Were you among the sold-out crowd at Bruno Mars’ concert at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sept 17?
It was one of many concerts held there in recent years, including the record-breaking one by Coldplay in November 2023, and Ed Sheeran in February.
Coldplay said in February this year that the Malaysian concert was the biggest of its career, grossing US$10,904,369 (or nearly RM52 million at that time) from 81,812 tickets sold.
According to industry insiders, Malaysia Stadium Corporation, which runs the National Stadium, would likely have earned about two per cent of the gate collection, amounting to slightly more than RM1 million, plus probably another RM500,000 in rental fees for the Coldplay concert.
If the National Stadium hosts six concerts a year, that should earn the corporation RM6-9 million, which it can use to maintain the facilities and ensure the pitch is in good playing condition – although many football fans are against concerts at the home of Harimau Malaya.
Over the years, many have expressed concern that the pitch would be unplayable after these mega-events, and they have been right.
This is where Malaysia’s planning falls short as there are no fixed dates for the Super League.
It means the dates of the Malaysia Cup and FA Cup finals, which are held at the National Stadium, could be held at any time of the year.
As concerts are planned up to two years in advance, it is easier for football stadiums in Europe to offer their venues, as they have a fixed calendar – August to May – and occasionally, early June.
The international football calendar is also decided in advance – Fifa released its international calendar for 2024-26 in March 2023.
As such, the Malaysian Football League officials and those from the Football Association of Malaysia should know the tentative dates for international matches – depending on home or away games – and should liaise with Malaysia Stadium Corporation when deciding the dates it needs to use the National Stadium for the national team or domestic cup finals.
This would ensure football matches have priority and there are no clashes with potential concerts. This will help keep the pitch in pristine condition.
Those against concerts at football stadiums are also missing the point of the lucrative payoffs these concerts bring to the country.
Liverpool Football Club recently announced that since 2019, seven artists have played 11 concerts at its iconic Anfield stadium, pumping in £31.3 million into the local economy.
These concerts saw half a million people visiting Anfield and created extra employment opportunities, with a minimum of 1,450 staff required for each event.
Half of those ticket-goers came this year for P!nk’s Summer Carnival and three hugely successful Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ worldwide tours.
Covid-19 restrictions meant no concerts in 2020 and 2021, while the expansion of the Anfield Road Stand in 2023 ruled out other events. Dua Lipa is booked to play at Anfield next summer.
Over in London, Swift played eight concerts at Wembley, generating an estimated £300 million for the city’s economy.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium makes around £5 million per concert it hosts. Imagine Dragons will be there in July 2025, and a month later, Catfish and the Bottlemen.
In Spain, European champion Real Madrid will complete the five-year renovation of its Santiago Bernabeu Stadium this year, having spent close to €1 billion to turn its 85,000-capacity fortress into a “mini-city of entertainment and commerce, with a hotel, bars, restaurants, and retail outlets”.
This summer, it hosted concerts by Swift, Luis Miguel, and Karol G, but has paused future acts due to complaints of excessive noise by neighbours.
The two Swift concerts earned Real €5 million.
As part of its refurbishment, Real has invested in a four-storey greenhouse beneath the field that allows the playing surface to be rolled in and out as needed and kept in perfect condition with the help of irrigation, lighting, air conditioning, and ventilation systems.
Football Benchmark reported that Santiago Bernabeu will host American football matches in 2025, and 50 non-sporting events yearly.
Football stadiums are the new ‘concert halls’ as they can offer 60,000-100,000 seating capacities.
The difference is that stadiums in Europe can properly manage their pitches, with Real Madrid taking it a step further with its ‘greenhouse’.
So, what’s stopping Malaysia?
