KUALA LUMPUR: Things are being revved up at the much talked about Rain Rave Water Music Festival 2026, with Bukit Bintang reverberating in music and colour.
The three-day fest, featuring live music, food, cultural performances and arts, is part of Visit Malaysia 2026’s (VM2026) long weekend activation.
Opening on Thursday, the event is running simultaneously across seven other locations in Negri Sembilan, Johor, Melaka, Kedah, Labuan, Pahang and Terengganu.
The event, which also saw a huge crowd yesterday, has set social media abuzz with an all-round thumbs up.
The festival is co-organised by Tourism Malaysia and a brand innovation company, as part of the VM2026 campaign.
The programme features a mix of international DJs, as well as popular Malaysian acts such as Joe Flizzow, Dolla, De Fam and Mimifly and artistes from the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea.
Many described it as a “fresh and creative approach” to celebrate the super weekend holiday.
Elaine Lee, 28, said the festival was an innovative way to attract locals and stir interest among foreign tourists.
“It is being held smack in the heart of the city, where tourists already are. It is a good way to showcase what Malaysia has to offer,” she said.
Alex Goh, 31, said the festival’s strategic location made it easy for passersby to join in the event.
“When I was there, I saw a lot of tourists just walking,” said the digital marketing agency personnel.
Goh felt that the festival could have been promoted more widely.
“I think more people found out about it because of the online debate on whether the event should be held, rather than through the actual promotional campaign,” he said.
Saying the event should be viewed as an inclusive public celebration, he added: “If it doesn’t align with personal preferences, people can always choose not to attend. No need to make a fuss.”
Kok Leng, 40, from Ipoh, said she was thrilled to finally watch Thai DJ Pixzy perform live.
“I’ve been following her on Instagram for a while, so seeing her perform in person was definitely a highlight for me,” the restaurateur said.
For 29-year-old medical laboratory technologist Gayatri, the festival’s water-themed concept was “smart”.
“It feels less ‘messy’ compared with other large-scale events. It also helps keep the area cleaner, which is important,” she said.
The festival also drew regional visitors, including Indonesian content creator @prythapramesthi (on Instagram), who travelled all the way to KL for the event.
She said she was happy that activities ran throughout the day, giving visitors more to explore.
Besides the performances, the festival’s tourism push is also evident in the wide participation of industry players.
According to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, 79 hotels nationwide supported the initiative by offering special room rates and bundled promotions to encourage more domestic and international visitors to join the celebration.
