JAKARTA, Indonesia — British pop rock band The 1975 announced on Sunday that they were canceling concerts in Jakarta and Taipei after the Malaysian government halted a music festival following the band’s lead singer who criticized the country’s anti-gay laws and kissed a male bandmate during their performance.
The 1975 were scheduled to perform at We The Fest, Indonesia’s annual summer music festival, in Jakarta on Sunday night as part of their 2023 Asian tour.
“The 1975 regrets to announce that their upcoming shows in Jakarta and Taipei will no longer be held as planned,” the group said in a statement posted on We The Fest’s social media platforms on Sunday. They added that the decision was not taken lightly “but unfortunately due to the current circumstances it is not possible to continue the current broadcasts”.
Indonesia, the most populous Muslim nation in the world, does not ban LGBTQ rights except in the conservative province of Aceh.
Matt Healey, lead singer of The 1975, used profanity in his speech criticizing the government’s stance against homosexuality, before kissing bassist Ross MacDonald. Footage of the incident has been posted on social media and sparked a backlash in predominantly Muslim Malaysia.
Malaysian Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil criticized Matty Healy’s conduct on Friday night and said in a Facebook post that homosexuality is a crime in the country punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning.
It wasn’t the first time Healy had used the stage to advocate for lesbian and gay rights. In 2019, he kissed a male fan at a concert in the United Arab Emirates, which also prohibits gay acts, according to media reports.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 1975 cancels Asian concerts after gay kissing controversy