Calling all supporters and lovers of the arts – The Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF) is back! This time round, it’s going to be on a much larger scale as they’re going on tour. Yes, you read it right! YSDAF is bringing the arts to the kampungs in Pahang, Kedah, Johor, Melaka, Selangor, and culminating with the finale back in Kuala Lumpur. This will be the largest, free, and most inclusive arts festival for all ages, suitable for everyone in the family.
Presented by Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) and The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), with support from Sime Darby Berhad, SD Guthrie Berhad, Sime Darby Property Berhad, and for the first time, the MADANI Government under Belanjawan 2025, this milestone edition kicks off in February.
Dato’ Dr Faridah Merican, Executive Producer of klpac and YSDAF shared, “Like before, there will be a variety of offerings, from the traditional to the contemporary, dance to theatre. YSDAF 2025 sends a strong message and is not just about showcasing the arts but about driving home that the arts belong to all Malaysians. Whether in the kampung or the cities, it is an invitation to come together, to share, and to experience the beauty and power of creativity in all its forms.”
Y.A.M. Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Ja’afar, Chairman of YSD, expressed, “We are truly excited to be going on our first ever YSDAF tour around Peninsular Malaysia – from the North to the South, and East to the West.”
“With over 130 arts activities in Kedah, Pahang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor, and Kuala Lumpur, each locale will host a tailored mix of performances and workshops to engage and inspire Malaysians from all walks of life. Beyond expanding the geographical reach, YSDAF 2025 is making the arts accessible, regardless of physical limitations or abilities, for a truly inclusive experience. Similar to every YSDAF held since 2014, the 5th edition of the festival will also generate employment opportunities; this year creating over 1,000 jobs for local arts workers and artistes, catalysing both cultural and economic growth.”
YSDAF – Kampung Tour
The out of state tour is known as the Kampung Tour, and will run from April through May, at various schools and communities in the local areas. There will be all sorts of performances, from monologues to dances to singing.
The monologue “Dollah”, a Bahasa Malaysia play about a headmaster told through the eyes of his son, which was written by Arsyad Azrai and directed by Christopher Ling, will be premiering at the Kampung Tour. We were offered a snippet of “Dollah” at the press conference, and although my Bahasa proficiency isn’t at the same level as where I was in my tween-age years – I’m a born and bred Kuantan-ian, I still managed to follow the script as Ard Omar pulled you into the story, which was funny, humbling, and emotional, all rolled into one.
Human library interviews will be conducted at each stop under “Ceritaku” to turn these real-life experiences into a performance that will premiere at the Urban Tour, connecting communities across Peninsular Malaysia.
YSDAF – Urban Tour
From June, YSDAF 2025 will continue with the Urban Tour segment at three locations – KL East Mall, PARC, and Elmina Lakeside Mall. Urban audiences will have the chance to experience highlights from the Kampung Tour along with a buffet of bite-sized performances across various genres.
YSDAF 2025 will culminate in August, at Elmina Lakeside Mall featuring an assortment of performances for every attendee, including street performers for children as well as buskers and bands for music enthusiasts.
Programme partners for YSDAF 2025 include Orang Orang Drum Theatre, MyDance Alliance and Soundscape Records.
As with previous YSDAF, there will be workshops aplenty such as drum-making and a community drum circle by The Colours of Sound, as well as traditional and modern dance workshops by ASK Dance Company (ADC). There will also be workshops catered solely to children, which makes YSDAF a family affair!
Kampung Tour or Urban Tour?
In my opinion, this is such a wonderful venture as YSDAF this time round is bringing arts not just to KL-ites but also to the people in rural areas, spreading the joys of the arts, instead of having the people come to the arts. They’re truly living up to this year’s theme of Community Side by Side.
At the press conference, we were treated to four mini performances – “Ulek Mayang” by the Young KL Singers conducted by Mak Chi Hoe (this was emotive and haunting), “Dancing in Place” by Rithaudin Abdul Kadir from Dance Alliance (truly captivating. I couldn’t take my eyes off the dancer), “Dollah”, and finally “Classic of Mountain and Seas” by Orang Orang Drum Theatre (fab way to close the performances as the beats were like a wake-up call to action).
It doesn’t matter if it’s the Kampung or Urban Tour, whether you’re into music or theatre or workshops, actually even if you’re not – GO! If you’re worried about language, there will be dance or music performances as well, which transcend language. Along with the workshops, there will certainly be something for everyone.
For the latest updates and schedules, follow YSDAF on Instagram or Facebook.
