IPOH: The inaugural Ipoh Festival 2026 will turn the city into a cultural stage from Nov 27 to Dec 19, featuring performances, art exhibitions, traditional crafts and community activities.
Held under the theme “Turning the City into a Stage”, the four-week festival will convert cafés, galleries, heritage buildings and public spaces into venues for artistic experiences.
Rather than concentrating events at a single venue, it will encourage visitors to explore different parts of the city, particularly Ipoh Old Town.
Highlights include musical theatre performances at selected cafés, outdoor film screenings at Ipoh Padang, traditional craft showcases at Tin Alley and exhibitions by local artists.
The Artisan Rhythm Market at Jalan Bandar Timah will bring together artisans and local businesses, while the Wayang & Makan di Padang programme, organised with Greenery Market, offers an outdoor cinema experience.
The festival will feature the Food and Arts Crawl by Ipoh Mali Theatre Society, combining musical theatre with venue visits, alongside a separate music crawl organised by Indiescape.
At 22 Hale Street Heritage Gallery, a festival information centre will serve as a starting point for visitors to discover Ipoh’s history, food and heritage.
The visual arts programme includes Rootbound: Origin and Boundless Expression, presented by Senitra Studio Gallery, and Yellow, a contemporary exhibition inspired by Ipoh and Perak by The Ipoh Fine Arts Class and Perak Contemporary Artists.
Other activities include workshops, music and dance performances, documentary screenings and cultural showcases involving local creative groups.
Spread across four weekends, the programme will feature performances by local musicians and cultural groups, including the Perak Society of Performing Arts, Perak Wind Orchestra and Choir, Kinta Valley Wind Orchestra and Kumpulan Selendang Perak.
Organisers said the festival was conceived as a collaborative initiative to unite local artists, cultural organisations and businesses on a common platform.
It is intended to strengthen Ipoh’s identity by connecting its heritage with its contemporary creative scene, while giving younger residents an opportunity to rediscover the stories behind familiar places.
The inaugural edition is designed as the first step towards establishing a signature annual event for Ipoh, inspired by established city festivals such as George Town Festival in Penang and Urbanscapes in Kuala Lumpur.
Organisers hope the event will draw more visitors to participating businesses and encourage residents and tourists to spend more time exploring the city.
Ipoh Festival 2026 is supported by the Ipoh City Council and Tourism Perak, with sponsorship from 22 Hale Street Heritage Gallery and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd.
Admission is free, except for a few activities requiring prior registration.
For programme details and updates, the public can follow @ipohfestival on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. – BERNAMA