Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival cancelled due to coronation ceremony

Malaysia’s Good Vibes festival was due to return this year after being cancelled midway through last year, but the event has now been cancelled due to the upcoming coronation ceremony.

The festival was scheduled to take place from July 20 to 21 at Resorts World Away in Genting Highlands, with performances from acts including Latin star J Balvin and EDM singer Peggy Guo. Other acts scheduled to take the stage included Haven, Peach Pit, Henry Moodie and Saint Kylo.

However, the country’s authorities have informed organiser Future Sound Asia that large-scale performances featuring international artists will not be able to take place on the coronation day of Malaysia’s 17th king and will have to be postponed to a later date.

Future Sound Asia shared the news on social media, clarifying that the festival could not be rescheduled as it was scheduled to take place over two days and therefore had to be cancelled.

Organizers noted that all ticket holders will receive a refund at the point of purchase.

This is the second year in a row that the Malaysian festival has been cancelled. Last year, the event was shut down on the first day of the festival after The 1975 member Marty Healy kissed a fellow band member on stage in protest of the country’s anti-LGBTQ laws. Healy later apologized to fans for accepting Good Vibes’ invitation to perform due to their laws banning same-sex relationships, saying: Rolling stone:”I don’t see the point, do you? I don’t see the point in inviting the 1975 to a country and then telling us who we can sleep with.”

Homosexuality is illegal in the country and punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The band 1975 was immediately banned from the festival and the remaining second and third days of the festival were cancelled. The band was also reportedly ordered to pay RM12.3 million ($2.7 million) in damages to Future Sound Asia, the organiser of Good Vibes.

| READ: Festival season on pause with dozens of cancellations this summer |

Over the past year, the festival scene has been struggling around the world; in 2024 alone, over 60 Dutch festivals have been cancelled, while 45 festivals across the UK have been cancelled.

Ireland has seen the cancellation of major events like Body and Soul in County Westmeath and Wild Roots in County Sligo. Even in the US, festivals are struggling. Coachella, a once-coveted event, took a month to sell out its first weekend, marking the longest first-time sellout in 10 years. The second weekend was a sellout.