KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — “Music connects us all” — that was the spirit at the inaugural Latihan Pestapora Malaysia, where over 25,000 fans packed the Bukit Jalil National Stadium for a full-day music celebration.
The massive turnout came despite the festival coinciding with the Opposition-led “Turun Anwar” protest in the capital, which reportedly drew over 18,000 demonstrators.
Held on July 26, the music festival featured more than 25 acts from Malaysia and Indonesia, including current Indonesian chart-toppers Hindia and Feast., as well as the highly anticipated return of legendary rock band Sheila On 7 (SO7).
Popular Malaysian acts such as Bunkface and SonaOne also left their mark on the historic stage.
While the record for the largest concert crowd in Malaysia still belongs to British band Coldplay, who drew over 75,000 fans in 2023, Latihan Pestapora Malaysia is already being hailed as one of the most-attended music festivals in the country.
Some of the acts performing on the two main stages of Latihan Pestapora Malaysia include Dolla, Pamungkas, Bittersweet and Kunto Aji.
A first outside Indonesia
Latihan Pestapora is part of a series of pre-events leading up to Indonesia’s main Pestapora festival, which will be held from September 5 to 7 in Jakarta. This marks the first time a pre-event was staged outside Indonesia since the festival’s inception in 2022.
The Malaysian edition was co-organised by local company Hitman Solutions and Indonesia’s Boss Creator, founder of Pestapora.
The festival featured three stages: the main Hitman and Boss arenas, set side by side on the stadium track, and the Hingar Bingar stage located in the festival area near food and merchandise booths.
Thousands arrive early despite heat
Despite the hazy and hot Saturday, fans began arriving as early as 10am. By 1pm, the general admission queue had swelled with festivalgoers from across Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Festival rules also prohibited entry after 7pm, prompting even more to show up early.
Salammusik opened the main stage, followed by crowd-favourite sets by Indonesian singers Pamungkas and Kunto Aji. Malaysian girl group Dolla got the audience moving with their latest hit MWA! before Nadin Amizah slowed things down with a dreamy performance.
Indonesian band Sheila On 7 was the main highlight of the night, marking their return to Malaysia since their last show here in 2018.
Sheila On 7 rocks the house
The night’s biggest draw was the return of Sheila On 7, who hadn’t performed in Malaysia since 2018.
The band delivered a rousing 90-minute set featuring their iconic hits Hari Bersamanya, Film Favorit, and Sebuah Kisah Klasik (Untuk Masa Depan). The stadium echoed with singalongs for fan favourites Melompat Lebih Tinggi, Sephia, Seberapa Pantas, and Berhenti Berharap — the latter drowned out by the audience singing every word.
Love them or hate them, local pop-punk band Bunkface proved their worth at Latihan Pestapora Malaysia.
Bunkface, Empty Page, SonaOne energise local stage
Local pop-punk band Bunkface earned praise for their high-octane performance on the main stage post-Maghrib prayers. Opening the evening segment, they launched into Malam Ini Kita Punya, Rentak Laguku, Situasi and Revolusi, prompting full-scale singalongs.
Meanwhile, the Hingar Bingar stage, which initially saw smaller crowds, built momentum thanks to appearances by Alvn, Ismail Izzani, Julia Duclos, DJ CZA, Killa Driz and Gaston Pong.
Show-stealers included local band Empty Page, who delivered a fun and intimate set, and rapper SonaOne, who thrilled the crowd with hits such as Apa Khabar and Satu Malam Di Temasek.
Indonesian dangdut DJ duo Feel Koplo brought the party vibes to Latihan Pestapora Malaysia.
Feel Koplo and Ari Lesmana close the show
While many left after SO7’s set, those who stayed were rewarded with a buzzing performance by Indonesian dangdut duo Feel Koplo, who brought Fourtwnty frontman Ari Lesmana on stage.
Together, they performed dangdut remixes of Mangu and Fana Merah Jambu, closing the night on a high.
Teething issues and future plans
Some attendees voiced complaints about long queues and limited water stations early in the day. However, organisers resolved the issue by 8pm after opening more water points.
Hitman Solutions founder Rohit Rampal acknowledged the logistical challenges but praised the team effort.
“Bringing Latihan Pestapora to Malaysia is a major milestone. It’s not just a production achievement but a cultural success,” Rohit said.
He hinted at plans to make it an annual event following the overwhelming response.
As Latihan Pestapora Malaysia wraps up, all eyes now turn to the main Pestapora festival in Jakarta this September, where hundreds of acts — including Malaysian superstar Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza and Ipoh-born DJ Miko Naiko — are set to perform.
More details are available at https://pestapora.com.
