GEORGE TOWN, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), through the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN), is hosting the sixth edition of the Living Arts Cultural Festival 2025 (LACF 2025) to showcase and preserve Malaysia’s endangered cultural heritage.
Held in collaboration with the Penang state government and the National Pancha Seniloka Association, the festival runs from Oct 3 to 6 at Armenian Street here.
JKKN director-general Mohd Amran Mohd Haris said LACF 2025 features more than 27 traditional performances, including endangered arts like Makyung, Mayin Jo’oh and Sinding Mansayau, from 10 countries such as Malaysia, Bulgaria, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
The festival was officially opened by Penang Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, with MOTAC Secretary-General Datuk Shaharudin Abu Sohot and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in attendance.
Mohd Amran said George Town was chosen to host the festival due to its United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage status and Armenian Street’s reputation as a vibrant arts hub and tourist attraction.
The biennial festival’s theme, Sustainability of Cultural Heritage, focuses on intangible heritage recognised by UNESCO, national heritage, as well as endangered arts needing urgent preservation.
Highlights include cultural performances, parades, craft exhibitions and sales, lantern displays, and a Malaysian breakfast featuring UNESCO-recognised dishes, alongside digital dialogues and workshops held with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Mohd Amran said the festival seeks to transform audiences into inheritors and promoters of the arts through interactive demonstrations and community engagement designed to bring the arts closer to society and inspire younger generations to appreciate the nation’s cultural treasures.
The festival expects to receive 30,000 to 40,000 visitors, including international tourists, over three days.
-- BERNAMA
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