KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Latihan Pestapora Malaysia is returning for its second edition this year with organisers promising a more grounded and fan-focused experience.
Following its ambitious debut at Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil last year, the 2026 edition will move next door to the National Hockey Stadium on August 15.
Latihan Pestapora Malaysia, a precursor to Indonesia’s main Pestapora festival held each September, will again be jointly organised by Indonesia’s Boss Creator and Malaysia’s Hitman Solutions.
Hitman Solutions founder Rohit Rampal said this year’s edition will focus more on improving the overall festival experience.
“This year there’s going to be only one big main stage and we will have a lot of activities around the festival grounds,” Rohit told Malay Mail.
“We are focusing more on experience, more on consumers and what their preferences are.
“We have a robust lineup, we have all the fun stuff and all the improvements and our promises to make this a better experience for everybody.”
The line-up so far
Despite the move to a smaller venue, Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 is maintaining an ambitious line-up featuring acts from across the region.
On the Indonesian side, this year’s edition will feature big names including Tulus, Romantic Echoes, Juicy Luicy, Bernadya and Mahalini, all of whom are no strangers to music charts across Indonesia.
On the Malaysian side, bands such as Insomniacks and FUGŌ are set to bring their energy and possibly some new material to the main stage.
Fans can also expect several collaborative sets, including a performance by Indonesian dangdut legend Rhoma Irama Soneta alongside neo-soul group Maliq & D’Essentials.
Singer Nadhif Basalamah will also team up with Malaysian singer Aisha Retno and Bruneian singer Aziz Harun for a rare collaborative set.
Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 will also spotlight Malaysian music heritage, with local 1960s-inspired band Masdo set to share the stage with local ska veterans Gerhana Ska Cinta for a special debut collaboration.
Last year’s Latihan Pestapora Malaysia featured a total of 21 acts.
Aside from the 14 acts announced so far, organisers hinted at possible additions to this year’s line-up that may be revealed later.
Learning from last year
The inaugural Latihan Pestapora Malaysia had a strong debut with regional acts such as Hindia, Salammusik, .Feast, Barasuara, Bunkface and Sheila On 7 on its line-up.
However, the festival was also marred by several logistical hiccups that resulted in backlash on social media.
Among the complaints were a temporary venue-wide shortage of drinking water and poor audio relay for upper-tier spectators.
Taking note of last year’s setbacks, Rohit revealed that this year’s edition will feature free water stations across the venue alongside a larger production crew.
Founder of Hitman Solutions, Rohit Rampal during the Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 press conference at the Royal Selangor Club in Bukit Kiara. — Picture courtesy of Hitman Solutions
“The audio challenges last year were largely a result of separate production units operating independently, given that a significant portion of the engineering team came directly from Indonesia.”
“We’re trying to streamline all of our standard operating procedures which is why we are bringing a bigger team now.
“Not just to streamline all of our SOP but making sure we have everything internally done before the next handover,” Rohit said.
He added that organisers are also bringing in a full Indonesian crew to handle logistics, creative direction and festival activations.
Pestapora founder and Boss Creator head Kiki Ucop also admitted shortcomings during last year’s event but assured fans that this year’s edition would be better.
“We have taken everything that happened last year as a vital lesson to make this year’s Latihan Pestapora Malaysia even better, more enjoyable, and packed with a much richer experience for everyone attending,” he said during the festival’s press conference last Thursday.
What to expect at Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026
Aside from free water stations across the venue, Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 will also feature 12 hours of continuous “serumpun” music, with prayer breaks in between, from 12pm to 12am on August 15.
Hitman Solutions head of special projects Keeran D said organisers are working round the clock to improve the festival grounds experience.
This includes a bigger food truck area as well as more activation spaces featuring art installations and Instagrammable backdrops.
In the festival layout revealed by organisers, at least three food and beverage (F&B) areas will be stationed outside the main stage area.
One stretch of the grounds will also feature water stations, F&B booths and activation spaces.
The festival also appears to have gained early momentum, with all 5,000 early bird and blind sale tickets selling out before the line-up was revealed.
This marks an increase compared to last year’s blind presale, which saw 2,000 tickets sold before the line-up announcement.
“We also want our fans to know that their concerns matter deeply to us, and we are working around the clock to implement measures that enhance the overall festival experience.
“The 2026 edition will feature free refillable water stations throughout the festival grounds, alongside several new and exciting improvements.
“We truly want this to be a meaningful step up from the previous experience,” Keeran said.
Tickets for Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 are now available online, with prices ranging from RM199 to RM349.
More ticketing information is available on the Latihan Pestapora Malaysia website.
