Just an hour from Kuala Lumpur, Seremban is poised to make its mark on the cultural landscape with the debut of the inaugural Nine Arts Festival this August. The arts-based weekend will take place from Aug 14-16, presenting a programme spanning music, painting, dance, theatre, literature, sculpture, architecture, comic art and cinema.
Led by award-winning Malaysian pianist and educator Foo Mei Yi, a Seremban native now based in Britain, the festival is driven by the theme “Origins”. It is held under the royal patronage of Tunku Zain Al-Abidin, a strong supporter of the arts.
Programmes will take place at venues across Seremban, including Millenia Village, the Royal Sungei Ujong Club and Seremban Lake Gardens.
“The Nine Arts Festival was born from a vision to establish a vibrant, long-awaited crossroads for interdisciplinary creativity. While we proudly showcase exceptional artistic talent – whether emerging or established, local or international – our core mission transcends mere presentation," says Foo in a recent interview.
The festival’s interpretation of the theme “Origins” is drawn from the belief that an informed artist bears the responsibility to learn from the past – whether exploring the history of their craft, mastering traditional techniques or uncovering their personal roots, and that such foundational knowledge holds immense transformative potential.
Festival highlights include Navarasa, a new immersive dance showcase featuring Datuk Ramli Ibrahim and the Sutra Dance Theatre, Wayang!, a double-bill combining Charlie Chaplin’s silent film The Adventurer (1917) with live caklempong and wayang kulit sets and The Big Stage Quiz, an interactive theatrical game show, featuring Chacko Vadaketh and Annabel Tiu.
Music At An Exhibition, inspired by Pictures At An Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky, will see a live classical performance turning an art hall into a living stage. The show will also feature Noghori Arts School Musicians and Persatuan Seni Negeri Sembilan members, adding a homegrown element.
“Based on this, I built the festival’s programming by delving into the theme across different dimensions. These include Emotional Origins, tracing the ancestral roots of human emotion through Navarasa, Cinematic Origins celebrates the dawn of early storytelling through silent film, Cultural Origins honours our ancient shadow puppetry heritage in Wayang!, and Biographical Origins uncovers the personal journeys of legendary creators in The Big Stage Quiz," says Foo, who will also be involved in the programme on stage, playing the piano in the Navarasa and Wayang! shows.
“By anchoring the programme in this rich tapestry of heritage, I aim to provide a launchpad where artists can work together to co-create new works, making our heritage deeply relevant to audiences,” she adds.
Beyond performances, the festival also includes family-friendly activities such as "Shadow Puppet Making", led by wayang kulit troupe Fusion Wayang Kulit; "Art Together", an open-air community drawing session at Seremban Lake Garden and "Create Your Own Soundtrack", where participants improvise alongside musicians to a projected film.
“We wanted to include participatory activities because experiential learning allows the community, especially the younger generation, to deeply feel and holistically engage with the arts," says Foo.
“Through these hands-on experiences, the festival bridges the gap between master practitioners and new participants,” she adds.
Though Seremban is relatively close to Kuala Lumpur, Foo says it feels like a different world. The festival’s main hub will be at Millennia Village, a serene wellness resort nestled against the granite cliffs of Negri Sembilan, where the majority of the arts programmes will take place.
The festivities will also spill over into the local landscape, including plein air drawing at the Seremban Lake Garden and wayang kulit at the historic Royal Sungei Ujong Club.
“This promises to be an alluring art weekend, drawing audiences not just from KL, but from across the nation. In fact, numerous educators and schools have already registered for the full weekend, eager to connect, learn and mingle with esteemed artists from all over the world,” says Foo.
The Nine Arts Festival is set to become an annual fixture, reinforcing Seremban's place on Malaysia's cultural map.
“Inspired by the Greek mythology of the nine muses, I strive to infuse art and culture into the heart of the community. Long before the rise of popular Western art, our own heritage was already thousands of years in the making.
"Serving as the festival's artistic director, it brings me immense joy to learn from these ancestral roots. I am deeply proud of this rich legacy, and I want our younger generation to feel that same pride," concludes Foo.
Nine Arts Festival will take place across multiple venues in Seremban, Negri Sembilan from Aug 14-16. It is part of the Visit Malaysia 2026 and Visit Negri Sembilan 2026 programmes.
