Top 10 Upcoming Concerts & Festivals in Malaysia 2023

Throughout this past year, Malaysians have seen some of the best performers from around the world. Blackpink performed on their Born Pink world tour, Jay Chou on his Carnival world tour, and classics like Ne-Yo, Westlife, and One Republic visited the country to showcase their talents. As Taylor Swift’s era tour has been taking the world by storm, Malaysian fans may be upset that she’s not coming here but don’t give up too soon! Here are 10 other concerts you should check out!

Concert of the Champions-Long Live the Queen

A true legend amongst legends, not many can boast that they have witnessed Freddie Mercury’s iconic stage presence, but what if I told you that you can? Break Free is a band renowned for their impersonation of Queen. The band has toured the world since 2015 and is called the closest thing to the real Queen by many.

The Italian group covers every Queen hit from We Are the Champions to Bohemian Rhapsody and even takes its name from the classic, I Want to Break Free. What started as a tribute to Queen has become a main attraction as they have taken over cities like Munich, Bilbao and Turin.

Bringing the soul of British rock with them, Break Free will be dropping our jaws for four nights here in Malaysia. Held at Zepp KL, the only concert hall in South-East Asia that has been certified by Sony for its state-of-the-art sound system. If you love Queen and the charming persona of Freddie Mercury, be there and watch Break Free bring them back to life from the 20^th-23^rd of September!

AFGAN: LIVE IN KUALA LUMPUR 2023

The Indonesian Heartthrob, Afgansyah Reza better known by his onstage persona Afgan was born in Jakarta into a family filled with musical talent. Afgan didn’t go to any singing lessons but was still able to capture the attention of studio producers when he was offered a contract when they heard him singing.

Debuting in 2008 with his first album titled Confession No. 1, Afgan took the Indonesian charts by storm with his iconic tracks Terima Kasih Cinta and Sadis. Just a year later, he would also star in his first movie Bukan Cinta Biasa while also singing the soundtrack for the film. Today, Afgan has continued his streak of hits while also a judge for X Factor Indonesia.

The Jakartan Star will be charming Malaysians with his voice on the 2^nd of December at the Plenary Hall at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. If you find yourself going for Afgan’s show then prepare yourself for a night you will never forget.

Johnny Orlando: The Ride Tour

Hailing from a small town in Canada, Johnny Orlando first gained stardom when he and his sister posted a cover for the song Mistletoe. The video gained thousands of views and they decided to post more covers due to the first video’s success.

Johnny began releasing his own songs in 2015 with EP VXIIXI, and soon signed for Universal Music Canada which gave him the opportunity to work with the best producers in the business to release his second album. His dedication to his music paid off as it led him to his first tour across North America.

The singer has his sights set on Malaysia this 27^th of November at The Bee Publika where he will be performing his beloved collection of songs such as Leave the light on and Till I Met You. With the VIP Package, you can even take a personal one-on-one photo with Johnny, so mark your calendars for the 27^th of November and don’t forget!

Kodaline Asian Tour 2023

The band that has a soft spot in our hearts since our teen days, Kodaline, has announced their arrival to Malaysia. Formerly known as “21 Demands”, The band consists of 4 members; Jason Boland, Vincent May, Mark Prendergast and Steve Garrigan, they formed in 2012 after participating in battle of the bands together.

The band first came into the spotlight shortly after the release of their first EP. Kodaline was highlighted as BBC Radio 1’s Record of the Week and was even featured in an episode of the immensely popular hospital drama Grey’s Anatomy. Success continued to trail them as their debut album In a Perfect World propelled them further into fame.  track All I Want was prominently featured in the widely acclaimed film, The Fault in Our Stars.

The quartet will be performing at Zepp Kuala Lumpur for not just one day, but two! Don’t miss your chance to watch Kodaline take the stage from the 7^th-8^th of September.

Super Junior D&E World Tour Fancon: Delight Party

A subunit of one of the most famous Kpop male groups of all time, “Super Junior”, D&E is an energetic duo that consists of the members Donghae and Eunhyuk. 6 years after the original group debuted, SM Entertainment launched the 5th subunit of Super Junior with their hit single, Oppa, Oppa. Needless to say the pair received great support from their fans and the public alike.

D&E then tapped into their Japanese fanbase by releasing a Japanese version of Oppa Oppa which topped the Tower Records single chart. The initial success was followed by their first Japanese single, I Wanna Dance, which featured Henry from Super Junior-M. They even had their first tour the following year with 8 stops in Japan; a few of the cities to name are Tokyo, Kobe and even Osaka.

The superstar duo have been releasing non-stop hits even with the hiatus of Super Junior. With 2 tours across Asia and 3 in Japan, Super Junior D&E will be making their second appearance in Malaysia on the 9^th of September, get ready to scream your heart out!

LAUV: The Between Albums Asia Tour 

Known for his romantic dream pop love songs that make you feel like you are in the clouds, Ari Staprans Leff, also known as Lauv (pronounced “Love”), has gained a reputation for releasing the most touching romance songs with a hint of electronic music that lends his style a unique quality, creating a heavenly experience when paired with his voice. Lauv started writing songs as early as the age of 12 and became increasingly obsessed with it over time.

Lauv made a name for himself when he released I Like Me Better in 2017, which has been platinum worldwide and has reached over a billion-and-a-half streams on Spotify. He has reached great heights by releasing tons of chart-toppers and joining Ed Sheeran on tour as well! He has also gone on to collaborate with many other artists such as LANY, Julia Michaels, and even K-pop superstars BTS.

Get ready to witness Lauv’s first-ever performance in Malaysia as he takes the stage at the Plenary Hall in KL Convention Centre on September 7^th. Attendees can anticipate hearing all his chart-toppers like Mean It, I Like Me Better, I’m So Tired, and many more!

One OK Rock: Luxury Disease Asia Tour 2023

Coming from Tokyo, Japan, the electrifying band that is One Ok Rock has also announced that they will be setting fire to the Malaysian stage once again after initially being the opening act for Ed Sheeran back in 2019 at National Stadium Bukit Jalil. This time, they will have the stage all to themselves.

After forming in 2005, the rock band produced their demo titled, Do you know a Christmas? and was signed to Amuse Inc. not too long after that. 2 years later, they officially debuted with their single Naihishinsho the group would later go on to produce many other hits after that.

From their earlier classics of The Beginning to current headbangers  Let Me Let You Go, they will be giving it their all at the Axiata Arena later this year on the 15^th of December. Their lively and magnetic stage presence doesn’t come around very often, so if you find yourself free this December, don’t miss it out!

Rex Orange County Live 2023

Alexander James O’Connor, or better known as Rex Orange County, started performing for crowds as early as when he was 5! He joined the choir in his school where his mother taught, his love for music only grew fonder as he learnt how to play the drums and piano around this time. At the age of 16, O’Connor added the guitar to his arsenal of musical instruments and also learned to produce music.

In 2015, O’Conner released his first album Bcos U Will Never B Free on SoundCloud on his own, this led to him gaining the attention of many artists and producers, including American rapper Tyler, the Creator. O’Conner would fly out to Los Angeles a year later to work on Tyler’s upcoming album where he would contribute to multiple songs on the album, further making a name for himself.

With numerous hits under his belt since then, you can rest assured that O’Conner will be delivering them when he takes the stage at Zepp Kuala Lumpur on the 18^th-19^th of October.

BamBam: Area 52 World Tour

The Thai superstar himself has announced that he is making a stop in Kuala Lumpur during his upcoming world tour. Kunpimook Bhuwakul, who is a rapper based in South Korea, is known by the name BamBam. Also a member of K-pop boy group GOT7, BamBam is no stranger to being in the spotlight as he has been a performer since he was 10 years old!

Being a huge fan of the Korean singer Rain, BamBam’s mother would bring him to concerts to see the singer perform. He soon took a liking for the K-pop scene and began dancing and singing. He later joined a dance crew that included Lisa of BlackPink as a member. The two would go on to win multiple dance competitions which lead to him joining a Korean idol company and debuting with GOT7.

One of the best talents to have come out of Thailand, BamBam will be burning up the stage at the Mega Star Arena on the 15^th of October. It will be his first time in Malaysia as a solo act so let’s show him our support!

Coldplay: Music of the Spheres Tour

This band has accomplished nothing short of topping the charts and selling millions of albums worldwide for the past two decades. Coldplay has been garnering attention across social media for the sheer beautiful and iconic nature of their concerts. Now, Malaysians will have the chance to see it with our very own eyes.

Originally named “Big Fat Noises”, the group of friends met in university and decided to form a band. After renaming themselves to Coldplay, they signed with a label and debuted with their first album Parachute, striking gold straight away with their hit yellow. They struck gold with their fourth album, which included their legendary track Viva la Vida. The song has garnered over 800 million views on YouTube and stands as a timeless anthem.

Coldplay will be filling National Stadium Bukit Jalil with magic and wonder on the 22^nd of November later this year. Their concerts are truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so be there or be square!

Thank you for reading!

Malaysians have truly been spoiled this year with an incredible lineup of concerts that have graced our stages. And guess what? The excitement is far from over! With a galaxy of outstanding events still on the horizon, there’s a guarantee that the treasure trove of unforgettable memories is set to keep growing.