Singapore has banned a music festival scheduled to take place later this month over concerns of drug use after multiple deaths at last year's event in Malaysia.
Singapore, which has one of the world's toughest anti-drug regimes, has denied a last ditch appeal by organisers of the Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) for a public entertainment licence, following two earlier failed applications.
Organisers Livescape Singapore said the electronic dance music festival, scheduled to be held on March 13-14, was expected to draw around 20,000 people, with prominent disc jockeys including Avicii, Afrojack and Fatboy Slim among the headline acts.
"The Minister for Home Affairs has carefully considered and turned down the appeal by Livescape Singapore Pte Ltd to hold the Future Music Festival Asia 2015 in Singapore," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a short statement late on Friday.
The Singapore Police Force earlier said they rejected two separate applications for a permit "because of serious concerns with potential drug abuse at the event".
Last year's three-day edition in Kuala Lumpur was cancelled midway after six people died and 16 were hospitalised, all for drug-related reasons.
The festival's organisers said in a statement on Saturday that they were "extremely disappointed" with the permit denial.
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