KUALA LUMPUR, MAY 26 — Kuala Lumpur has the potential to rival major regional concert destinations such as Singapore, but stronger coordination in the country’s live entertainment ecosystem is needed to attract more international tours and global artists.
Live Nation Malaysia Managing Director, Paramananthan Rajagopal said the city has many of the key elements needed to become a major tour destination in Asia including infrastructure, passionate fans and strategic location, however improvements in terms of coordination, venue readiness and industry support remain essential.
“Actually, Kuala Lumpur has everything. In fact, maybe better than some other cities, but what we need now is coordination.
“An event cannot be made successful by one individual alone. All parties need to work together to ensure that a performance can be held,” he told reporters after the launch of the KL Headline Season 2026 here, last night.
Paramananthan said the live entertainment industry in Malaysia needs to work together to strengthen the international perception of Kuala Lumpur as a trusted concert destination.
“Most international artists and management teams will search for Kuala Lumpur on Google before deciding to tour. Sometimes, what pops up in those searches are stories about cancellations, protests or approval issues (of a concert).
“However, in a country like Singapore, the narrative is different. They promote positive things and position the country as a concert destination,” he said.
He said the issue was not just about facilities, as Kuala Lumpur already had the infrastructure needed to host large-scale productions, although some venues needed improvements to meet the expectations of fans and productions.
“Fans pay high prices for tickets. They expect more comfortable seats, clearer views and better facilities. Therefore, venue maintenance and upgrades are very important,” he said.
Paramananthan said venue availability is one of the biggest challenges facing concert organisers in the country, especially when international tours operate according to a set schedule across various countries.
“Our problem behind the scenes is the availability of venues. Tours already have fixed dates and sometimes we can’t change them because there are no venues,” he said, adding that some countries prioritize international artist tours as part of a broader economic strategy.
He said the live entertainment industry should no longer be seen as mere entertainment, but rather concerts also generate huge economic spillovers in the tourism, hospitality, retail and transportation sectors.
Malaysia has organised more than 400 concerts in 2024, generating more than RM553 million in tourism and economic impact, while for this year, the industry is expected to contribute almost RM1.7 billion to the national economy, he said.
Paramananthan said that fans from neighbouring countries including Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines are increasingly coming to Kuala Lumpur, specifically to attend concerts, reflecting the capital’s growing influence in the regional live entertainment landscape.
He said the newly launched KL Headline Season 2026 was created to place Kuala Lumpur firmly on the global tour map and establish the city as the premier entertainment capital in Asia.
The launch was attended by Communications Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Hannah Yeoh.
The initiative, developed by Live Nation Malaysia in collaboration with PR Worldwide, Tourism Malaysia and CelcomDigi, is expected to bring 25 international music acts across six major venues throughout 2026, attracting an estimated 500,000 fans from Malaysia and across the region, with a roster of artists including big names such as Post Malone, The Weeknd, BTS, Laufey and LANY.
— BERNAMA
