Headlining names, small venues and red tape are why the country’s ambitions could hit the wrong note
[KUALA LUMPUR] The roar was deafening. At Bukit Jalil Stadium, more than 80,000 fans sang along as Coldplay’s Chris Martin belted out Yellow. For one night in November 2023, Malaysia was the centre of the musical universe – and proof of how powerful concerts can be for both culture and commerce.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the Coldplay concert contributed about RM130 million (S$39.7 million) to the economy. Together with Blackpink’s Mar 4 show, also in 2023, the total economic benefit reached around RM200 million.
The government is now betting that dozens more of such spine-tingling spectacles could push concert-related receipts to nearly RM1.7 billion this year.
