KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim attended the opening ceremony and parade of Citrawarna 2026 at Dataran Merdeka yesterday, a flagship Tourism Malaysia event held as part of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.
He was joined by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Deputy Minister Chiew Choon Man, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar and Tourism Malaysia director-general Mohd Amirul Rizal Abdul Rahim.
Supported by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Warisan Kuala Lumpur, the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), Istana Budaya and the National Textile Museum, Citrawarna 2026 aims to promote Malaysia’s arts, culture and heritage tourism to domestic and international visitors.
As part of the event, the Colours of Parade features 3,500 dancers representing all 13 states, three Federal Territories and Malaysia’s multicultural communities.
Visitors are also treated to traditional fashion displays, music and dance performances, alongside a range of cultural presentations by the participating contingents that highlight the traditions, stories and identities underpinning Malaysia’s diverse communities.
In a statement, Tourism Malaysia said Citrawarna 2026 successfully attracted more than 700 international tourists through specially developed tourism packages involving visitors from China, India, Mauritius, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Kazakhstan, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and France.
“Their participation shows international interest in Malaysia’s cultural tourism and allows visitors to experience the country’s heritage, traditions and hospitality first-hand,” the statement added.
Running for three days from yesterday, Citrawarna 2026 is centred around four main showcases: Colours of Parade, Colours of Flavour, Colours of Culture and Colours of Arts.
The event showcases over 70 food and drink stalls, 20 cultural activity booths and 10 arts and crafts stalls, as well as performances, heritage demonstrations, traditional games and hands-on experiences for visitors. — Bernama
