KUALA LUMPUR: Concerts and non-sporting events at major venues like the Bukit Jalil National Stadium and Axiata Arena are bringing in substantially more income than traditional sporting events, says Hannah Yeoh.
The Youth and Sports Minister said the trend highlighted the growing importance of diversifying event offerings to maximise the utilisation and profitability of national sports facilities.
"The Malaysia Stadium Corporation is the agency responsible for managing the venues within Kuala Lumpur Sports City (KLSC), ensuring their optimal use.
"As of October this year, venue rentals have generated RM2.147mil from 26 sports events held at the complex.
"In the same period, 54 non-sporting events were hosted, bringing in RM8.5mil, four times the revenue from sports events.
"This brings the total venue rental income up to October to RM10.647mil, marking the highest revenue ever recorded by KLSC," she said in her reply to Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) during the question-and-answer time at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Nov 5).
Yeoh also shared the revenue figures for different venues.
For sports events, she said the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, with a capacity of 85,000 people, generated RM1.197mil.
"The Axiata Arena, which can accommodate 13,000 people, brought in RM875,000.
"Meanwhile, the National Hockey Stadium, with a capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 people, collected RM75,000," she said.
For non-sporting events by venue, she said the Bukit Jalil National Stadium generated RM1.8mil, while the Axiata Arena brought in RM6.4mil.
"Meanwhile, the National Hockey Stadium, which has also been used for concerts, collected RM210,000.
"This indicates that the most popular venue for non-sporting events is the Axiata Arena," she said.
The strategic location and weather-independence of the Axiata Arena makes it a preferred choice for concert promoters, she said, adding that Malaysia has its unique appeal as a concert destination.
"We may have lost Taylor Swift, but we attract many other performers from Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, local acts, as well as artists from Korea, Japan, Europe, the UK and the US.
"This diverse cultural landscape creates a large and diverse market for concerts right here in Malaysia."
Yeoh noted that concert operators are eager to bring more artists to Malaysia, although they have noted challenges such as venue availability and transparency in the booking process.
"To address these concerns, we are focusing on digitalisation efforts to improve the booking system, making it easier and more transparent for concert organisers to plan their events here."
In response to rising demand for concert venues, Yeoh said several initiatives are underway to enhance services.
"The National Hockey Stadium, previously focused solely on hockey events, is now available for concerts, with 26 bookings for the next year," she said.
To a supplementary question from Zakri Hassan (PN-Kangar) about pitch quality, Yeoh said two 3.2ha turf nurseries are being developed for turf replacement, utilising a "lay and play" concept to ensure quick field recovery after events.
"The ministry has engaged with local authorities to explore hybrid turf solutions, and matching grants have been offered to states for infrastructure upgrades.
"So far, only Kelantan has utilised these grants to enhance its facilities," she said.
The ministry, Yeoh added, is ready to collaborate with other states wishing to leverage Malaysia Stadium Corporation's expertise.
"Digitalisation efforts, including online booking systems, are being developed to streamline venue reservations and increase transparency," she said.
