The 1975’s Good Vibes festival in Kuala Lumpur has been cancelled after frontman Matty Healy shared an onstage kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald.
Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, with gay people facing up to 20 years in jail if caught with a same-sex partner.
During The 1975’s headlining performance on Friday, frontman Matty Healy slammed the country’s LGBTQ laws as “fucking ridiculous” before kissing his bandmate.
The group’s set was cut short after Healy’s protest. The following day, concert organiser FSA announced that the rest of the festival would not go ahead.
They said in a statement that the band’s management team “assured us that Healy and the band would adhere to local performance guidelines,” but “did not honor these assurances, despite our trust in their commitment.”
They added: “Healy chose to utilize his performance as a platform to express his personal views, rather than delivering the quality show that his Malaysian fans were eagerly anticipating. This act is deeply unfair to his fans who were looking forward to enjoying a memorable music experience.”
The group subsequently cancelled shows in Taiwan and Indonesia, saying: “Unfortunately, due to current circumstances, it is impossible to proceed with the scheduled shows.”
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