The 1975 are facing a hefty $2.4 million lawsuit from the organizers of Malaysia’s Good Vibes Festival.

The legal action comes after the band’s controversial headlining performance last year, where notably frontman Matty Healy sparked controversy by kissing bassist Ross MacDonald during their set last July, a gesture seen as a protest against the country’s stringent anti-LGBTQ laws.

The lawsuit, filed in the UK High Court and first reported by Variety, names all band members and their management team. The festival’s organizers, Future Sound Asia, allege that the band’s actions led to the abrupt shutdown of the event. According to court documents, the band was well aware of Malaysia’s performance restrictions, including bans on swearing, smoking, drinking on stage, and any form of political or religious commentary.

Future Sound Asia claims that The 1975 were informed about specific regulations from the Malaysia Central Agency for the Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artists (PUSPAL), which explicitly prohibit “kissing” on stage, among other actions.

The lawsuit also reveals that PUSPAL initially denied the band’s 2023 performance application due to a past article about Healy’s drug issues. The band managed to overturn this decision by assuring adherence to “all local guidelines and regulations.” However, the suit accuses them of deciding the night before the festival to perform, only to present a “completely different setlist” and engage in actions designed to breach regulations and offend.

Healy’s provocative speech denouncing Malaysia’s anti-LGBTQ stance and a staged “passionate embrace” with MacDonald are cited as deliberate provocations. The band’s performance was cut short, and the festival’s license was revoked the following day, resulting in the cancellation of the remaining two days, including a planned set by The Strokes. In response, Malaysia’s government labeled The 1975 as “extremely rude,” barring them from performing in the country again. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed that the government intervened prior to the festival’s cancellation.

With headliners Joji, Peggy Gou, Russ and J Balvin, the Good Vibes Festival was supposed to return this 2024 — until its sudden cancellation. The official reason as specified by the festvial’s organizers stated that large-scale festivals involving international artists were “to be rescheduled to a later date, out of respect for the Coronation Ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.”

Listen to The 1975’s recent album Being Funny In A Foreign Language below: