Malaysia formally ushered in its Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) tourism campaign with a New Year’s Eve Countdown Festival at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, bringing together thousands of locals and international visitors. The event marked an energetic start to a year the government hopes will set new records for travel to the country.
The highlight of the evening was the countdown led by prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who joined the crowd to welcome the New Year. The multimedia-rich celebration included fireworks, drone shows, traditional and contemporary performances, and appearances by popular local artistes.
Tiong King Sing, minister of tourism, arts and culture Malaysia, said: “This celebration was a symbolic event to ignite the momentum for VM2026 while welcoming the world to our shores. Malaysia is now fully ready to showcase its unique culture, creativity, and the warm hospitality of its people. It marks a strong head start towards our aspiration of 43 million international visitor arrivals, further solidifying our position on the global tourism map.”
The VM2026 calendar features more than 300 activities throughout the year, including the Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia, Rainforest World Music Festival, Malaysia’s Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA), Malaysian International Furniture Fair, and cultural celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Deepavali and Gawai.
Airports across the country also hosted special welcome events for arriving guests as part of the campaign rollout.
VM2026 is guided by five strategic pillars: sustainability, cultural heritage, nature-based adventure, digital innovation and global connectivity.
