IT WAS a Saturday evening like no other at Dataran Merdeka as two colour guard marching bands went head-to-head in a musical showdown before a roaring crowd in front of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad in Kuala Lumpur.
Clad in black and white, the bands from St John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur and SMK Seri Pekan in Pahang took turns delivering energetic performances side by side as spectators cheered them on.
After two rounds of the friendly “band-off”, judges voted the former as the winner, bringing the mock competition to a close.
Soon, colour guard bands from other schools took to the cordoned off Jalan Raja, bringing colour and sound to the historic square.
(A colour guard is a marching ensemble where performers combine music, dance and visual routines using flags, rifles, sabres and other props.)
The spectacle marked the closing of KL Festival 2026 (KL Fest) and launch of the Asian Music Games (AMG) being held from Sept 4 to 13.
Organised by Yayasan Amanah Industri Kreatif Kebangsaan (YAIKK), AMG will draw some 7,000 local and 3,000 international participants from nine countries, competing across 105 medal events.
Besides Malaysia, the other countries are Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, India and Japan.
Meanwhile, KL Fest, which ran for 26 days, featured 80 arts and culture programmes organised by Think City with the support of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Federal Territories Department.
In her speech, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh expressed support for these programmes, stressing that creative communities play a crucial role in activating public buildings and spaces.
She said the government had allocated substantial funds to upgrade and maintain heritage buildings.
“These premises would mean little without the people who bring them to life, the rich heritage we celebrate and the immense potential this city holds.
“Without people, these spaces would simply be beautiful buildings illuminated by beautiful lights.
“It is the people, the bands, parents, supporters and sponsors who transform them into something vibrant,” she said.
Think City senior director Izan Satrina Mohd Sallehuddin said KL Fest brought together communities, businesses, artists and volunteers.
She expressed appreciation to the government for its support, noting that it helped attract participation from various organisations and stakeholders, resulting in over RM8mil in partnership value.
Also present were Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud and Asian Marching Band Confederation president Sehat Kurniawan Saiman.
