Citrawarna 2026 is back in Dataran Merdeka as one of Tourism Malaysia’s important events under the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign. The event brings thousands of performers and visitors together to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the country.
Organized by Tourism Malaysia with the support of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Warisan Kuala Lumpur, Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara (JKKN), Istana Budaya and the National Textile Museum, the festival is a national platform to promote Malaysia’s arts, heritage and cultural tourism to both local and international visitors.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing attended the event, and highlighted the festival’s role as one of Malaysia’s major tourism events in support of the VM2026 campaign.
3,500 Performers Celebrate Malaysia’s Diversity
The festivals highlight was the Colours of Parade, which had 3,500 performers who represented all 13 states, three Federal Territories, and Malaysia’s multicultural communities.
The colourful parade showcased traditional costumes, music, dance and cultural performance, showing the unique traditions, stories, and identities that have shaped the nation.
Visitors from Around the World Join the Celebration
Citrawarna 2026 also welcomed more than 700 international visitors through specially chosen travel packages. The visitors came from China, India, Mauritius, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France, showing the growing international interest in Malaysia’s cultural tourism.
The festival gave international visitors the opportunity to experience Malaysia’s traditions, heritage, and hospitality up close.
Four Unique Festival Experiences
This year’s festival is built around 4 main attractions. Colours of Parade, Colours of Flavour, Colours of Culture, and Colours of Art, throughout the three day event, visitors enjoyed:
- More than 70 food and beverage offerings
- Over 20 cultural activity stations
- More than 10 arts and crafts booths
- Cultural performances
- Heritage demonstrations
- Traditional games
- Interactive cultural experiences
Visitors can also take part in activities such as batuk painting, ketupat weaving, traditional cooking demonstrations and other hands-on workshops led by local artisans and cultural practitioners.
These activities will help the younger generations reconnect with Malaysia’s cultural heritage while giving international visitors a deeper understanding of the diverse traditions in the country.
Local Stars Light up the Stage
The celebration also had performances by popular Malaysian artistes such as Wani Kayrie, Bulan Asyraff, Dr Soo Wincci, Santesh Kumar, Ernie Zakri, and Aina Abdul, together with Kumpulan Balle-Balle.
Citrawarna 2026 also welcomed participants of Tourism Malaysia’s Mega Fam programme, giving international media representatives, tourism industry players and content creators the chance to experience Malaysia’s cultural attractions first-hand. The festival contiued until 26th July 2026 at Dataran Merdeka.
Tourism Malaysia said the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign shows Malaysia’s commitment to sustainable tourism development while showcasing the country’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and unique tourism experiences to visitors from all over the world.
