KL Festival 2026 Brings Heritage Spaces to Life - Story-Worthy Moments

KL Festival Brings Heritage Spaces to Life

ANN MARIE CHANDY | 13 May 2026

RAIN poured, thunder rumbled, but the dance floor (street?) at Dataran Merdeka began moving anyway. That was the magic of Jogeton on May 9 – a joyous, gloriously free-spirited celebration that saw hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds (and from as far as Singapore and Indonesia!) braving the weather to dance together in the heart of the city.

Set against the majestic colonial arches of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, the event became an aural, visual, physical and emotional feast, reminding everyone that Kuala Lumpur feels most alive when its public spaces are filled with music, laughter and community spirit.

More than a century after the landmark first defined the skyline of colonial Kuala Lumpur, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad once again became a gathering point for the city – not as a monument frozen in time, but as a living backdrop for collective celebration, in celebration of the broader Warisan KL mission to reimagine and activate the city’s heritage spaces as part of a living cultural landscape.

With music echoing across Dataran Merdeka and dancers spilling across the square, the evening reflected the very spirit of KL Festival 2026: reclaiming heritage spaces as places for people to meet, participate and belong.

From the emotionally stirring Irama Pusaka: Akar Tradisi Nadi Baharu at Panggung DBKL to more laid-back gatherings such as Warung TERANG, alongside talks and panels including The Diverse Origins of Kuala Lumpur and Spill The Ink! Literary Conversations & Book Launches, KL Festival, which began May 6, has transformed the city into a stage for culture, heritage and connection.

More than a series of events, it has encouraged people to slow down and rediscover Kuala Lumpur – a city to experience, explore and enjoy together.

There was plenty to keep visitors entertained before the dancing began, with art and craft activities for children, traditional games such as congkak and kompang playing for anyone game enough to join in. Sponsors Maxis also hosted a sleek lounge where festival-goers could view its latest gadgets and simply unwind amid the festivities.

Naturally, the Jogeton atmosphere intensified as the evening unfolded. The DBKL band entertained with a lively string of local classics and joget favourites, while Hannah Yeoh, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), officiated the competition with a ceremonial horn sound-off.

DJ Kelvin Oon then took over the decks, keeping the crowd energised with an eclectic soundtrack that moved effortlessly from SM Salim to Michael Jackson and ABBA, and from Sinaran to APT, much to the delight of the exuberant crowd! The set opened with Saloma’s Tiru Macam Saya and ended with Madu dan Racun, with dancers surging towards the stage as the crowd sang along.

“I definitely enjoyed myself despite the rain and thunderstorm,” said Deejay Kelvin. “There should be more initiatives for cultural street gatherings like Jogeton. If it wasn’t for this, I would never have found the time to wander around the beautifully restored Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad!”

The excitement reached another level when Aisha Retno performed Jodoh Lebaran, gamely joining contestants on the dance floor and winning over the audience instantly.

Participant Sorfina Tawan said she signed up immediately after seeing the call-out online. “I love dancing, and when I saw the social media post, I knew I had to be there,” she shared. She added: “The event sangatlah happening – dapat jumpa bermacam-macam jenis orang, not just dancers but also ordinary people who had never danced in public, who were all game to join in. The venue was also spot on thanks to the old-school vibe of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, which looks gorgeous now.”

Champion Nadhirah Rahmat (pic above), a dancer with Ask Dance Company, walked away with the top prize of RM3,000. She described the experience as unforgettable, adding that winning came as a complete surprise. Nadhirah had joined at the very last minute, initially unsure whether to participate before deciding to simply for the experience of dancing together with so many people.

“The atmosphere was so hyper and exciting,” she said. “I really enjoyed how everyone could dance so freely while still following the technique and genre of the music. Seeing so many people dancing together made me so happy. The audience on the sidelines also gave us so much hype and energy to keep going.”

Nadhirah added that, as a dancer, she wanted not only to enjoy herself, but also to perform for the audience and bring them joy. “It was good stamina training, too! I sincerely had so much fun, and winning honestly felt like a bonus to me.”

Runners up for the night included Yetriani, Mohd Zulkarnain Zuber and Putra Daniel Akasha while the Best Dressed award went to Marziana Johar, and Jamaliah Meluru received the Best Technique award.

Music that unites

The opening night of Irama Pusaka: Akar Tradisi Nadi Baharu at Panggung DBKL on May 7 was more than a gala performance – it was an emotional declaration of what Kuala Lumpur can become through culture.

As the curtain-raiser for KL Festival 2026, the evening drew an enthusiastic crowd and a veritable who’s who of the city, gathered to celebrate Kuala Lumpur’s living heritage through music, memory and artistic collaboration.

The performance steadily gathered strength and emotional resonance as the evening unfolded. Ekam, the Indian ensemble, was particularly riveting – the way the instruments conversed with one another was a delight to witness. Equally compelling was the interplay between Gangsapura and Orkestra Kuala Lumpur under the baton of Teuku Umar, with soaring violins weaving seamlessly alongside shimmering gamelan melodies.

The segment featuring the Lee Rubber Chinese Orchestra was another emotional high point. For audiences unfamiliar with traditional Chinese instruments such as the dizi, pipa, zhongruan, erhu and yangqin, the performance was both a musical and visual feast. Sitar player Kumar Karthigesu even joined in during the Glorious overture – a lovely moment that reflected the camaraderie onstage, where musicians from different traditions appeared genuinely appreciative of one another’s artistry.

The visual presentation was equally memorable. Granted, some projections leaned more kitschy than charming – including a flying wau, Rapid KL trains and the Petronas Twin Towers – but others beautifully reflected Malaysia’s multicultural identity and layered urban history.

The evening’s most moving moment came during the finale, when archival images of Malaysians who shaped the nation flashed across the stage – from squash legend Nicol David (who was present that evening!) to cultural icons P. Ramlee and Sudirman, as well as theatre stalwarts Krishen Jit and Jit Murad. It was a poignant reminder that culture is built not only through monuments, but through people, memory and shared experience.

In many ways, the evening perfectly embodied the vision articulated by Minister Hannah Yeoh in her speech: that Kuala Lumpur should not merely be a city people rush through, but one they slow down to feel, experience and belong to.

Lights, action, projections

KL art collective Filamen was also out and about over the weekend creating a series of laneway projection activations with Warung TERANG, transforming parts of downtown Kuala Lumpur – including Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and Jalan Sang Guna – into open-air digital canvases.

The choice of location feels especially meaningful. Once bustling commercial arteries shaped by early traders, shophouse communities and migrant histories, both streets carry traces of old Kuala Lumpur’s layered past. By projecting contemporary digital art onto these ageing walls and alleyways, Warung TERANG is reactivating forgotten corners of the city and inviting younger audiences to engage with heritage spaces in entirely new ways.

Digital artist and Filamen co-founder Abdul Shakir Abu Samah said the initiative aims to create opportunities for young artists to gain hands-on experience engaging with contemporary digital art within the historic urban fabric of Kuala Lumpur.

“Some of the artwork and projections you’ll see here are all impromptu, and that’s great,” said Shakir outside Pucks Coffee off Jalan Tun H.S. Lee last Sunday night.

The idea behind Warung TERANG, he explained earlier, is rooted in the traditional concept of a warung as a place of exchange – not only of goods, but also stories, cultures and everyday knowledge.

“By using projection mapping, we reimagine KL as a city where creativity is traded openly in public space, much like commerce once was along its streets,” he said.

For visitors interested in experimental digital art, Warung TERANG offers a rare opportunity to observe artists at work and learn more about the creative process behind the installations.

Shakir added that part of Warung TERANG’s wider agenda is to understand what encourages people to come into the city at night. The team has been conducting surveys and collecting data on public engagement and night-time activities, with the hope that the findings can contribute to future conversations around downtown Kuala Lumpur’s cultural life and urban revival.

If you missed last weekend’s projections, there will be more activations this Friday through Sunday:
Friday, May 15
8pm – 9.30pm: Diva & Dylan – Pucks
10pm – 11.30pm: REAVANG – Jalan Sang Guna
Saturday, May 16
8pm – 9.30pm: Fonetikar – Muzium Telekom
10pm – 11.30pm: REAVANG – High Street Studios
Sunday, May 17
8pm – 9.30pm: Tan Ji Kean / REAVANG – River of Life
10pm – 11.30pm: Fonetikar / REAVANG – River of Life

Crowds gathering around the mobile pushcart-style Warung TERANG installation last weekend to experience projection mapping works presented in a nostalgic roadside stall setting. This weekend, six digital artworks will continue travelling across key city locations including Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, Jalan Sang Guna, Muzium Telekom and River of Life. – Photo: Sunlee Khan