KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — Jalan Raja will close for nearly six days from next week as Kuala Lumpur prepares for Citrawarna 2026, with additional traffic restrictions planned during the festival’s cultural parade, Tourism Malaysia said today.

Jalan Raja in front of Dataran Merdeka will be fully closed from noon on July 21 until 5am on July 27 to facilitate preparations, event operations and dismantling works for the annual festival.

Traffic restrictions will expand during the rehearsal and the Colours of Parade, Citrawarna 2026’s signature cultural procession. 

Roads along the parade route will be closed from 9pm to 2am on July 24 for the rehearsal, and again from 6pm to 11pm on July 25 for the parade itself.

The closures will affect the route between Bulatan Dato’ Onn and Jalan Parlimen, extending to Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Esfahan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Tun Perak, as well as the Jalan Kinabalu access road to Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin.

Tourism Malaysia urged motorists to plan their journeys in advance, follow traffic advisories and use alternative routes, while encouraging festival-goers to travel to Dataran Merdeka by public transport.

Citrawarna 2026 will take place at Dataran Merdeka from July 24 to 26, showcasing Malaysia’s arts, culture, heritage and gastronomy as part of the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

To support travel during the festival, Tourism Malaysia said Grab will offer RM3 e-hailing vouchers to the first 1,000 users each day from July 24 to 26, with 3,000 vouchers worth a total of RM9,000 available over the three-day event. Details, including the promotional code, will be announced through the festival’s official channels.