ONCE again, music lovers nationwide were treated to another spectacular performance by Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza.
Taking place at Stadium Merdeka just a week after her Konsert Bumantara, the Cuckootopia Music Festival on Oct 24 saw the ‘Biduanita Negara’ join 13 talented Malaysian acts for a star-studded, five-hour celebration of local music.
The epic evening kicked off at 7pm with opening acts by Emily Chua, who sang ‘Beautiful Mess’, and Siti’s niece Umairah, who delivered a commendable cover of the late Siti Sarah Raissuddin’s ‘Jangan Kau Mimpi’ alongside her own single, ‘Pugar’.
They were followed by 17-year-old rising talent Auddra Zulkifli or Odda — daughter of popular actress Sharifah Shahira and actor Ijoy Azahari — who took to the stage with her popular single ‘Gelanggang Rasa’ and Jennie Kim’s hit ‘Like Jennie’.
The energy continued to build as 8TV’s Youthopia team performed a medley of popular Mandarin hits, joined by new singer Janice Yoong, who belted out fast-paced tracks ‘New Jeans’ and ‘Bad’.
Dance-pop queen Mimifly then took over, delivering her massive hits ‘Temberang’ and ‘Angkat’, accompanied by a dozen stylish dancers.
Mandarin pop group 3P (Kevin Ong, Danny Lee and Caven Tang) wowed fans with their energetic tracks ‘Xin’ and ‘ABC’, before rock icon Ella made her grand entrance with ‘Standing In The Eyes Of The World’ and ‘Kesal’.
“It’s so great to be back in Stadium Merdeka tonight. This concert is truly amazing, and it really makes us stand tall,” Ella remarked to roaring applause.
ELECTRIFYING PERFORMANCES
Next up was former child star Jeryl Lee, performing her recent Mandarin hit ‘Gu Yong Zhe’ alongside Imagine Dragons’ ‘Believer’, which had the entire crowd singing along.
“I love you all, ladies and gentlemen. This is a great evening for me, and I hope to see you all again,” she said.
Boy band Alpha raised excitement levels further with their romantic ballad ‘P. Ramlee Saloma’ and high-energy dance track ‘Monalisa’.
Band members Ariel Fesol, Ray-D, Rizal Rasid, Daniel Sher, Araff, Izat Ibrahim and Afiq Sky teased the crowd by announcing that their old friend, rock singer Noh Salleh, would be up next.
Sure enough, charismatic frontman Noh and his band Hujan stepped out to lead a massive sing-along to their famous hits like ‘Perindu Kalbu’, ‘Kotak Hati’ and ‘Aku Scandal’.
Reality show powerhouses Faizal Tahir and Jaclyn Victor kept the momentum going.
Dressed in a stylish brown jacket and blue shirt, Faizal delivered his popular MyStarz LG theme song ‘Gemuruh’ and the upbeat anthem ‘Santai’.
Powerhouse vocalist Jaclyn then led the crowd through ‘Ikut Rentakku’ before introducing Raye’s hit track, ‘Where Is My Husband?’
CROWD FAVOURITES AND SPECIAL HONOURS
The final artiste before Siti’s headline segment was Firdhaus Farmizi, who performed three crowd-favourite Mandarin numbers: ‘Ali’, ‘Ai Er Bu De’ and ‘Hello Again’.
Sounding as crisp as ever, Firdhaus remarked that this year has been amazing for him.
“I feel great tonight, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all feel the same, and here’s wishing you a fantastic year ahead.”
Co-hosted by Owen Yap, Kamal Adli and Fiza Frizzy, the evening also featured the presentation of four awards from the previous weekend’s Anugerah Melodi Terhangat 2026.
Dior Daying won Hottest Mandarin Celebrity, Alif Satar took Hottest Fit Celebrity, Ain Edruce (Kamal’s co-host on TV3’s ‘Melodi’) won the Hottest Celebrity Family, and Dayang Nurfaizah and Hael Husaini were awarded Hottest Celebrity Chemistry.
Between performances, Taiwanese singer Trevor Kuo took the stage with his hits ‘Still Waiting’ and ‘Guo Le Ji Tian’, leading the audience in designated sing-along moments.
“So happy to be here in Kuala Lumpur. I love you all, Malaysians,” Kuo shared, adding that he thoroughly enjoyed standing shoulder-to-shoulder with “such amazing Malaysian singers”.
QUEEN SITI ON THE GRANDSTAND
The grand finale belonged to Siti Nurhaliza.
Dressed in a shiny silver blouse and matching slacks, the pop queen began her segment with a rare Mandarin duet, joining Firdhaus on stage for ‘Be Like Water’.
Their performance earned roaring applause from the 30,000-strong crowd.
“I’m so honoured to collaborate with Firdhaus.
“This is our first time together on the big stage, and I’ve always been impressed with his amazing mastery of Chinese language songs,” Siti said after their duet.
She then serenaded the crowd with two of her powerful singles, ‘Kesuma’ and ‘Menamakanmu Cinta’, as fans sang along and waved their hands, with some shouting, “Tok Ti is the greatest!”
She was then joined by fellow Cuckoo brand ambassadors Phei Yong and Jaclyn Victor to perform the brand’s annual theme song, ‘Sama Sama’, setting the stage for South Korean star Lee Junho’s arrival.
MAGICAL ENCOUNTERS
The 2PM member and K-drama heart-throb made his grand appearance to enthusiastic cheers, marking the first time he and Siti had shared a stage.
Waving to the crowd with a radiant smile, Lee said: “This is a most magical night for me in Malaysia. I’m truly honoured to be part of this amazing concert.
“Best of all, I am sharing the big stage with my fellow Cuckoo brand ambassador Siti Nurhaliza, who is a great singer and a wonderful person.”
Siti replied that she would cherish the evening for a long time.
“I’m star-struck by Junho, as he’s a real gentleman who is down to earth and friendly. I hope we can meet up more often in future,” she said, adding that both ambassadors shared a love for quality household products, good music and events that bring them closer to their fans.
Reflecting on Cuckootopia’s success, Cuckoo International Malaysia chief executive officer K.C. Hoe noted that the concert aligned perfectly with the brand’s mission to enhance customers’ quality of life through wellness and entertainment.
“Once again, we are introducing a star-studded lineup of the country’s best singers, old and new.
“In the years to come, we hope to have more great talents share the big stage here,” he said.
dchua@nst.com.my