KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s concert and live events industry is on track to become Southeast Asia’s top entertainment tourism hub, helped by efficient management and competitive tax policies.
Malaysian Association for Arts, Live Events, Concerts and Festivals (ALIFE) senior adviser Rizal Kamal said this growth relies on balancing good management, better facilities, and economic benefits for local businesses.
“Malaysia now has the opportunity to become the concert and touring hub of Southeast Asia. Currently, our tax policy in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor is zero per cent for local artistes and 10 per cent for performing artistes,” he said during an appearance on Bernama TV’s ‘Fokus 15’ programme.
He noted that stable government policies through 2028 — alongside the one-stop application service provided by the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL) — have given the local events scene a strong boost.
Looking at the wider economy, Rizal pointed out that international tourists bring in strong returns that go far beyond ticket sales.
“These economic spillovers include direct returns to the hospitality sector, the food and beverage industry, public transport networks, shopping centres and business opportunities that benefit local vendors.”
Rizal also said Kuala Lumpur holds a clear edge over neighbouring cities, as organising costs and pricing in Malaysia remain much more affordable.
Despite this rapid growth, he admitted the industry still faces one major hurdle: a shortage of mid-to-large venues that can hold 10,000 to 20,000 spectators, even though the country has plenty of modern venues for 3,000 to 10,000 people.
“Therefore, to ensure international-grade quality is maintained, I believe there must be close collaboration between organisers and venue management to upgrade basic facilities such as toilets and streamline spectator entry and exit systems.”
To tackle traffic jams during major events, Rizal said new plans are being drawn up following talks with ministries, police, local councils and public transport agencies.
He shared that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh recently brought together over 20 groups and concert organisers to discuss these issues with the relevant authorities.
“The move focuses on improving spectator entry and exit systems to prevent severe congestion, such as the recent incident where two sold-out concerts ended simultaneously late at night.”
On public safety, Rizal stressed that spectator well-being must always come first, reminding organisers to strictly follow venue capacity limits. He also welcomed the use of digital ticketing and artificial intelligence to stop ticket fraud and touting.