Amresh S. Jessy
So, it’s been a little more than four years since I moved out of Malaysia and only recently returned for a little break to catch up with family, friends and naturally, I had a palpable curiosity about what’s been going on in the local music, arts and creative scene.
Through my interactions with some friends from the scene, I discovered there was indeed quite a lot that I’ve missed out on. This came as a relief, especially since outside of that world, I was greeted with the familiar haze, heat, traffic and much to my surprise (or maybe not), more high-rise condos, apartments and malls having popped up all around. Enough lah…
Anyway, I decided to do some digging, ask around a little more and much to my delight, was pointed out to a whole bunch of updates, new communities, festivals, up and coming artists and initiatives. To declare I’ll be able to cover ‘em all would be delusional, but here’s what I’ve gathered thus far.
Since there’s way more to highlight than I anticipated (much to my delight), this shall be merely an overview, a little recap if you will, before I decide to dig deeper and write more “meaty” pieces once I’ve reached out to some of the people behind these great ideas.
To start off, we’ll be taking a look at some of the local festivals that are still active.
Festivals in and Around KL
KL Festival
The KL Festival first launched in 2024 as part of Kuala Lumpur’s UNESCO Creative City of Design initiatives with the noble intention of reviving the historic core of the city through art and public performances. Back then, it was known as the Kreatif KL Festival but has since rebranded to KL Fest and this year, the festivities took place in May spanning across almost the entire month! Organized by Think City in collaboration with DBKL, the festival was staged across more than 25 heritage venues across Downtown KL.
From what we’ve gathered, some of the highlights include:
- The Naadodi Film Festival – a two-day film showcase featuring 16 Tamil diaspora films from eight different countries.
- Wayang Women – blending humour, folklore, and Wayang Kulit, this performance reimagines ghost stories from Malaysia and the region – from familiar spirits like the Pontianak and Penanggal and something new, waiting in the shadows.
- Pak Peng Arcade – an ephemeral takeover of the historic Bangunan Pak Peng (which I shamefully must admit, I’ve never visited), that converted empty heritage rooms into experimental art labs, zine stalls, and ambient DJ booths.
Best part? It’s (mostly) FREE! Only select indoor theatre/film screenings are ticketed (typically priced within the RM25–RM50 range).
Urbanscapes
After a long seven years of being away, Urbanscapes is apparently making a comeback from October 15th till November 1, 2026 under the theme, “Made Different”. As of now, there are just teasers of what is to come, but it’ll be taking place across multiple venues around Kuala Lumpur. If their past offerings are anything to go by, we can expect some Indie rock, hip-hop, electronic DJ stages, public visual art, architectural installations, and good ol’ street markets and food. Their website leads nowhere, so for updates, your best bet is to follow them on Facebook or Instagram. This is some exciting news right here!
Kuala Lumpur Alternative Bookfest (KLAB)
The KLAB has been around for a long, long time now and is still going strong. Launched in 2008 by art activist Pang Khee Teik alongside the Art For Grab team, KLAB was established as a grassroots response to mainstream commercial publishing and retail censorship (I’m getting FHM Malaysia flashbacks), carving out a space for independent publishers, zine creators, alternative writers, and social activists.
Beyond that, they’ve also got free, stripped-back music sets by local singer-songwriters (English, Malay, Tamil, Chinese indie acts), poetry slams, open-mic readings, panel discussions, public forums and a marketplace comprising of printmakers, graphic artists, sticker makers, craft vendors, and independent zine distributors. Pretty much something for everyone, not just avid readers.
The festival usually runs for five days, sometime in late January and early February, so look out for next year’s edition! Stay up to date with their latest happenings via Instagram.
Festivals Outside of KL
The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF)
The OG music festival in my books is thankfully still very much active and running every year over three days at the Sarawak Cultural Village. Their concept remains the same with interesting workshops during the daytime and when evening hits, the main-stage concerts come into full effect. I remember having the time of my life when I attended the festival for the first time in 2010 and went back there for the next two consecutive years. No cancellations, no funding scares, no controversy, just a jolly good time with amazing music and people in a drop dead gorgeous setting.
This year’s edition which took place from 26th till 28th June (it’s always sometime in June in case you were wondering) with the theme, “Regenerations: Roots & Rhythms,” saw more than 200 performers from 12+ countries and headliners included Dato’ M. Nasir, The Commodores ft. Thomas McClary, and Incognito.
Worth having on your radar if you’ve yet to experience this one.
Raintown Film Festival
Taiping, widely known as Malaysia’s wettest town plays host to the aptly named Raintown Film Festival – a community-driven Malaysian film festival feature and short film screenings, filmmaker Q&As, a short film competition, and even guided local tours. Founded in 2024 by Malaysian filmmaker Jacky Yeap, the latest 2026 edition (which took place in early September) expanded its scope beyond Taiping-shot films to cover Perak more broadly, and added a new West Coast Expressway (WCE)-partnered “Raintown Horizons” strand for student filmmakers.
The festival has taken place in September during all three years, with free admission at the Paragon Cinemas Taiping Mall.
George Town Festival
As a commemoration of George Town being inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the George Town Festival was launched in 2010 as a month long celebration. Now, it’s considered one of Penang’s flagship arts festivals (or the “mother of all Penang festivals”) having even inspired the likes of, yes, Kuala Lumpur’s very own KL Fest.
The annual festival (usually around July or August) takes place across interesting venues like historic heritage shop houses, jetties, converted warehouses, and street hubs throughout George Town. You can expect commissioned site-specific theatrical works, public visual art, international dance ensemble collaborations, and open-air musical performances featuring local and international talent. Some of the stuff are free while most of the indoor performances are ticketed.
Some of the highlights of this year’s edition include:
- A live performance by Sarawakian sape artist Alena Murang alongside Bornean music collective At Adau.
- TEWAS: No Light at the End of the Tunnel: Winner of Best Group Performance at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, this production brought shadow puppetry, mask performance, and live music developed alongside indigenous Semai youths from Perak
- Artisan II: A sculpture series by local artist Low Chee Peng paying tribute to traditional craftsmen and heritage trades in Penang.
- The Malaysian Real Book II: Past to Present: A jazz showcase at the Majestic Theatre featuring vocalists Ida Mariana, Janet Lee, and Yon Lynn, reimagining classic Malaysian compositions.
As if you needed more reason to visit Penang.
George Town Literary Festival (GTLF)
Established in 2011, GTLF is Malaysia’s premier international literary festival and the only state-funded literature fest in the country. It serves as a major platform for world literature, translation studies, poetry, and socio-political discourse but more importantly, also is often where Malaysian authors launch new titles, release translation works, or gain international publishing exposure.
The programming includes dedicated Malay, English, Chinese, and Tamil literary panels, frequently featuring Malaysian National Laureates (Sasterawan Negara), local zine makers, and regional academic researchers.
Intrigued? Good, ‘cause this year’s 16th edition takes place from November 27th till November 29th.
Borneo Jazz Fest
Originally known as the Miri International Jazz Festival when it was founded in 2006, the BJF proudly holds the title of Southeast Asia’s longest-running jazz festival. Its last edition took place last year in 2025 and there’s some good news indicating that the 20th edition is already locked in for 23-25 October 2026, confirmed by Miri mayor Adam Yii himself at last year’s festival opening. Lineup and tickets aren’t out yet, but the dates are real, so pencil it in.
As the name blatantly suggests, you can expect international and regional jazz ensembles, but based on last year’s highlights, also the likes of tribal fusion jam sessions, youth talent search programs, musical masterclasses, and an eco-friendly craft and food bazaar.
More info and updates can be found on their official website, jazzborneo.com.
Honorable Mention:
RIUH
While RIUH doesn’t run on a fixed annual date, they’ve got a rotating series of pop-up weekend editions throughout the year. Organized by CENDANA (though this year’s biggest edition yet, Riuh x Asean, was actually helmed by the Communications Ministry through MyCreative Ventures — the government cultural machinery apparently runs deeper than one agency), RIUH features live vernacular indie music, craft pop-ups, artisanal food, and creative workshops. In the past, some of the names that took stage include a nice mix of artists like Talitha Tan, The Filters, Clinton Jerome Chua, Bihzhu, Tiga Soul, Saint Kylo and Hujan.
For everything RIUH-related, their website, www.riuh.com.my is your best bet.
Did we miss out on anything for interesting local festivals in line with the arts and creative scene? Let us know, we’re genuinely curious.
Next up, we’ll be looking at some of the new community initiatives and groups that are keeping things real.
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