Malaysia’s Year-End Events Calendar: November and December 2026

MotoGP at Sepang, Deepavali lights, two sold-out stadium tours, a marathon in Penang and Malaysia’s biggest anime convention: the events worth planning a trip around from late October to the end of December 2026.

The last two months of the year are among the busiest on Malaysia’s calendar. Budget 2027, tabled on 9 October 2026, extended the government’s Visit Malaysia tourism campaign into 2027, and Tourism Malaysia’s events listing for November and December is full. This calendar picks the events most useful to visitors. All dates are from the organisers or Tourism Malaysia, and can change, so confirm with the organiser before you book. For long weekends, see our public holidays guide.

Late October to Early November

• Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP), 30 October to 1 November: the motorcycle world championship returns to Sepang International Circuit, near KLIA. The circuit says entry to all seat zones is free on Friday 30 October, and that the 2025 race drew a record 190,977 fans.
• Festival Gendang Sarawak, 28 October to 1 November: a drum festival on the Kuching Waterfront in Sarawak.
• The Weeknd, 4 and 5 November: two nights at TM Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil, both sold out by early June, Malay Mail reported.

Deepavali: 8 November

Deepavali (Diwali), the Hindu festival of lights, is a public holiday in most of Malaysia on 8 November 2026. Malls and public spaces put up kolam, patterns made of coloured rice or powder. In Kuala Lumpur, the Brickfields area, known as Little India, is busiest in the days before. Many Malaysian Indian families also hold “open house” gatherings, where friends of every background drop by to eat.

Mid to Late November

• Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta, 13 to 21 November: a yacht race from Port Klang via Pangkor and Penang to Langkawi, all on the sheltered west coast.
• Ironman 70.3 Langkawi, 21 November: a half-distance triathlon on the island.
• Dewan Filharmonik Petronas: the concert hall beneath the Petronas Twin Towers has a run of shows, including “As If She Were Here: Chen Jia Sings Teresa Teng” (7 to 29 November) and “A Chorale Spectacular” (5 December).
• Penang International Dragon Boat Regatta, 27 to 29 November: at the Straits Quay marina, Tanjung Tokong.

December

• BTS World Tour ‘ARIRANG’, 12 and 13 December: sold out at TM Stadium Nasional. See our BTS travel guide.
• Penang Bridge International Marathon, 13 December: listed by Tourism Malaysia with Batu Kawan Stadium, on the mainland side of the bridge, as the venue.
• Comic Fiesta, 19 and 20 December: Malaysia’s largest anime, comics and games convention, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The organisers’ announcement in May 2026 said about 75,000 people attended in 2025.
• Christmas, 25 December: a public holiday across Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur’s big malls, from Pavilion in Bukit Bintang to Suria KLCC, compete with elaborate decorations from November.

All Season: An Exhibition Worth a Detour

If the weather turns, head indoors to the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia near Kuala Lumpur’s Lake Gardens. Its exhibition “Tatreez: Reclaiming Palestine Through Embroidery” runs from 19 June 2026 to 25 April 2027 in Special Galleries 1 and 2. Tatreez is the Arabic word for the cross-stitch embroidery traditionally worked on Palestinian dresses, and the show traces its patterns and meanings. It is the largest museum of Islamic art in Southeast Asia and an easy taxi ride from KL Sentral.

For Runners and Riders

Year-end is a busy season for road and trail races. Tourism Malaysia lists the Selangor Marathon in Cyberjaya on 1 November, the Pos Malaysia Run at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur’s historic independence square, on 29 November, and the Nakawan Ultra trail race in Perlis, Malaysia’s smallest state, on 11 and 12 December. In Sarawak, Sibu Bike Week brings motorcycle clubs to the river town of Sibu on 5 and 6 December. Most races start before dawn to beat the heat, so book a hotel close to the start line.

More Concerts in Kuala Lumpur

Beyond the stadium shows, smaller arenas in Kuala Lumpur host international acts through the season. Tourism Malaysia lists the American band LANY at Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil, on 1 November, and the South Korean indie band Wave to Earth at Idea Live Arena on 22 November. Buy tickets only from the official ticketing partner named by the organiser.

Book west-coast trips for the year-end: the east-coast islands close for the monsoon.

Planning Tips

• Weather: the north-east monsoon brings heavy rain to the east coast from November, and most east-coast islands close. Langkawi, Penang and the west coast are the better bets. See our monsoon beach guide.
• Getting around: the new East Coast Rail Link is due to begin service in mid-December 2026. See our ECRL guide.
• Book early: Kuala Lumpur hotels fill up around the stadium concerts, and flights to Penang and Langkawi rise towards Christmas.
• Arriving from abroad: check our entry checklist.

Which year-end event are you travelling for? Tell us in the comments.

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