The opening of the new Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, the return of Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur after an RM80mil upgrade, and a busy year-end line-up of theatre, dance, classical music and musicals at other venues point to a crowded few months for the Klang Valley’s performing arts scene.
With the new season of Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical at JCPAC already sold out, there is clearly an appetite for big-stage productions as the year draws to a close.
And there is no shortage of shows to choose from. Here are some productions this October worth keeping an eye on.
Anoushka brings Chapters to KL
There was a time when sitarist, composer and activist Anoushka Shankar was a familiar sight on the KL concert scene, particularly in the early 2000s, when she joined her legendary sitarist father Ravi Shankar (1920-2012) for a charity show in 2001 before returning as a solo act for two shows at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS’ inaugural World Music Series in 2002.
As her fame grew, so did the intervals between her visits. Now, she returns to KL for an Asian tour stop at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Oct 4.
Anoushka’s latest work, Chapters – a deeply personal trilogy – forms the backbone of this tour. The 45-year-old released Chapter I: Forever, For Now in 2023, followed by Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn in 2024 and Chapter III: We Return To Light in March this year.
But these concerts are about more than the music: they also mark her 30th year on stage. Her current live shows are described as “immersive and soulful”, weaving her deep Hindustani classical roots with contemporary global sounds.
You may also have caught her recent collaboration with Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz on The Mountain album earlier this year.
Listening to Taiwan
Taiwan’s longest-established professional symphony orchestra, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO), makes its Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS debut on Oct 12, led by acclaimed Taiwanese conductor Tung-Chieh Chuang and featuring Malaysian pianist Vincent Ong.
Presented as Listening To Taiwan – NTSO 2026 Asia Tour Concert, the KL performance brings together leading musicians from Taiwan and Malaysia for an evening spanning Taiwanese folk music and timeless classical works.
A highlight for the home crowd is Penang-born Ong, who made history in 2025 as the first Malaysian pianist to reach the finals of the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, where he won Fifth Prize.
Ong, now based in Berlin, will perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 with the NTSO under Tung’s baton, bringing two distinguished musical talents from Taiwan and Malaysia together on the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS stage.
The programme also features Ching-Shan Chang’s Echoes Of Eight Decades (an NTSO commission), Tyzen Hsiao’s The Angel From Formosa and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45.
Tunes to fight cursed spirits
Here’s one where cosplay makes more sense than a suit. Anime has become a cultural force among younger audiences, and the Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) is tapping into that fandom with Jujutsu Kaisen In Concert, coming to The Grand Theatre on Oct 20 and 21.
Created by Japanese manga artist Gege Akutami, Jujutsu Kaisen follows Jujutsu Sorcerers battling monstrous manifestations of negative human emotions known as Curses.
The 140-minute concert at JCPAC, including an intermission, celebrates all three seasons of the anime in a live-to-screen experience featuring a 12-member hybrid ensemble playing classical and mainstream rock instruments.
Projected scenes provide the visual narrative, while the live musicians drive the experience, bringing together music, animation and storytelling in a concert designed to immerse fans in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
With Malaysia on the tour schedule alongside Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Australia, anime concerts are riding a surge in youth fandom, turning beloved screen soundtracks into live experiences.
KLCO takes on Puccini’s classic
Opera fans are in for a big month ahead, with Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO), the nation’s leading Western opera company, staging Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot at Pentas 1, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), from Oct 17-25.
Led by executive producers Danny Chen and Soon Yoon, the production showcases the growing ambition of homegrown opera talent, bringing Puccini’s epic final opera to life with soaring music, lavish costumes and striking sets.
Set in ancient Beijing, Turandot follows the icy Princess Turandot, who vows never to marry. Princes seeking her hand must solve three riddles or face execution. When the mysterious Prince Calaf succeeds, he gives Turandot one final challenge: discover his name before dawn, or he will willingly die. As the city searches through the night, sacrifice, courage and compassion begin to melt her guarded heart.
Featuring the celebrated aria Nessun Dorma, Turandot is a timeless tale of love, redemption and hope. As Puccini died before completing it, KLCO will present Franco Alfano’s traditional completion, the version most commonly performed worldwide.
Turandot returns to the KL stage after more than 20 years, with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Kuala Lumpur and as part of the Week of the Italian Language in the World.
Perak's royal origins
Istana Budaya in KL has returned with a bang since reopening its doors in August. The epic musical theatre production Mansur & Liu, directed by M. Nasir, made headlines in September, showing that Bahasa Malaysia productions can easily fill the newly upgraded national theatre.
Next comes another ambitious production: Bangsawan Beting Beras Basah: Hikayat Dewa Mahkota, which explores the rise of a kingdom following the fall of Melaka.
Combining live music, immersive sound and holograms, the production brings Malay legends to life while telling the story of how Perak gained its first Sultan – and how the state got its name.
Presented at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur, on Oct 30 and 31 and Nov 1, the production is by Pertubuhan Bangsawan Warisan Moraza in Perak, a cultural organisation dedicated to preserving traditional Malay bangsawan theatre.
The production blends modern stage technology with traditional Malay performance, giving younger audiences a fresh and engaging way to connect with Malaysia's cultural heritage.
