This month will be a musical one. There are several concerts to look forward to including Selena Gomez and Jolin Tsai as well as a number of festivals around the country that will surely please the culture vultures.

1. Borneo Cultural Festival

This week-long celebration of music, dances, and food focuses on the diverse cultural backgrounds of communities in Sibu including the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Orang Ulu, Melanau, Malays, and Chinese. This festival is a major event in Borneo, attracting many visitors to the state.

Organised by the Sibu Municipal Council, the festival is open to the public for free and there will even be many fringe events to look out for like trade shows, fun fairs, and stage shows. It’s perfect time to mingle with people from all around the world while learning about the local culture.

Venue: Sibu Town Square
Date: 21st – 30th July
Tickets: Free admission
Website: sarawaktourism.com

2. Kota Kinabalu Jazz Festival

This annual fundraising Jazz celebration organised by the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of Performing Arts of Kota Kinabalu Sabah (SPArKS) will be bring together talents from across the globe and a crowd of thousands of people for the two-night event. The festival started in 2007, and now on its 10th leg, the jazz fest is expected to be a hit.

Funds raised will be channelled to The Clean Water Project, Literacy Program and Eye Screening and Environment Protection in rural communities such Kg. Timbou in Tuaran, Kg.Tamburan in Kota Belud, Kg. Kokol.

Venue: Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu
Date: 22nd – 23rd July 2016
Tickets: 1 night regular pass, RM100/person; 2 nights regular pass, RM150/person; 1 night premier pass, RM200/person; premier table, RM1000/table of 6. Online booking is closed but you will be able to get tickets at the door.
Website: kkjazzfest.com

3. Dirty Vegas – live at Le Noir

Grammy award-winning electro dance group Dirty Vegas will be performing live in KL this month at Le Noir in TREC. The duo will perform an unplugged acoustic show followed by a live DJ set.

Their debut single, ‘Days Go By’ shot to the top of the charts and won Best Dance Recording at the 2003 Grammy Awards. Since then, the British duo have also been named’ Billboard’s No.6 top selling electronics artist of the 2000s’ and have sold over 1 million albums worldwide.

Venue: Le Noir, TREC KL
Date: 22nd July, 7pm
Tickets: Free admission
View Facebook event

4. Sabah International Folklore Festival

The Sabah International Folklore Festival (SIFF) is an opportunity for people to witness the beauty and learn about unique cultural dances of various ethnics from around the world. SIFF aims to be a meeting point of Eastern and Western culture while promoting tourism among participating countries.

Now on its 11th run, the festival has a schedule packed with activities from a folklore parade to handcraft exhibitions, and several performances throughout the week including a competition. If you’re a culture-hound, this is one event you do not want to miss. Do check out the website for the full line up of performances and exact locations, dates, and times.

Venue: Various locations around Sabah. Main locations are Sabah Cultural Centre in Penampang and Lintasan Daesoka in Kota Kinabalu
Date: 24th – 30th July
Tickets: International Folkdance Competition: RM30 for adults and RM10 for children under 17 years old. All other activities including the parade and exhibitions are free of charge.
Website: sabah.gov.my/siff-main

5. Selena Gomez – Revival Tour

Global sensation Selena Gomez is set to bring her Revival Tour to Southeast Asia. The tour, following the release of her second solo studio album in 2015 called Revival, is also her second solo concert tour since the album debuted. No doubt she’ll perform some of her top singles from the album such as ‘Good for You’, ‘Same Old Love’, and ‘Hands to Myself’ during her concert as well other fan favourites.

Venue: Melawati Indoor Stadium, Shah Alam
Date: 25th July, 8.30pm
Tickets: From RM450 onwards. Get tickets at ticketbis.com.my
View Facebook event.

6. Jolin Tsai – PLAY World Tour

Touring for the fourth time, this Taiwanese popstar is revelling in the global success of her 13th Studio Album, PLAY. The final stop for this concert tour is none other than Kuala Lumpur. This will mark her fifth visit to Malaysia since first staging a show here in 2012. Her music video for the title track, PLAY, had over 19 million views on YouTube the year it was released, making it the most-viewed music video of Taiwan in 2014.

Venue: Melawati Indoor Stadium, Shah Alam
Date: 25th July, 8.30pm
Tickets: ticketcharge.com.my

7. George Town Festival

The George Town  Festival was launched in 2010 to commemorate George Town receiving the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This month-long revelry celebrates community, culture, heritage, and arts, transforming the city into a stage to showcase performance, installations and collaborations from local and international artists.

With over 100 events scheduled this year, this festival will have workshops, theatre performances, concerts, art exhibitions, comedy shows, and more to entice just about anyone.

Venue: Various locations around George Town including Dewan Sri Pinang, MBPP Town Hall and Esplanade
Date: 29th July – 30th August
Tickets: Visit georgetownfestival.com/events/list/ or redtix.airasia.com to find tickets to individual events. You can also get tickets at 86 Lebuh Armenian, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Website: georgetownfestival.com

8. Durian Run 2016

Durian lovers, pay attention. There will be a 5km fun run around Kuala Lumpur that ends at the Dataran DBKL. There is a 50 minutes completion time, so everyone will sure finish a winner. At the end of the run, you will be rewarded with a feast of durians, full of rare and high quality durians to celebrate finishing the run.

Venue: Dataran DBKL – Menara DBKL 1 Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 30th July, 7am
Tickets: RM88 per pax. RM50 per pax if you register before 15th July.
Website: eventfest.asia

9. Bon Odori Festivals

This traditional Japanese Buddhist festival honours the homecoming of ancestral spirits that, it is believed, returns once a year to visit their families. Celebrated with dances and drumming, this a great way to learn a little more about Japanese culture.

Penang

The Bon Odori festival in Penang has been an annual event for 20 years with plenty of food, fireworks, performances, and games.

Venue: Esplanade
Date: 16th July, 7pm – 11pm
Tickets: Free admission
Website: visitpenang.gov.my

Photo by Ben Yeoh.

Johor

This carnival-like festival is a merry one, attracting thousands of visitors last year.

Venue: Eco Business Park 1, EcoWorld
Date: 23rd July, 3pm – 10pm
Tickets: Free admission
Website: johornow.com

Photo by Bon Odori by JAGAM.

Selangor

This will be the 40th Bon Odori festival held in Shah Alam and it attracts over 30,000 people every time.

Venue: Kompleks Sukan Negara (National Sports Complex), Shah Alam
Date: 23rd July, 7pm – 9.30pm. Gates open at 4.30pm
Tickets: Free admission
View Facebook event.