KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia (PSM) said it has engaged Labosport to manage the Bukit Jalil National Stadium for Ed Sheeran’s concert tonight and preserve the pitch for the FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Malaysia and Oman on March 26.
The body said it wished to avoid repeating a previous incident when the playing field was damaged following a concert, affecting a national football final match after.
In a statement, PSM said it relocated 1,900m2 of grass to accommodate the stage and audio tower erected according to Ed Sheeran’s world tour’s theme.
“The relocated grass is undergoing intensive care, including watering and fertilization, to ensure its optimum health.
“Additionally, PSM is ready to use grass from the seeding site if necessary, with the existing seeding site having over 2,000m2 of grass to meet the requirements of the field,” they said.
They also said that concert equipment will be dismantled immediately after the concert, and fieldworks to start soon after.
The concert by the Grammy award-winning British singer tonight is expected to attract tens of thousands of fans, raising questions about the capacity of the field to withstand such usage.
Last November 22, a concert by British band Coldplay reportedly caused significant damage to the pitch that could not be rectified in time for the Malaysian Cup final match on December 6 between Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) and Terengganu FC.
According to videos and images of the concert setup on social media, the setup for Sheeran’s concert is at the centre of the pitch.
