Paya Terubong Fringe Festival

Paya Terubong Fringe Festival transforms the neighbourhood into a vibrant open-air stage where the performing arts come alive. Featuring a lively programme of music, rhythm, fire and live performances, the festival invites audiences of all ages to gather, explore, and experience the joy of the arts in the heart of the community.

Gema Jentayu Tradisi by Wak Long Music

Times: 6pm & 7.15pm

Get ready for a vibrant burst of rhythm, poetry and song! Rooted in the rich Kelantanese tradition of Dikir Barat, “Gema Jentayu Tradisi” brings the infectious energy of this beloved performing art to the stage. Led by Wak Long Music, the performance comes alive through powerful group vocals, rhythmic percussion and spirited exchanges, weaving stories that are as entertaining as they are deeply rooted in the community. With voices rising as one and rhythms building the excitement, Gema Jentayu Tradisi is a celebration of togetherness, tradition and the joy of making music collectively. Come along, enjoy the rhythm, and experience the irresistible spirit of Kelantan!

Rhythm in Motion by KANDORA!

Times: 6.30pm & 9pm

“Rhythm in Motion” by KANDORA! brings the energy of percussion to the Paya Terubong Fringe Festival with two dynamic repertoires: Djembe Percussion and Drum Circle Performance. More than a performance, it is an interactive musical experience where audiences are invited to become part of the rhythm.

Through accessible beats, call-and-response, improvisation and collective percussion, KANDORA! creates a space where performers and audiences connect through one universal language—rhythm. The concept is simple: everyone has a rhythm, and everyone can participate. Come join the circle, find your beat and experience the joy of making music together.

Drums of Celebration by Louds Percussion

Times: 7pm

Where thunderous drums meet graceful movement, “Echoing Drums, Fan Dance” brings together the powerful rhythms of the 24 festival drums and the elegance of traditional fan dance. As drums echo and fans sweep through the air, strength and softness come together in a captivating dance of sound and movement.

Presented by the Xiang Yi Cheng Penang Arts and Culture Association, this original work, created and directed by Quah Beng Chye, offers a fresh take on traditional culture, celebrating harmony, rhythm and movement.

Fire & Flame by Koispinn Fire

Time: 8.30pm & 10.15pm

“Fire & Flame” by Koispinn Fire is a mesmerising spectacle of movement, light and rhythm, where performers dance with fire to create a thrilling interplay of energy and motion. Blending dynamic choreography with the elemental beauty of fire, the performance builds a sense of wonder, anticipation and excitement with every movement. A must-watch for lovers of spectacular performances, fiery thrills and a little magic after dark.

Rentak Kita by Culture Shot Trio

Time: 9.30pm

A celebration of Penang’s rich cultural tapestry, “Rentak Kita” brings together three musicians from different backgrounds, united by a shared love of music, culture and community. Performing as the Culture Shot Trio, Ang Eng Bok (lead vocals & lang tin tang), Kasiman bin Basman (rebana & vocals) and Kang Su Kheng (accordion & vocals) blend diverse ethnic sounds with nostalgic Hokkien melodies and traditional tunes, offering a fresh take on familiar sounds while weaving music and storytelling into an authentic taste of Penang. Catch them live for an engaging session of rhythm, storytelling and local heritage. As the group puts it, “With every song, we try our best to serve you a genuine taste of Penang.”

PROJECT DETAILS

Date & Time

TICKETS

OTHER FASCINATING PROGRAMMES

Involuntary Writing

Solo exhibition by Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec Involuntary Writing by Amsterdam-based artist Tao G. Vrhovec Sambolec is presented at Blank Canvas that brings together site-specific murals and a triptych consisting of a digital scan, a black and white photograph, and a rubber stamp imprint. The project highlights unintentional ink stains that occur while writing by hand. The artist turns attention to these unintended marks, treating them as visual forms in their own right, which are magnified and reworked within the exhibition space. He foregrounds their idiosyncratic, irregular shapes as visual elements that are neither illustrations, symbolic representations, nor abstractions, but incomprehensible forms that, nevertheless, radiate familiarity. Rather than trying to define or interpret them, the project leans into this ambiguity by adopting a non-interpretative gaze – one that is more akin to “listening to shapes”, allowing their presence to be felt rather than explained.

CTRL A+C

Bringing George Town Festival to a vibrant close, “CTRL A+C” (Control Arts and the City) transforms the streets, parks, and public spaces of George Town into stages for unexpected encounters and shared experiences. Taking art beyond conventional venues, this closing weekend programme invites audiences to discover performances that unfold amidst the city’s everyday rhythms, where passers-by become participants and familiar places are reimagined through creativity. Featuring an exciting line-up of local and international artists, “CTRL A+C” presents site-responsive theatre, movement, street performances, and interdisciplinary works that explore themes of identity, belonging, memory, resilience, and our relationship with one another and the world around us. Blending visual storytelling, music, ritual, and audience participation, each work offers a unique way of experiencing the city through art. Step outside the theatre and into the city, where every street, square, and open space becomes a stage, and every encounter offers a new perspective on the connections that bind us together.

Mano Plus x NoTimeToWaste Pop Up + Showcase

In conjunction with George Town Festival, Mano Plus Penang presents a thoughtful pop-up display in collaboration with notime towaste and .bungkus. As a curated Select Store, Mano Plus continues to champion local brands, makers, and creative voices that reflect the best of what Malaysia has to offer; selections that are thoughtful, purposeful, and rooted in contemporary culture. With this pop up, explore how soft plastic and textile waste can be transformed into meaningful think pieces as they take many forms that can inhabit our daily lives. notime towaste is not just a design lab, but a living atelier shaped by consciousness, restraint, and intention; a design philosophy exploring how we might live with greater awareness and less excess. Having launched .bungkus as a creative means to work with a commonly discarded material, plastic bags. View the latest collection of bags, accessories and furniture that hope to become drivers for habitual change. Concurrently, peer into the lab’s exploration of textile wastes; another disregarded waste material that deserves a serious introspection of how we value, produce and ultimately discard.