This year-end, Malaysia’s current and upcoming cultural happenings will give you a reason to explore, connect, and rediscover creativity across the country.
Even as the year winds down, the arts, culture, and lifestyle scenes are showing no signs of slowing. From immersive art installations up north to Kuala Lumpur’s (KL) creative fests and even an eerie mountain adventure in Genting, there seems to be something happening for everyone.
Here’s a roundup of events and exhibitions happening across the country this year-end.
EXHIBITIONS
The City of Willows, Penang
Dates: 11 October – 7 December
Venue: Cultprint, 35 Lebuh Melayu, George Town
Admission: Free
Step into a red-lit chamber of myth and memory with The City of Willows, a collaboration between Malaysian artist Chong Yan Chuah and scholar Simon Soon. This playable art installation reimagines the rituals of 19th-century Chinese secret societies through the lens of gaming and storytelling—a journey through jungles, temples, and imagined futures.
The exhibition, curated by Deborah Lim, expands into speculative Peranakan portraits that blur history and imagination. Presented at Cultprint, one of Penang’s most exciting artist-led spaces, this show invites visitors to question how digital art can preserve (and reshape) cultural memory.
For more information, email [email protected] or WhatsApp +6011 1608 9935.
Nature in Exile 2.0, Petaling Jaya
Dates: 12 October – 16 November
Venue: Centre of Photographic Arts, Kokopelli Templar, Petaling Jaya
Admission: Free
French digital artist François Bancon turns his lens on humanity’s uneasy relationship with nature in Nature in Exile 2.0. Each image blurs photography and digital manipulation to question what remains of beauty and truth in a world shaped by overdevelopment and climate loss.
Bancon, who now calls KL home, uses his art to explore displacement, nostalgia, and hope; reminding us that beauty still holds power, even in decay. Thought-provoking and visually stunning, it’s an exhibition that rewards slow contemplation.
For more information, contact +6013 507 8087.
TAPESTRY: A Fusion of Tradition and Technology, Kuala Lumpur
Dates: 5 August – 31 December 2025
Venue: REXPERIENCE, Kuala Lumpur
Admission: Ticketed. RM40 with special discounts for children, students, and seniors.
Art, heritage, and innovation come together in TAPESTRY, the latest immersive showcase at REXPERIENCE. The exhibition unfolds as a dual experience, MUSŌ and HANYA BATIK, weaving together Japanese and Malaysian traditions through light, motion, and sound.
In MUSŌ, timeless Japanese art is reimagined in dazzling form, as waves, temples, and mountain vistas from classics like Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ and Hasui’s ‘Ikegami Honmonji no to’ ripple across the walls in breathtaking digital animation. Meanwhile, HANYA BATIK offers a heartfelt tribute to Malaysia’s own artistic legacy, tracing the evolution of batik from longhouse motifs to contemporary cityscapes. Together, they create a living tapestry—a conversation between cultures that proves art’s ability to transcend both time and geography.
EVENTS & FESTIVALS
PESZTA 2025, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 1 November
Time: 11AM – 11PM
Venue: Kampung Attap (Pentago House, SAM Mansion, The Zhongshan Building & more)
Admission: Free
Kampung Attap’s creative community opens its doors once again for the fourth edition of PESZTA, a lively, grassroots festival celebrating art, food, and music. Expect open studios, hands-on workshops, and rooftop gigs featuring homegrown acts like Hawa and Bayangan.
Part art crawl, part street party, the day-long event captures the charm of DIY culture, inviting city dwellers to explore how heritage spaces can spark new creative energy.
Follow them on Instagram for live updates @peszta_.
LahLahLand 2025, Kuala Lumpur
Dates: 1 – 2 November
Time: 12PM – 10PM (VIP entry from 10AM)
Venue: MINES International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC)
Tickets: RM30 – RM50 (General), RM100 (VIP)
Celebrating a decade since SneakerLAH first kicked off, LahLahLand brings together fashion, gaming, music, and food under one massive roof. Think sneaker drops, hip-hop performances, esports tournaments, and even pickleball matches—all pulsing with street culture energy.
This expanded lifestyle festival is part of Malaysia’s growing creative renaissance, showing how community, culture, and commerce can collide in one unforgettable weekend.
The Prestige Sessions by Aurum: Travel & Lifestyle Workshop, Kuala Lumpur
Dates: 1 – 2 November
Venue: Aurum Theatre, The Exchange TRX
Tickets: RM120
For those dreaming of their next getaway, The Prestige Sessions by Aurum offers the ultimate travel-meets-lifestyle workshop. Over two days, travellers can join engaging sessions led by brands like Qatar Airways, Parlo Tours, and Jadi Batek—all while enjoying interactive booths, giveaways, and a luxury lunch at Hokkaido Table.
Designed for wanderers and wellness-seekers alike, it’s part inspiration, part indulgence—a perfect city break that might just spark your next great escape.
The Haunted Highlands, Genting Highlands
Dates: 10 October – 9 November
Venues: Gohtong Way & SkyAvenue, Resorts World Genting
Admission: Free (RM28 for Haunted House entry)
If you’re craving chills with cool mountain air, head up to The Haunted Highlands. This year’s Halloween celebration brings eerie lanterns, haunted bridges, and ghostly parades to Genting’s misty peaks. Don’t miss the Haunted House adventure—part ghost story, part escape game—or the themed bites like Spider Web Pumpkin Soup and Zombie Bite cocktails.
Between its East-meets-West atmosphere and theatrical flair, this limited-time festival transforms Genting into a playground of fright, fun, and fantasy.
Christmas Tree Lighting Weekend, Cameron Highlands
Dates: 21 – 23 November
Venue: Cameron Highlands Resort
Admission: Christmas Tree Lighting Weekend package from MYR 2,580++ for two adults
The festive spirit arrives early this year in the cool mist of Cameron Highlands. At the Cameron Highlands Resort, Christmas begins not with the turn of a calendar, but with the soft glow of a thousand golden lights during its annual Christmas Tree Lighting weekend. Against a backdrop of misty tea slopes and heritage charm, guests can expect a scene straight out of a storybook.
Indulge in English afternoon tea at the Jim Thompson Tea Room, gather for a cosy steamboat dinner, and toast to the season with festive cocktails before a lavish Christmas feast. As night falls, the lighting of the grand Norwegian pine marks the true beginning of the holidays.
For reservations, contact YTL Travel Centre at +603 2783 1000 or [email protected].
Soul & Sole Pet Retreat, Petaling Jaya
Date: 25 October
Time: 8AM – 11AM
Venue: temu house, Petaling Jaya
Tickets: RM249 (1 pet + 1 owner) | RM219 per person if attending with a friend
Here’s one for the animal lovers—and their four-legged companions. The Soul & Sole Pet Retreat invites pet parents to slow down and reconnect with their furry best friends through a morning of mindfulness, movement, and mutual care. Held outdoors at temu house, this 90-minute session promises to be both grounding and heartwarming.
The programme features a Dog Healing Workshop, a Doga (dog yoga) session, and hands-on Dog Massage Skills training designed to deepen trust and understanding between owner and pet. Beyond the adorable photo ops, the retreat focuses on helping participants tune in to their pets’ emotional and physical wellbeing while finding calm together.
