PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s rich cultural diversity took centre stage as some 1,500 dancers and performers brought music, traditional dances and colourful costumes to life at the Citrawarna Speed Festival 2026 on Saturday (Oct 3) night.
More than 44,000 spectators turned up at IOI City Mall Putrajaya, with crowds beginning to stream in as early as 6pm on Saturday ahead of the more than two-hour Colours of Parade, which began at 9pm.
The atmosphere was electric as spectators cheered and applauded throughout the performances, with colourful costumes, energetic dances and pulsating rhythms creating a lively celebration of Malaysia’s multicultural heritage.
The parade featured performers representing the Northern, Central, Southern and East Coast regions, as well as Sabah and Sarawak, bringing together different traditions through music, dance and other artistic expressions.
It also featured performances by the Orang Asli, Chinese, Indian, Sikh and Siamese communities, alongside Nusantara percussion and brass band performances.
The 12-day festival, which concludes Sunday (Oct 4), combines cultural performances and interactive activities with motorsport-inspired attractions at IOI City Mall Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 and Sama-Sama Hotel KLIA.
Organised by Tourism Malaysia in conjunction with the Visit Malaysia 2026-2027 campaign, the festival offers visitors a mix of traditional arts, cultural activities and automotive experiences.
At IOI City Mall Putrajaya, Colours of Speed features racing simulator competitions, while Colours of Art and Culture offers 14 interactive stations showcasing traditional arts, crafts and live cultural performances.
Visitors and international travellers also have the opportunity to experience traditional dances, traditional games such as gasing and congkak, as well as racing simulator sessions.
The three-location festival follows the success of Citrawarna 2026 at Dataran Merdeka last July, bringing cultural activities to a shopping centre, the country’s main international gateway and a hotel.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Chiew Choon Man were among those who attended the festival.
Tourism Malaysia chairman Datuk Manoharan Periasamy and IOI Corporation Bhd group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Lee Yeow Chor were also present.
The festival is being held as Malaysia builds momentum towards Visit Malaysia 2026-2027.
Tourism Malaysia said 28.8 million international visitors were recorded from January to August, up 1.8% from 28.2 million during the same period last year.
Domestic tourism also grew, with 151.6 million domestic visitors recorded in the first half of this year, a 5.6% increase from 143.5 million in the corresponding period last year.
The festivities will continue on Sunday with a Lamborghini activation at IOI City Mall Putrajaya featuring about 100 high-performance vehicles.
