UK judge tosses part of lawsuit against The 1975 over onstage kiss in Malaysia

Organiser of Good Vibes Festival was seeking US$2.4 million in losses after singer Matty Healy kissed male bassist at 2023 Kuala Lumpur show

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Matty Healy of The 1975. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 2:58am, 25 Feb 2025Updated: 2:01pm, 25 Feb 2025

Members of the British band The 1975 cannot be held personally liable for losses of a Malaysian music festival that was shut down by authorities after lead singer Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage, a London judge ruled on Monday.

The organiser of the Good Vibes Festival was seeking £1.9 million (US$2.4 million) in losses after Healy criticised the country’s anti-homosexuality laws and then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald at the Kuala Lumpur show in July 2023.

Footage of the kiss sparked a backlash in the predominantly Muslim country, where homosexuality is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning. Some LGBTQ groups also criticised the band for endangering its community and disrupting the work of activists pushing for change.

Future Sound Asia (FSA) sued The 1975 Productions LLP in the High Court over breach of contract and said its four members owed a duty of care. But the band’s lawyer argued that the suit should only target the company – not the musicians.

Judge William Hansen said the claims against the band members were “bad as a matter of law and that there is no good reason why the matter should go to trial”. He allowed the case to proceed against the company, but ordered FSA to pay £100,000 (US$126,000) in legal costs.

The band’s lawyer Edmund Cullen had argued the claim was an “illegitimate, artificial and incoherent” attempt “to pin liability on individuals” because FSA only had a contract with the band’s company.

Matty Healy performing with The 1975 at Lollapalooza Brazil in 2023. File photo: TNS