KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — The internationally acclaimed Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festival HardTech and Transmission had a successful debut in Malaysia over the weekend.
The two-day festival held at the Helipad at Petronas Sepang International Circuit (SIC) was also a precursor event to the upcoming Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia 2025 happening this October 24 to October 26, which also coincides with the 47th Asean Summit in KL.
Thousands of festivalgoers gathered last weekend to experience the milestone event – with HardTech (Hardmission & Techmission) taking place on the first day on October 18 which featured prominent hardstyle DJs such as Alexis Grace, Bass Agents, MANDY and Sub Zero Project.
While Transmission which took place on the second day on October 19 saw several legendary trance DJs such as Markus Schulz, Aly & Fila, Ben Nicky as well as Digital Culture taking on the deck.
From the pulsating beats of HardTech’s hardstyle and techno-driven soundscapes to the euphoric trance melodies of Transmission, the event captivated fans with immersive visuals, state-of-the-art production, and high energy crowds.
“It was a total vibe! When I was backstage I couldn’t feel it but as soon as I went on stage, it was just amazing, I was in awe of the audience, their energy hit me instantly,” Egyptian DJ Fila of Aly & Fila told Malay Mail.
“It’s been a couple of years since I came to Malaysia, I missed it so much and it is still amazing.
“The crowd here is just amazing, one of the best in the world and in Asia for sure,” he said.
Meanwhile popular British DJ Ben Nicky was also stoked to be returning to Malaysia and to be playing the first-ever Transmission festival here.
“I am a bit gutted because I’m supposed to have my own event here last year but it got cancelled because the venue got shut down but they offered me this.
“When they asked if I wanna play the Transmission festival in Malaysia, of course I said yes – I’ve played at Transmission in Sydney previously and also in Bangkok, the vibes, the atmosphere and the productions are top class.
“And Malaysians are great too, they know their music – from hardstyle to trance, they are knowledgeable when it comes to EDM,” Nicky said.
Another notable milestone was the festival’s strict adherence to safety protocols which also aligned with the newly introduced SOPs for EDM events in Malaysia by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
These included Hydration Points, on-site medical teams, anti-drug awareness messaging, standby hospitals, and the presence of drug detection canine units ensuring a safe and responsible environment for attendees.
Around 130 police officers were stationed at the event with several more security personnel making rounds around the festival venue throughout the two-day event.
The security checkpoint before entering the festival was also tight – with concertgoers not only having to go through body checks but even had to remove their shoes for inspection to prevent smuggling of illegal substances or drugs into the festival, which also resulted in long lines of queues at the entrance.
The execution of these safety measures was made possible through the collaboration between organiser Hi: Five Entertainment and Petronas Sepang International Circuit with support from various government agencies and authorities including the KLIA’s IPD, Sepang Municipal Council, the health ministry and Unit for Application for Foreign Filming and Performance by Foreign Artiste (Puspal).
Amongst the reasons for these security measures was due to several drug-related deaths at local music festivals with the most recent was during the Pinkfish Countdown 2024 earlier this year where four individuals died.
Fila, for one, supported the increased safety measures saying that having a quick medical response team could be a lifesaving key.
“Let’s be realistic, the people who take drugs, they would still do it anyway (at concerts).
“Some people might not take drugs but for those who do, will still (find ways) to do it, even when there’s no events happening, they would do it at home, so it’s important to be prepared.
“The best thing to do is to provide a safe space, make sure that when something happens, you have a quick response team to save them,” Fila told Malay Mail.
Fila who also previously has performed at the A State of Trance (ASOT) 600 in 2013 at SIC said that having enough medical staff at festivals is also crucial to prevent history from repeating itself.
The HardTech and Transmission festival was organised by Hi:Five Entertainment in collaboration with Transmission Festival as well as Hardmission Festival.
