Malaysian authorities cancel music festival after same-sex kiss by ‘The 1975’ band members on stage

By Online Desk

On Saturday, the Malaysian authorities cancelled the Good Vibes music festival, after members of the British rock band The 1975, Matty Healy and Ross MacDonald, kissed on-stage during their set.

Healy also spoke about LGBT rights before the band was told to stop performing halfway through the set.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia and a punishable offence.

Following the incident, the organisers of the festival, which the band headlined, said that the remaining schedule for the festival has been cancelled following the controversy.

A statement said the decision came after an “immediate cancellation directive” from Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital, as part of its “unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or contravene Malaysian laws.”

Before leaving the stage last night, Healy told his fans that the band had thought of pulling out of the event.

He also claimed that he got banned from Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil hit out at the band’s performance on Twitter, calling it “very disrespectful”. He added that he had contacted festival organisers and asked them to provide a full report.

Healy, who is an ardent supporter of LGBT rights has previously used the stage to support the community.

In 2019 he invited a male fan on stage during a concert in Dubai to hug him, before sharing a quick kiss. The incident attracted criticism in the country, where homosexuality is illegal.

<br /> On Saturday, the Malaysian authorities cancelled the Good Vibes music festival, after members of the British rock band The 1975, Matty Healy and Ross MacDonald, kissed on-stage during their set.</p> <p>Healy also spoke about LGBT rights before the band was told to stop performing halfway through the set.</p> <p>Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia and a punishable offence.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Following the incident, the organisers of the festival, which the band headlined, said that the remaining schedule for the festival has been cancelled following the controversy.</p> <p>A statement said the decision came after an “immediate cancellation directive” from Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Digital, as part of its “unwavering stance against any parties that challenge, ridicule or contravene Malaysian laws.”</p> <p>Before leaving the stage last night, Healy told his fans that the band had thought of pulling out of the event.</p> <p>He also claimed that he got banned from Kuala Lumpur.</p> <p>Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil hit out at the band’s performance on Twitter, calling it “very disrespectful”. He added that he had contacted festival organisers and asked them to provide a full report.</p> <p>Healy, who is an ardent supporter of LGBT rights has previously used the stage to support the community.</p> <p>In 2019 he invited a male fan on stage during a concert in Dubai to hug him, before sharing a quick kiss. The incident attracted criticism in the country, where homosexuality is illegal.<br />