Future Sound Asia have adressed the cancellation of Good Vibes Festival 2023. 

The Malaysian music festival was cancelled last week following indecent actions and comments made by The 1975's Matty Healy during the band's headlining performance on Day 1 (21 July). Their performance was consequently cut short and the three-day festival was cancelled the following day. 

Today (27 July), Future Sound Asia, the organisers of Good Vibes Festival, and Malaysia's Arts, Life Festivals and Events Association (ALIFE) addressed the issue at a press conference, where they confirmed that the incident is an "an anomaly and not indicative of the festival or the industry at large".

"I would like to set the record straight. The set was cut short because of Matty Healy’s unruly conduct, which included the use of abusive or provocative language, destroying equipment and engaging in an indecent act on stage. He blatantly contravened local performance
guidelines and violated our country’s laws and regulations. We do not accept or condone such behaviour, and Matty Healy’s conduct deserves to be condemned. His display has left a trail of consequences for Malaysians. This incident was isolated and unforeseen, and contrary to the agreement we have with the band," said Future Sound Asia Founder and Director, Ben Law. 

"The GVF issue was an unfortunate incident involving a rogue artist who intentionally refused to adhere to the rules and guidelines set forth by the country. We recognize that this event caused an unprecedented international debacle. However, we firmly believe that this episode is an isolated occurrence and does not reflect the essence of the festival or the industry as a whole," said ALIFE President, Rizal Kamal. 

Following the incident, Future Sound Asia and ALIFE have been in discussion with the government and authorities on how to move forward and safeguard the live performance industry. 

"The 1975 incident should not overshadow the thousands of successful performances by international artists in Malaysia. Following the GVF incident, ALIFE, FSA, and the government have engaged in constructive dialogue and reached a consensus to move forward positively and to support and safeguard the live performance industry. YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital of Malaysia, has pledged increased cooperation between the government and event organisers to solidify the industry. The shared objective of these efforts is to protect the live performance industry and foster a thriving arts scene in Malaysia," said Kamal.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to uphold the regulations and guidelines set by our authorities and to maintain the trust our community has placed in us. We will learn from this isolated incident and together with PUSPAL, we are looking forward to possibly devising a framework which would specifically cater to the unique characteristics of multi-day and multi-act music festivals. We strive for a safer, more harmonious future for live music in Malaysia and we advocate for proportionate solutions that ensure safety and cultural sensitivity without hampering our thriving international events scene here in our beloved country," said Law.

A class action lawsuit is also currently being readied against The 1975. Led pro-bono by Malaysian law firm Thomas Philip, the lawsuit seeks consequences over the losses suffered due to the festival's cancellation. According to a report by NME, five artists and five vendors are said to be on board the lawsuit. Future Sound Asia are not involved in the class action.

Good Vibes Festival 2023 was slated to happen from 21 to 23 July, with performances from acts like The Strokes, The Kid LAROI, DPR LIVE and DPR IAN, LEEHI, Peach Tree Rascals, and more.