Kuala lumpur: Kuala Lumpur is set to emerge as a leading player in the regional entertainment circuit, with the government committed to slashing red tape and accelerating approval processes for international events.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh has directed Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to facilitate and speed up applications to ensure the capital remains a preferred destination for global industry players. "Time is money, speed is the currency. And this is how I want to drive DBKL forward in facilitating approvals when they're dealing with applications. We cannot just sit and wait for things to happen, we have to facilitate and move the file," she stated at the launch of KL Headline Season 2026 held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Hannah highlighted the massive economic impact of live events, citing the recent Water Festival in Kuala Lumpur which generated RM320 million for the Malaysian economy in a single weekend. "The return for our Malaysian economy came in from international visitors, about 100,000 of them for the Water Festival, and they spent about RM255 million just for that weekend. For our local guests, 150,000 of them spent about RM64 million," she added.

To further lower the barrier for organisers, Yeoh noted that the government has already reduced and slashed deposits for local shows, concerts, as well as stage and cultural performances. "We really want to cut all the red tape and I will be monitoring this together with DBKL and also to get the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur to look into the SOPs and processes," she said.