By V. Sivaji
The popular George Town Festival is back from August 1 to 9, 2026.
This is the 17th edition of the festival. This year’s edition will feature talents from Spain, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore among others. For the benefit of the public, 80 percent of the shows and events are free of charge.
This Year’s theme is “Beyond Boundaries”.
Present to announce further detail of the programme at the Chinahouse, was State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Wong Hon Wai along with Dr Ang Ming Chee, General Manager of George Town World Heritage Incorporated and Jack Wong of TLM Event.
“This year, the George Town Festival is honored to collaborate with the Embassy of Spain in Malaysia, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia and the Thai Consulate General in Penang.
“The festival is also working with fellow regional festivals, including the Asian Street Arts Festival from the Republic of Korea and the Singapore Night Festival. These collaborations will strengthen cultural ties between Penang and the international community.” said Wong in his speech.
The audience will enjoy exhibitions, performances, films, workshops and community experiences throughout the week across various locations in the city.
The festival opens with “Six to Eleven,” a vibrant celebration that transforms Padang Kota Lama into an evening of art, music, light, and community, before culminating in Control Arts and the City (CTRL A + C), a weekend of site-responsive performances that reimagines George Town’s public spaces through theatre, dance, music and participatory experiences. Together, the opening and closing programmes showcase the festival’s diverse artistic disciplines while inviting audiences to discover new relationships between art, place, and people.
Beyond the opening and closing weekends, the festival presents a rich line-up of free-to-attend programmes that bring the theme “Beyond Boundaries” to life through a range of experiences that move across spaces and disciplines: from visual arts that reconnect heritage, imagination, and environment; to “Kopi & Karya” and “Wayang Pacak,” which bring creativity and storytelling into shared community spaces.
The festival’s visual arts programmes feature “Artisan II” by Low Chee Peng, which honours George Town’s master craftsmen; “Street Fragments: Jalan Gurdwara” by COEX and Ruang Kongsi, which uncovers the layered histories of a familiar street through archival materials and oral histories; and “Converge” by Taiwanese artist Kuei-Chih Lee, a large-scale installation reflecting on the relationship between people, culture, and nature.
The audience can also experience the immersive “Shifting Whispers” by Parallax, the miniature contemporary gallery “Con-Temporary Art (CTA)” by Joshua Kon and Arrvinraj, Steve Tan’s historic wet plate photography exhibition “Collodion, Silver, Glass: Contemporary Wet Plate Photography”, and “The Natural History Museum of Yeahnahnesia by Yok & Sheryo”, curated by Deborah Lim and realised in collaboration with SPUTNIKFOREST, a playful exploration of histories and traditions.
In closing Wong welcomed everyone to come enjoy the festivities.
Sounds like a fantastic lineup! I’m really looking forward to seeing what the international artists bring to the George Town Festival this year.