KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — 2024 has already been a thrilling year for live music in Malaysia, and it’s far from over.
Earlier this year, Malaysia saw performances from big names like Canadian rock band Sum 41, Japanese girl group Atarashi Gakko!, and Grammy-winning singer Laufey in August, just to name a few.
But hold on to your seats (and your wallets), because the excitement is set to continue.
Here’s a rundown of international acts set to take the stage in Malaysia from this month until the end of the year:
What’s hot in September and October?
Coming in hot is the Ombak Festival taking place from September 13 to September 15 at Desaru Coast, Johor Baru where some legendary musicians will take centre stage among other local acts.
The headliners for Ombak Festival includes hitmaker Nile Rodgers & Chic, Jamaican-American singer Grace Jones, Swedish rock band The Cardigans, as well as American singer and actress Macy Gray.
Music lovers can prepare to catch a “grenade” of a performance from multi-award winning singer Bruno Mars this September 17 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium while also looking forward to American pop rock band Lany who will be performing at Axiata Arena on September 22.
Taipei-based indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean band HYUKOH will be coming together to perform music from their newly released collaborative album AAA taking place at Mega Star Arena KL this October 18.
Explosive November with back-to-back performances
Starting off on November 3 is the After Race Fest 2024 which will feature American rapper Macklemore and famous 90s rock band Smash Mouth who will be taking centre stage at the Helipad at Petronas Sepang International Circuit.
R&B singer NeYo is coming back again to Malaysia for a two-day show on November 9 and 10 taking place at the Plenary Hall, KLCC. Meanwhile, don’t fret if you feel “lonely” as famous Senegalese-American singer Akon will be performing at the Mega Star Arena KL on November 19 as part of his The Superfan Tour.
American pop rock band Imagine Dragons will be gracing the National Hockey Stadium this November 21 as part of their Loom World Tour while famous English indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club will take on Zepp KL on November 22.
One of the main highlights of the month is a performance by Albanian-English singer songwriter Dua Lipa who will be elevating audiences for a two-day show this November 23 and 24 at Axiata Arena.
In December, Taeyang, a member of famous South Korean group BIGBANG will be doing a solo show on December 7 at Axiata Arena as part of The Light Year tour. On December 18, the Mega Star Arena KL will be graced by South Korean collective DPR Ian, DPR Cream and DPR Arctic for their Dream Reborn World Tour.
2025 looking like another good year for us
2025 is also looking to be another great year for international live music in Malaysia with famous American dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex (CAS) who will be returning to Malaysia on January 11 to perform at the Surf Beach Sunway Lagoon.
On February 12, award-winning pop band Maroon 5 will grace the National Hockey Stadium, followed by famous punk rock band Green Day on February 18 at the same venue.
