PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian psychedelic rock band, Pitahati, had represented the country at the AXEAN Festival 2026 at Jimbaran Hub, Bali, Indonesia, on August 29 and 30.
Pitahati was one of the three Malaysian representatives selected to perform at the sixth edition of the festival, alongside MASDO and the collaboration of Lil Asian Thiccie and DJ Magn3sium.
According to Pitahati, this year's AXEAN Festival brought together more than 40 artists on three stages, in addition to featuring conferences, networking sessions, and music industry development activities.
The group said that the participation was not just an opportunity to perform abroad, but rather a chance to introduce their music to listeners and industry players from South-East Asia and other regions.
"When we go to festivals like AXEAN, we don't just come to play. We also come to see what is happening in the music scene in this region, to meet other artists and industry people, and to take our music to places we might not have reached before," he said in a statement.
AXEAN Festival focuses on the exchange and export of regional music, and since its establishment in 2020, the platform has featured over 200 artists from 20 countries, as well as gathered hundreds of industry delegates from various countries.
Pitahati added that the presence of local bands on such platforms is crucial to ensure that Malaysian music continues to be part of the development of the South-East Asian music industry.
"We feel it's important for Malaysian bands to be in spaces like this. South-East Asia has a lot of interesting music, and we want to be part of that conversation.
"Hopefully, Pitahati's performance in Bali will open up more opportunities for our music to reach beyond Malaysia," he said.
In addition to Pitahati, this year's edition also features artists from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Macau, France, and several other countries.
The participation is seen as another step by Pitahati in bringing Malaysian music identity to a wider audience, as well as building connections with the music community in South-East Asia.
