He Good Vibes music festivalorganized around Kuala Lumpurannounced this Saturday the cancellation of the event, upon receiving an order from the authorities linked to a kiss between two men last night during a concert.
“The Ministry (of Communication and Digital) has underlined its unwavering stance against any party that defies, ridicules or contravenes the laws of Malaysia“, the organizers point out in a statement published today, in which they apologize and promise to refund the ticket price already acquired.
Good Vibes began this Friday and was scheduled to run until Sunday, with several concerts, including that of the British band The 1975led by the vocalist Matthew Healy.
During his performance, Healy gave a speech criticizing the Malaysian government and laws criminalizing same-sex relationships.
“We made a mistake when designing the points of our tour (…) It does not make sense that they invite a group like The 1975 to a country that tells us who we can have sex with,” said the vocalist, according to videos posted by festival attendees.