KL Orchestra Festival Returns To Enliven The Capital

By Bernama Lifestyle Reporter 

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is set to host the Kuala Lumpur Orchestra Festival (FOKL) 2026, featuring 45 events including concerts, pocket performances, workshops, forums and a carnival. The festival will take place in various iconic locations around the capital from May 28 to June 28.

DBKL executive director of socioeconomic development Ismadi Sakirin said the festival — now in its third year — has become a key platform for elevating Kuala Lumpur’s standing as an international city of arts, culture and creativity.

“More than 2,000 participants will be involved in the festival. Orchestras from Thailand, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines and China will also be participating, alongside local ensembles such as the Kuala Lumpur Orchestra, Kuala Lumpur Youth Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and RTM Orchestra,” he said in a statement today.

He added that FOKL will feature a special collaboration with the Yogyakarta Royal Orchestra of Indonesia, which will be presented online via YouTube, opening up the artistic space to a wider audience.

Ismadi also said that FOKL 2026 will place strong emphasis on nurturing young talent through workshops, auditions and performing arts training programmes.

The festival further strengthens Kuala Lumpur’s position as a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, which underscores the role of arts and creativity in urban development, he added.

-- BERNAMA