Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival Is Suing The 1975 Over That Onstage Kiss

The 1975 is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival following a stunt lead singer Matty Healy pulled during the group’s concert in July 2023.

On July 21, 2023, English pop-rock band The 1975 performed at one of Malaysia’s biggest music festivals, the Good Vibes Festival. During the show, frontman Matty Healy—already dominating headlines at the time thanks to his recently-ended relationship with Taylor Swift and history of racist comments—surprised the audience with a deep kiss with bassist Ross MacDonald.

Now, a year after their performance, Good Vibes Festival is suing The 1975 for £1.9 million (approximately $2.4 million). Here’s why.

Why is The 1975 being sued by Malaysia’s Good Vibes festival?

According to Variety, per court documents submitted to the U.K. High Court by music festival organizers Future Sound Asia, The 1975 and their management team knowingly broke several laws and rules that were set in place.

These rules, which were also in place during the band’s 2016 performance at the festival, include a ban on inappropriate language, smoking and drinking alcohol on stage, stripping, and discussing religion or politics. However, the biggest rule they broke is one set in place by Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL), which bans artists from “kissing, kissing a member of the audience or carrying out such actions among themselves” while on stage.

The 1975 were reportedly torn on playing the festival, agreeing the night before the show that they “should not” perform, and discussing what measures to take before ultimately deciding to go on. They opted to perform a setlist that was not pre-approved and ignored the rules they originally agreed to abide by.

During their performance, the band issued a fiery rant against Malaysia’s draconian anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Matty Healy and Ross MacDonald, who both identify as straight men, then embraced before sharing a deep kiss on stage.

After The 1975’s performance, the Communication and Digital Minister, YB Fahmi Fadzil, called for a meeting with Future Sound Asia. The organizers ended up canceling the festival, which was scheduled to run for two more days.

Why was The 1975’s performance at Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival controversial?

Obviously, festival organizers and the Malaysian government took issue with The 1975’s stunt, but it garnered a lot of criticism from the queer community as well. Many people most affected by the country’s oppressive laws pointed out that the band had not consulted any LGBTQ+ people about whether their “act of activism” would be well-received in the country. Additionally, the cancellation of the remaining festival days denied queer artists the opportunity to play, took money from vendors, and robbed fans of a joyful experience.

Malaysia is one of the strictest countries in terms of being queer. Under Penal Code 1936, same-sex sexual activity is prohibited by the country, and those caught engaging in “such behavior” would face up to 20 years of imprisonment with whipping. Though the law does not explicitly state anything about being transgender, they are often criminalized under the Penal Code.

Throughout the years, there have been thousands of reports concerning violence and discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender people. Malaysians, especially the youth, have actively fought for equal rights, working to normalize and celebrate queerness and demonstrate that there is nothing negative or indecent about being part of the community.

This is exactly why The 1975’s antics caused such backlash. They performed in one of the strictest countries, where LGBTQ+ still get criminalized for being who they are, and did not think about—or consult with anyone over—how their actions would affect actual queer Malaysians. Many believe that the band did more harm than good and called out the members for their “white savior complex” during a night when people came together to appreciate music.

As of this writing, The 1975 has not responded to the lawsuit.