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The Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) 2025 is set to close its six-month arts extravaganza with a bang this 9 August 2025, as it rolls into Elmina Lakeside Mall, Shah Alam for the grand finale of its first-ever Urban Tour. Running from 4.00pm to 11.00pm, this will be the only evening edition of the tour - and promises to be a celebration like no other.
Held in conjunction with the festival’s 10-year anniversary, YSDAF 2025 has gone further than ever before. After energising communities across five states and seven towns through its Kampung Tour earlier this year, the festival returned to the Klang Valley in June for a three-stop Urban Tour (KL East Mall, PARC Subang Jaya, and now Elmina Lakeside Mall), bringing the arts directly to Malaysians - one venue at a time.
Now, the final stop pulls out all the stops.
At Elmina Lakeside Mall, festival-goers can dive into a vibrant line-up of over 80 free activities featuring 300+ artistes, including concerts, workshops, performances, and installations - all free and open to the public.
Festival Highlights from YSDAF’s Programme Partners include FabU, Malaysian Institute of Arts, MyDance Alliance, Orang Orang Drum Theatre, Rhizo, Soundscape Records, Stage ReSET, The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat and Young KL Singers (YKLS).
Fresh off their “Best Of” win at the 2025 BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, YKLS presents Spice, Magic and Mystique, a musical journey through Southeast Asian folk songs. They’ll also offer a sneak peek into their upcoming Coldplay tribute concert, complete with an epic community sing-along.
Contemporary dance fans are in for a treat as MyDance Alliance premieres new site-specific works in their outdoor series Dancing in Place, while Orang Orang Drum Theatre puts a fun, rhythmic twist on a classic fable with Berlumba Seperti Arnab. Two emotional crowd favourites from the Kampung Tour return in full form: Dollah, a coming-of-age theatre piece, and Ceritaku, a poignant monologue series based on real-life stories. Both are directed by Christopher Ling.
But the spotlight truly shines on the mainstage, where beloved singer-songwriter Zee Avi takes the stage alongside her band The Good Things. Expect a night of soulful folk, jazz, and pop, complemented by powerhouse live acts like Kyoto Protocol, FUGŌ, and more - keeping the energy high into the night.
Also debuting is a bold and moving new production: DETOUR the Musical. A pioneering work that features deaf and hearing performers on stage together, DETOUR seamlessly fuses spoken word, Malaysian Sign Language (BIM), and music, championing inclusion and accessibility in the arts.
Beyond the performances, Handyzone offers families a day packed with hands-on fun - from crafting terrariums, solar rovers and recycled plastic luggage tags, to experimenting with screen printing, water marbling, silver jewellery, and even latte art. While pre-registration slots are fully booked, walk-in slots and all-day activities are still open for festival-goers.
Outdoors, Elmina Lakeside Mall will be transformed into a buzzing creative playground - from buskers and street performers to art installations, drum circles, and more. The Fun Zone promises family fun with free popcorn, cotton candy, and games offering over RM2,000 in prizes. Visitors can even rent Swift Bikes to explore the scenic lakeside or chill at the art pavilions curated by the Malaysian Institute of Art.
Accessibility is at the heart of YSDAF 2025. Elmina Lakeside Mall is fully PWD-friendly, with wheelchair-accessible pathways, OKU washrooms, and minimal barriers throughout. Festival Ambassadors will be on-site to assist, while shuttle vans will ferry attendees from nearby parking areas to the main venue.
YSDAF 2025 is presented by Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) and the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), supported by Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad, Sime Darby Property Berhad, and for the first time, the MADANI Government under Belanjawan 2025. This expanded festival format has brought the arts to public spaces, reached wider audiences, and made cultural engagement accessible to all - entirely free of charge.
No tickets are required. Just show up and soak it all in. For the full programme, workshop info and accessibility details, visit ysdartsfestival.com.my/elmina. Follow @ysdartsfest on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok for updates, highlights, and giveaways.
As the sun sets on YSDAF 2025, Elmina Lakeside Mall will light up with music, movement, and memory-making. It’s not just a festival finale - it’s a celebration of Malaysia’s creative spirit, and everyone’s invited.
Fa Abdul (fa.abdul.my@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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