Setting the stage for mega concerts in Malaysia

The Star

20-07-2025

MANY fans in Malaysia know the mixed feelings they get when they see their favourite musicians announce their latest world tour.
'I get all excited at first, but then I'm disappointed because they usually never include Malaysia in their world tour, even though they go to other countries in Asia,' says 33-year-old Jasmine Chang, who lists artists like Lady Gaga, Blackpink and Megan Thee Stallion among those in heavy rotation on her daily playlist.
Although Lady Gaga performed in Singapore recently, Chang couldn't justify to herself the cost of attending the concert.
'Like I genuinely considered going for it in Singapore, but it cost too much and the ticket prices are already high,' she laments.
'I did go for Blackpink though,' she adds, referring to the K-pop idol group's concert in Malaysia back in 2023.
But these concerts are not just about fulfilling a fan's dream of watching their favourite musicians perform live; they are part of a giant industry of live events that not only contributes directly to the country's GDP but also boosts other sectors of the economy as well.
From venue hires to stage production, hotels to restaurants, and transportation services, the ripple effect of a large-scale concert can be substantial, as already proven by reports estimating that the Taylor Swift concert in Singapore in March last year boosted the country's first-quarter GDP by up to S$400mil (RM1.32bil).
In Malaysia, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching recently revealed that the 408 concerts held in the country last year had generated an additional RM553mil through high-impact adjacent sectors.
And indeed, aside from Blackpink's concert, which saw over 60,000 people attending, Malaysia has seen other high-profile concerts by major artistes in recent years, such as Coldplay, Muse, Ed Sheeran, IU, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars and Maroon 5.
With so much potential for growth in this industry and its ripple effect across other sectors, Malaysia is now making a concerted effort to position itself as the go-to destination for major international live events.
Part of their effort includes the Concert and Event in Malaysia Incentives (CEMI) initiative, which is a financial rebate introduced to support large-scale, high-impact concerts and events held in Malaysia with over 15,000 attendees. The deadline to apply for this incentive was July 10, and a source within the Communications Ministry says they have received over 100 applications for CEMI in total.
'Many of which are plans for next year's shows for Q1 and Q2 of 2026. So CEMI actually achieved its purpose,' says the source to Sunday Star.
The 'safe' next step
Industry players and fans alike welcome the move, but they say more targeted support, regulatory reform, and strategic planning are needed to take the next big leap.
Pro tem Music Industry Committee (JK-PTIM) member Joe Lee says he sees CEMI as the 'next step' in the government's grander plan to revitalise the local music scene, specifically live music.
The Dana Kandungan Digital grant, which was first introduced five years ago for various disciplines of music, was a promising start.It has since been rebranded as Dana Kandungan Kreatif under Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, with a focus on supporting mid-tier organisers and promoters through grants for live events with a minimum crowd capacity of 2,500.
'CEMI is the next step for those taking on the top tier to address 'high-impact' events for audiences of 15,000 and above.
'High impact meaning the spillover event of the event itself, meaning a boost to other sectors as well, including tourism, covering hotels, F&B, transportation and so on.
'While it may not be as much as what we've seen our neighbours splurge on, it is definitely a step, albeit a 'safe' step, forward,' says Lee, who also runs an entertainment agency.
However, he notes that there are only a few 'major players' in the live events category, and thus, he says, CEMI seems to be more of an encouragement to established players to improve and to newer outfits to be more serious in their endeavour.
'It would be easy to say you should just dump a load of cash and bring Taylor Swift or Coldplay or any bankable act.
'The fact remains that there are multiple factors we have to keep in mind.'
It is safe to say that every organiser and promoter has a wishlist of acts they want to see in Malaysia that is similar to that of the average music fan, Lee says.
'But whether it be the management, the artist, the cost and so on, we are realistically limited in many ways.'
Fingers crossed for next year
At the end of the day, he says, even with the boost from CEMI, the development of the live music scene in Malaysia falls back onto the industry players themselves.
'If our promoters and organisers in turn elevate their game, I have no doubt that the proven results will see the government take the live music industry more seriously and invest more in the near future.'
On the government's part, the source from the Communications Ministry says they think the ministry has come up with many tweaks to help the industry.
They point out that there have been more live venues and performances popping up in Malaysia recently, and that Fahmi had revised Puspal guidelines, implemented since May 1, to revamp accessibility and safety measures at such events.
With CEMI setting the stage for more major live acts next year, Lee also adds he knows of many concerts and ongoing negotiations that music fans would be thrilled about, if all goes well.
'Just keep your fingers crossed, if all goes well, 2026 will be an amazing year to save up for starting now.'