Hannah Yeoh calls for private sector collaboration, upgraded facilities as KL’s concert boom nears RM1.7b

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Despite KL having several high-capacity stadiums and venues for concerts and live performances, their availability is still not guaranteed. 

According to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh, this is due to the overwhelming demand for Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia’s (PBM) venues for concerts and live events all year round. 

Currently, the venues managed by PBM include the TM National Stadium (previously known as Bukit Jalil National Stadium) and the Unifi Arena Bukit Jalil (previously known as Axiata Arena).

PBM has also recently reopened the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil for concerts and live events to cater to this demand. 

“Moving forward I do believe that the private sector can also play their part because the indoor stadium in Bukit Jalil is fully booked every weekend, that just shows how vibrant our live entertainment scene is. 

“We don’t even need to rely on international artists to fill up (these venues), the indoor stadium is constantly full. 

“This shows that there’s a real appetite for concerts here,” Yeoh said during the launch of KL Headline Season 2026 on Monday. 

Yeoh added that interested parties can get in touch with PBM to discuss further collaborations to expand concert venues in KL. 

In 2024 alone, Malaysia hosted over 400 concerts, generating more than RM553 million in tourism revenue and wider economic impact. The industry is expected to contribute nearly RM1.7 billion to the local economy this year.

This comes as KL is expected to host over 500,000 music fans from Malaysia and around the world this year, with the city also expected to host at least 25 international music performances across multiple venues.

Meanwhile, according to concert promoter Live Nation Malaysia’s managing director Paramananthan Rajagopal, aside from venue expansion, the conditions of facilities provided at these venues must also be considered.

“All the facilities are there however it needs to be maintained because most of them are over 30 years old and the maintenance needs to be upgraded to the current demands of fans and the current demands of productions. 

“Fans have a lot of demands but this is because the tickets they bought are not cheap and sometimes their experience was marred by unsatisfactory seats or broken toilets. 

“So, they need to be given the best facilities so that they would come back for other shows here,” Paramananthan said. 

He also pointed out that the limited availability of concert venues in KL remains a recurring headache for event organisers, who must find the perfect date that aligns with both the venue’s calendar and the artist’s touring schedule.

He added that all parties involved should also maintain an open approach to music concerts and events by comparing how Singapore handles its stadium concerts. 

“We previously had issues with the use of football fields for concerts here but in Singapore they understand and they were prepared for it. 

“They said it’s okay, we can take out the grass, you can have your concerts, and then we will bring the grass back. 

“It is costly but they are willing to do it because they are aware of the economic impact it could bring,” he said. 

As the KL Headline Season 2026 will also involve concerts in Klang Valley, here is a quick list of concert venues and their capacity across Klang Valley:

• TM National Stadium Bukit Jalil: 87,411 pax
• Unifi Arena Bukit Jalil: 13,000 pax (can go up to 16,000 based on seating configuration)
• National Hockey Stadium Bukit Jalil: 12,000 pax
• Stadium Merdeka: 20,000 pax
• Idea Live Arena: 6,000 pax
• Mega Star Arena: 5,000 pax
• Plenary Hall, KLCC: 3,000 pax
• Zepp Kuala Lumpur: 2,414 pax
• Istana Budaya: 1,408 pax