The federal government is pushing to position Kuala Lumpur as a major regional entertainment powerhouse by cutting red tape and speeding up approval processes for international events.
Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh said she has instructed Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to simplify and accelerate application procedures to ensure the capital remains a top destination for global entertainment industry players.
“Time is money, speed is currency. That is how I want DBKL to move forward when facilitating approvals and handling applications,” she said.
“We cannot just sit back and wait for things to happen. We need to facilitate and drive the process,” she added during the launch of KL Headline Season 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Monday.
Hannah highlighted the massive economic impact brought by live entertainment events, pointing to the recent Water Festival held in Kuala Lumpur, which reportedly generated RM320 million for Malaysia’s economy in just one weekend.
According to her, around 100,000 international visitors attended the festival and spent approximately RM255 million during the event period.
Local visitors also contributed heavily, with an estimated 150,000 Malaysians spending around RM64 million over the same weekend.
To further encourage organisers and attract more international productions, Hannah said the government has reduced and lowered deposit rates for local performances, concerts and cultural stage shows.
“We truly want to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, and I will personally monitor this together with DBKL,” she said.
She also revealed that Kuala Lumpur’s mayor has been instructed to review existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and approval systems to make them more industry-friendly.
The move comes as regional cities continue competing aggressively to attract major concerts, festivals and global entertainment events capable of boosting tourism, hospitality and local business sectors.
