Hannah Yeoh wants KL to compete with Singapore as regional concert hub

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 — Kuala Lumpur should compete with Singapore for major international concerts rather than have Malaysian fans cross the border to watch their favourite acts, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh said, according to The Straits Times (ST).

“I want to compete with Singapore. Why should my people in Kuala Lumpur go to Singapore to watch concerts and not here? For me, I need to review my standard operating procedures. It’s not rocket science,” she told ST in a recent interview.

The comments come as Malaysia seeks to position Kuala Lumpur as a bigger player in Southeast Asia’s live entertainment market, with the government lowering regulatory and cost barriers for international acts.

According to ST, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in May reduced security deposits for foreign performers from RM30,000 to RM15,000, while deposits for local stage or cultural performances were cut from RM10,000 to RM4,000.

Malaysia also introduced the Concert and Event in Malaysia Incentives (CEMI) scheme in 2025, which provides qualifying international productions with a 30 per cent rebate on eligible local expenditure, capped at RM1.5 million.

ST reported that the scheme has an annual allocation of RM10 million and requires promoters to meet criteria involving Malaysian workers and vendors.

The measures have coincided with a growing concert calendar, with KL Headline Season 2026 bringing 25 major international performances to six venues, targeting more than 500,000 local and regional fans, ST reported.

Among the international acts scheduled to perform in Malaysia are The Weeknd and BTS, whose November and December shows have sold out, while 245 international acts have been approved to perform in the country this year.

Malaysia hosted more than 450 concerts nationwide in 2025, up from 104 in 2022, 335 in 2023 and 408 in 2024, generating nearly RM1.72 billion, according to figures cited by ST, according 

Concert promoter Rohit Rampal told ST that the market was noticeably busier, with more promoters bringing international acts across different genres and venue sizes.

He said the challenge now was to determine whether audience demand and ticket sales could sustain the increased activity, while noting that international acts could bring regional fans to Malaysia.

ST reported that more than 5,000 ticket buyers from Thailand and Indonesia are expected to travel to Malaysia for Limp Bizkit’s December concert in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting the potential for concerts to drive tourism and spending beyond ticket sales.

However, industry players told ST that Singapore remained a major regional concert destination, with its established infrastructure and ability to attract large-scale stadium shows, while Malaysia’s opportunity was to strengthen the Southeast Asian touring circuit rather than simply replace its neighbour.