s Tomorrowland.

The renowned EDM event will plant its flag in the Southeast Asian country in 2026 and may take place for another nine consecutive editions, according to the Thai government.

The news comes shortly after Japan’s Summer Sonic announced a new edition in Bangkok, taking place on 24 and 25 August at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani.

The first wave of artists for the festival, revealed today, comprises Lauv, Yoasobi, Laufey, Aurora, Bodyslam, Baby Metal, F.Hero, Nothing But Thieves, Bright, Henry Moodie and V Violette.

The Thai government recently revealed ambitions to become a ‘strong hub’ for international concerts and festivals, in a bid to increase event-driven tourism.

Prime minister Srettha Thavisin said he has taken inspiration from Singapore’s reported exclusivity deal with Taylor Swift to make the island nation her only Eras tour stop in Southeast Asia.

Rnowned EDM event Tomorrowland may take place in Thailand for 10 consecutive editions

Further details of Tomorrowland Thailand 2026 are yet to be announced. The festival, which is organised by We Are One World, sells 400,000 tickets for the last two weekends of July in Belgium.

Since its debut in 2005, Tomorrowland has hosted spin-off events such as TomorrowWorld in Atlanta, Tomorrowland in Brazil, and Tomorrowland Winter in France. The brand recently announced a new 10,000-capacity festival in Colombia, in collaboration with Breakfast Live.

Tickets for the 20th-anniversary edition of Tomorrowland’s flagship Belgian festival sold out in less than a day.

The electronic music extravaganza will welcome 400,000 ticket holders across two weekends to Boom, in the province of Antwerp, from 19-21 and 26-28 July.

More than 400 acts including Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, Bonobo B2B Dixon, David Guetta, ANNA, Vintage Culture, Tale Of Us, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Solomun B2B Four Tet and Swedish House Mafia will appear across 16 stages.

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