Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival Cancelled Amid Coronation Ceremony
Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival was slated to return this year following last year’s mid-way cancellation, but the event has now been called-off amid the forthcoming coronation ceremony.
The festival was set to take place from July 20 to 21 at Resorts World Away in Genting Highlands, featuring performances from acts like Latin Star J Balvin and EDM’s Peggy Guo. Other artists who were set to take the stage included Haven, Peach Pit, Henry Moodie, and Saint Kylo.
However, the country’s authorities informed organizer Future Sound Asia that large-scale performances featuring international artists could not take place on the date of the coronation of the 17th king of Malaysia, and should be rescheduled for a later date.
Future Sound Asia, took to social media to share the news, noting that the festival would not be able to be rescheduled, as it was set to take place over two days, and therefore needed to be cancelled.
Organizers noted that all ticket holders will receive refunds via point of purchase.
This is the second year in a row that Malaysia’s festival has been cancelled; last year, the event was shut down during the first day of the festival after The 1975’s Marty Healy kissed a bandmate on stage in protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws. Healy later apologized to fans for accepting Good Vibes’ invitation to play due to their laws against a same-sex relationship, telling RollingStone: “I don’t see the fucking point, right, I do not see the point of inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can have sex with.”
Homosexuality is illegal in the country and punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The 1975 was immediately banned from the festival and the remaining second and third days of the festival were cancelled. The band has also reportedly been ordered to pay Good Vibes’ organizer Future Sound Asia RM12.3 million ($2.7 million) in damages.
| READ: Festival Season Hits Lull With Dozens Cancelled This Summer |
Over the past year, the festival scene has been struggling across the globe; in 2024 alone, over 60 Dutch festivals were cancelled, while 45 festivals across the U.K. were called-off.
Ireland has seen the cancellation of major events like Body and Soul in County Westmeath and Wild Roots in County Sligo. Even in the U.S., festivals are struggling. Coachella, a once-coveted event, took one month to sell-out of its first weekend — marking the longest sellout for the first time in 10 years. The second weekend failed to sell out.
