Drug Concerns Thwart Future Music Asia

Livescape Singapore, promoter of Future Music Festival Asia 2015, canceled the event March 8 after the Singapore government turned down its application citing possible drug abuse by concertgoers.

The Asian festival, an offshoot of Australia’s 9-year-old, five-city event, was to make its Singapore debut March 13-14 at Changi Exhibition Centre with headliners including Avicii, The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim and

The Asian festival, an offshoot of Australia’s 9-year-old, five-city event, was to make its Singapore debut March 13-14 at Changi Exhibition Centre.

It had first staged in Asia in Kuala Lumpur in 2012. It had support from the Malaysian government’s tourism division and drew 40,000 music fans from around the region. But last year six Malaysians died of drug overdoses and 16 – including a number of Singapore citizens – were hospitalized.

The festival’s third day was canceled as a result. Livescape revealed the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs first rejected its application Jan. 29 and again Feb. 27.

It submitted plans boosting the safety, security and medical management while continuing to market the event. It sold 15,000 tickets. The third and final rejection was on March 6. Tickets, ranging from S$148 ($107.30) and S$388 ($281.25), were to be refunded starting March 9.