PETALING JAYA: The reopening of international borders on April 1 means music fans in Malaysia can look forward to live events from international acts once again.

       Canadian pop star Justin Bieber is the first international act to announce that he will be bringing his Justice World Tour to Malaysia.

       Bieber, 28, will be staging his concert on Oct 22 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

       “We’ve been working hard to create the best show we’ve ever done. We can’t wait to share it with fans around the world. I’ll see you soon,” Bieber said in a press statement.

       PR Worldwide managing director Para R. said he is thrilled to bring the Bieber’s Justice World Tour to Malaysian fans after a two-year pause in live entertainment.

       “With the integration of digital ticketing, vaccination and testing protocols using mobile app technology, access to the event can now be made safe and seamless,” Para said, adding that extra measures would be taken to create a safe environment for concert-goers and all involved.

       Fan Kelly Ng said she is happy to learn that her favourite singer would be back in Malaysia for a concert.

       “I am definitely going for the concert as I have missed attending live shows since the pandemic started.

       “I am happy that the first show I will be attending is one by my favourite singer,” said Ng, 25, adding that she has been a fan of Bieber since he released Baby in 2010.

       College-going student Nur Tahirah said she’s excited with the prospect of watching her first-ever live concert.

       However, she’ll “wait and see” if the Covid-19 cases ease by October.

       “I’m excited as I’ve never been to a concert before and I love Justin Bieber’s music. But since I have underlying health issues, I need to be careful in crowded places.

       “I’ll have to see what the situation is like in October and the standard operating procedure set by the organiser before (deciding whether to) attend the show,” Nur Tahirah, 19, said.

       According to Universal Music Malaysia managing director Kim Lim, Bieber’s songs are well- received in Malaysia with his latest album Justice achieving platinum status.

       Bieber’s 2021 single Ghost alone has 2.5 million streams in Malaysia.

       “We realised that Malaysians really are true Beliebers, looking at the sales of his album and the streaming numbers for his songs. We can’t wait to watch him live in Malaysia,” said Lim.

       Originally slated to begin in May 14, 2020, the tour was rescheduled several times due to the pandemic and finally kicked off on Feb 18 this year in San Diego, California.

       But it was off to a rocky start as the award-winning artiste had to cancel his second show in Las Vegas on Feb 20 when Bieber and some of his team members tested positive for Covid-19, Reuters reported.

       The tour is travelling in North America before moving to other parts of the world including Asia beginning August.

       The last time Bieber performed on our shores was a decade ago when he was a guest artiste at MTV World Stage Live In Malaysia.

       Tickets for Bieber’s concert are priced between RM288 and RM1,088 and will go on sale 11am on March 31 at www.golive-asia.com.