The next 15 months in Malaysia are book-ended by two national moments. Visit Malaysia 2026 closes on 31 December with Formula 1’s return to Sepang (2 to 4 October, hosting the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix, the first F1 race in Malaysia since 2017), the MotoGP (30 October to 1 November), the KL Marathon (3 to 4 October), a heavy Q4 concert run (The Weeknd, My Chemical Romance, BTS) and Comic Fiesta (19 to 20 December) in between. Then 2027 builds toward Malaysia’s 70th Merdeka and the SEA Games, hosted across Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang and Johor from 18 to 29 September 2027. In between sit the fixed annual anchors: the Malaysia Open badminton in January, MIFF in March, LIMA in Langkawi in April, SEMICON Southeast Asia in May, the Rainforest World Music Festival’s 30th edition in June, and ARCHIDEX at the end of June. Everything below is listed month by month with venue and organiser. This page is refreshed quarterly; dates are as published by organisers in September 2026 and should be confirmed before booking.
In brief
- Q4 2026 is the fan quarter: Formula 1 back at Sepang (2 to 4 Oct, as host of the Bahrain Grand Prix), MotoGP (30 Oct to 1 Nov), The Weeknd, My Chemical Romance and BTS stadium runs, and Comic Fiesta (19 to 20 Dec).
- May to July 2027 is the trade quarter: LIMA in Langkawi, AUTOMEX, SEMICON Southeast Asia and ARCHIDEX within eleven weeks.
- Malaysia hosts the SEA Games on 18 to 29 September 2027 across KL, Sarawak, Penang and Johor, two weeks after the 70th Merdeka.
- Rainforest World Music Festival marks its 30th edition on 25 to 27 June 2027; the Malaysia Open badminton is 21 to 26 January 2027.
Data as of September 2026. Next refresh: December 2026.
How to read this calendar
Events are grouped by month and typed as one of five kinds: trade show or congress (MICE), festival or cultural, concert, sport, or a public holiday that moves crowds and prices. Where a ticket price is public we give the entry-level figure in ringgit. Where an organiser has announced an event but not a firm date, it is marked “TBC” rather than guessed.
October 2026
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 Oct | Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, hosted at Sepang | Sepang International Circuit | Sport | Malaysia’s first F1 race since 2017. Bahrain’s April round was postponed because of the Middle East conflict and moved to Sepang, keeping the Bahrain name and funding; confirmed by F1 and the FIA on 26 July 2026. Part of a Baku, Sepang, Singapore triple-header |
| 2 to 4 Oct | Ritma Kinabalu | Padang Merdeka, Kota Kinabalu | Festival | Sabah cultural showcase, VM2026 flagship |
| 2 to 4 Oct | HOMEDEC Penang | Setia SPICE, Penang | MICE | Home design and renovation fair |
| 3 Oct | Henry Lau | Idea Live Arena, KL | Concert | From RM398 |
| 3 to 4 Oct | Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon | Dataran Merdeka, KL | Sport | Malaysia’s largest road race; city-centre closures on the Sunday |
| 7 to 9 Oct | International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition (IGEM) | KLCC | MICE | Government-backed green technology show |
| 10 Oct | Mamamoo | Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM398 |
| 13 to 15 Oct | IRF Asia Regional Congress | PWTC, KL | MICE | International Road Federation |
| 15 to 18 Oct | Malaysia Games Festival | Dataran Merdeka, KL | Festival | Gaming and esports, public |
| 17 Oct | Konsert Gema Bumantara, Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza | TM Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil | Concert | Stadium show |
| 18 Oct | Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon (33rd) | Kinabalu Park, Sabah | Sport | One of the world’s toughest mountain races |
| 20 to 22 Oct | Transport Expo Asia | MITEC, KL | MICE | Logistics and mobility |
| 22 to 25 Oct | Labuan Rugby International Carnival | Labuan | Sport | Regional sevens |
| 23 to 25 Oct | MIAPEX | KL | MICE | Automotive parts and aftermarket |
| 28 Oct to 1 Nov | Festival Gendang Sarawak and Borneo Craft Festival (to 9 Nov) | Kuching Waterfront | Festival | Free, outdoor |
| 29 Oct to 1 Nov | HOMEDEC Kuala Lumpur | KLCC | MICE | Consumer home show |
| 30 Oct to 1 Nov | PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP) | Sepang International Circuit | Sport | 2025 set an all-time record of 190,977 spectators; Malaysia confirmed on the calendar to 2031 |
November 2026
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov | Selangor Marathon | Cyberjaya | Sport | |
| 1 Nov | LANY | Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM298 |
| 4 to 5 Nov | The Weeknd | TM Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM288; two stadium nights |
| 8 Nov (holiday 9 Nov) | Deepavali | Nationwide except Sarawak | Public holiday | Long weekend; Brickfields and Penang Little India peak |
| 10 to 12 Nov | International Construction Week, BuildXpo, Smart Nation Expo, Data Center Asia, EVM Asia | MITEC, KL | MICE | Five co-located shows; the biggest B2B week of Q4 |
| 14 Nov | Babymonster | Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM398 |
| 16 to 20 Nov | Seatrade Cruise Asia | KL and Penang | MICE | Cruise industry, hosted in Malaysia for VM2026 |
| 17 to 18 Nov | Malaysia International Maritime Expo | KLCC | MICE | Shipbuilding and maritime engineering |
| 17 Nov and 4 Dec | 5 Seconds of Summer | Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM298 |
| 19 to 20 Nov | My Chemical Romance | Bukit Jalil National Stadium | Concert | From RM299; two stadium nights |
| 21 Nov | IRONMAN 70.3 Langkawi | Langkawi | Sport | International field; island hotels sell out |
| Nov, TBC | Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta | Port Klang to Langkawi | Sport | Offshore sailing classic |
| 27 to 29 Nov | Malaysia Art Ecosystems Fair (MAEF) | KL | Festival | Contemporary art fair |
| 28 Nov | Evanescence | National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM199 |
| Late Nov, TBC | Borneo Jazz Festival | Miri, Sarawak | Festival | Date as listed in the VM2026 calendar |
December 2026
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | FKJ | Zepp KL | Concert | From RM328 |
| 4 to 8 Dec | BIMP-EAGA Ports and Logistics Exhibition | Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Kota Kinabalu | MICE | Sub-regional trade |
| 9 Dec | Khalid | Idea Live Arena, KL | Concert | From RM358 |
| 12 Dec | Langkawi International Half Marathon | Langkawi | Sport | |
| 12 to 13 Dec | BTS | TM Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil | Concert | From RM338; the year’s biggest ticket |
| Mid Dec, TBC | Big Bad Wolf Book Sale | Klang Valley | Festival | Dates usually confirmed in November |
| 19 to 20 Dec | Comic Fiesta | KLCC | Festival | Southeast Asia’s largest fan convention, 10am to 7pm |
| 25 Dec | Christmas | Nationwide | Public holiday | School holidays run through to early January |
| 31 Dec | Visit Malaysia 2026 closing and New Year countdowns | KL, Melaka, Penang, Kota Kinabalu | Festival | Merdeka Square and KLCC Park are the main city sites |
January to March 2027
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 to 26 Jan | PETRONAS Malaysia Open (BWF Super 1000) | Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil | Sport | 13,000 capacity; tickets usually released late November and sell out in hours |
| 22 Jan | Thaipusam | Batu Caves (Selangor) and Penang | Public holiday | Over a million visitors at Batu Caves; book Klang Valley hotels early |
| 6 to 8 Feb | Chinese New Year | Nationwide | Public holiday | Two-week travel peak; Penang, Ipoh and KL Chinatown busiest |
| 1 to 4 Mar | MIFF, Malaysian International Furniture Fair | MITEC and WTCKL, KL | MICE | Informa Markets; Southeast Asia’s largest furniture show, about 100,000 sqm |
| 10 to 11 Mar | Hari Raya Aidilfitri | Nationwide | Public holiday | Ramadan runs from about 8 Feb; bazaar season in every city, then the balik kampung exodus |
April to June 2027
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2027, date TBC | LIMA 2027, Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition | Langkawi | MICE | Biennial; organiser has indicated April 2027 but the exact dates are not yet confirmed. 2025 drew a reported 450,000 visitors; 2027 targets 930 exhibitors from 35 countries, 110 aircraft and 90 vessels |
| 5 to 8 May | AUTOMEX | MITEC, KL | MICE | Automation and manufacturing technology |
| 17 to 18 May | Hari Raya Haji | Nationwide | Public holiday | |
| 20 May | Wesak Day | Nationwide | Public holiday | Brickfields procession in KL |
| 25 to 27 May | SEMICON Southeast Asia 2027 | Kuala Lumpur (venue TBC) | MICE | SEMI; the region’s semiconductor supply-chain show, anchored by Penang and Kulim |
| 6 Jun | Awal Muharram | Nationwide | Public holiday | |
| 25 to 27 Jun | Rainforest World Music Festival, 30th edition | Sarawak Cultural Village, Santubong, Kuching | Festival | Anniversary year; passes usually on sale from March or April and early-bird tiers go first |
| 30 Jun to 3 Jul | ARCHIDEX 2027 | MITEC, KL | MICE | C.I.S Network; Asia’s largest architecture and building trade show |
July to September 2027
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul, TBC | George Town Festival | Penang | Festival | Penang’s flagship arts month; dates announced in the second quarter |
| Aug, TBC | Malaysia Business Events Week 2027 | KL | MICE | MyCEB; 2026 edition was 3 to 5 August at KLCC |
| 31 Aug | Merdeka Day, 70th anniversary | Nationwide; main parade in KL or Putrajaya | Public holiday | A milestone year; expect a larger national programme than usual |
| 16 Sep | Malaysia Day | Nationwide | Public holiday | |
| 18 to 29 Sep | 34th SEA Games | KL, Sarawak, Penang, Johor, with Negeri Sembilan and Langkawi venues | Sport | Malaysia’s first time hosting since 2017; opening at Sarawak Stadium, closing at Bukit Jalil; 38 sports; budget about RM700 million |
| Sep, TBC | MIHAS 2027 | MITEC, KL | MICE | MATRADE; the 2026 edition is 23 to 26 September |
| Sep or Oct, TBC | Le Tour de Langkawi | Multi-stage, Peninsular Malaysia | Sport | UCI ProSeries; run in October in recent years |
October to December 2027
| Dates | Event | Where | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Oct, TBC | Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon | KL | Sport | Historically the first weekend of October |
| Oct or Nov, TBC | PETRONAS Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP) | Sepang | Sport | Contract runs 2027 to 2031; 2027 date not yet published |
| 28 Oct | Deepavali | Nationwide except Sarawak | Public holiday | |
| Nov, TBC | International Construction Week and co-located shows | MITEC, KL | MICE | Mid-November in 2026 |
| Dec, TBC | Comic Fiesta 2027 | KLCC | Festival | Third weekend of December in recent years |
| 25 Dec | Christmas | Nationwide | Public holiday |
The six dates that matter most
Not every line above carries the same weight. For anyone planning budgets, activations or travel, six entries drive the calendar.
Formula 1 at Sepang, 2 to 4 October 2026. Nine years after Malaysia left the F1 calendar, Sepang hosts a Grand Prix again, by accident of geopolitics: Bahrain’s April round was postponed and F1 needed a circuit that could stage it at short notice between Baku and Singapore. It runs under the Bahrain Grand Prix name and with Bahrain’s backing, so it is a one-off on paper. In practice it is Malaysia’s audition for a permanent return, and the government’s answer to that question is the story to watch in 2027.
MotoGP, 30 October to 1 November 2026. Four weeks after F1, and until this year the single biggest paid-attendance event in the country. The 2025 race set a record of 190,977 spectators over the weekend, and Sepang’s contract has just been extended to 2031. Hotels from KLIA to Bukit Jalil fill weeks ahead.
Q4 2026 stadium concerts. The Weeknd (4 to 5 November), My Chemical Romance (19 to 20 November) and BTS (12 to 13 December) are three two-night stadium runs in six weeks, each pulling regional fans from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. Add Comic Fiesta on 19 to 20 December and Kuala Lumpur’s Q4 is unusually loaded, which is exactly what Visit Malaysia 2026’s closing quarter was designed to do.
LIMA 2027, Langkawi, April (dates to be confirmed). The biennial defence and aerospace show is the largest of its kind in the region, with a reported 450,000 visitors in 2025 and 930 exhibitors targeted for 2027. It fills every room on the island and drives the year’s largest cluster of official delegations (450 targeted, from 65 countries).
Rainforest World Music Festival, 25 to 27 June 2027. The 30th anniversary edition of Sarawak’s signature festival at Santubong. Tickets and line-up are released in stages from about March; early tiers sell out fast, and 2027 will be busier than usual.
SEA Games, 18 to 29 September 2027. Malaysia’s first Games since 2017, spread across four states with the opening in Kuching and the closing at Bukit Jalil, in the same fortnight as the country’s 70th Merdeka celebrations. For sponsors and broadcasters this is the anchor of the whole 2027 calendar, and for hotels in KL, Kuching, Penang and Johor Bahru it is the peak of the year.
Public holidays that move prices
Malaysia’s festive calendar shifts every year because three of the big four festivals follow lunar calendars. The dates below set hotel rates, flight loads and retail peaks for the whole period.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | What it does to travel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deepavali | 8 Nov (holiday 9 Nov) | 28 Oct | Long weekend; Indian heritage districts peak |
| Christmas and New Year | 25 Dec, 1 Jan | 25 Dec | School holidays; highland and island resorts full |
| Thaipusam | 1 Feb | 22 Jan | Batu Caves draws over a million; Klang Valley hotels tight |
| Chinese New Year | 17 to 18 Feb | 6 to 8 Feb | The year’s biggest domestic travel peak; two weeks of high rates |
| Hari Raya Aidilfitri | 20 to 21 Mar | 10 to 11 Mar | Ramadan bazaars for a month before; exodus from KL over the holiday |
| Hari Raya Haji | 27 May | 17 to 18 May | Long weekend |
| Merdeka and Malaysia Day | 31 Aug, 16 Sep | 31 Aug (70th), 16 Sep | 2027 is a milestone year and overlaps the SEA Games |
The verdict
If you are choosing one window to be in Malaysia for events, the answer is different for each audience. Fans and travellers get the most in the last quarter of 2026, when Formula 1, the MotoGP, three stadium tours and Comic Fiesta land inside twelve weeks. Trade visitors get the densest B2B calendar in the May to July 2027 stretch, with LIMA, AUTOMEX, SEMICON and ARCHIDEX in the space of eleven weeks. Sponsors and brands with one budget to place should look at September 2027, when the 70th Merdeka and the SEA Games put four states in the national spotlight at once.
This calendar is updated quarterly. The next refresh, in December 2026, will add the confirmed MotoGP 2027 date, the George Town Festival and MIHAS 2027 dates, and the 2027 concert announcements that typically arrive in the first quarter.
Related reading on SEA Exchange
- Inside Malaysia’s MICE Boom: The Venues, Organisers and Numbers Behind 2026
- Who’s Actually Visiting Malaysia in 2026, and Why It’s an ASEAN Story, Not a Global One
- Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026: The Mid-Campaign Scorecard
Sources
- Tourism Malaysia, Visit Malaysia 2026 Calendar of Events
- Formula1.com, Malaysia confirmed as host venue for the Bahrain Grand Prix (26 July 2026); Sky Sports
- MotoGP.com, Malaysia confirmed on the calendar 2027 to 2031 (1 July 2026)
- Buro Malaysia, live concerts 2026; SAYS 2026 event calendar
- Badminton Association of Malaysia; Malaysia Open 2027 listing
- Asian Defence Journal, LIMA 2027 (7 July 2026)
- SEMI, SEMICON Southeast Asia; MIFF; ARCHIDEX
- Rainforest World Music Festival 2027 guide; Sarawak Tourism Board
- 2027 SEA Games
- EventsEye Malaysia and ITA/ICE exhibition calendars 2026 to 2027
- CalendarLabs and PublicHolidays.com.my, Malaysia public holidays 2026 and 2027
