Penang is welcoming guests from all over the world with its 14th edition of George Town Festival (GTF) this coming July. Featuring over 50 activities, programmes and performances held at over 20 locations across Penang, particularly in George Town; be prepared to be mesmerised with boundless of creativity.
The organisers are expecting more than 150,000 visitors that will attend the festival, and it is one of the most significant programme in Malaysia’s event calendar.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the overwhelmingly positive response towards last year’s GTF showed its value as a positioner of the arts and has resulted in its recognition as the “main highlight on the global arts calendar”, as stated in Tatler Asia last year, and being declared by Lifestyle Asia as one of the “best music (an arts) festivals in Southeast Asia.
“It serves as a catalyst for tourism, inviting visitors from far and wide to witness the cultural richness of Penang and beyond, providing opportunities for many to witness and experience the diversity of art, culture and heritage,” said the state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin.
“I hope that by (re)creating these experiences, residents in the area and audiences are encouraged to engage with these spaces and each other, to feel proud of our shared heritage, and to witness the power and possibilities of the arts within these familiar or unknown spaces,” says Jack Wong, GTF director.
Wong adds that GTF will utilise many spaces within and throughout Penang that are not typically used for the performing arts, including hidden and lesser-known spaces and heritage surroundings, such as clan associations and community spaces.
The GTF’s programme line-up includes dance, theatre and music productions, visual arts exhibitions, comedy, book launches, as well as a series of masterclasses, workshops and forums for participants to get involved in.
Besides highlighting our own Malaysian artists, GTF 2023 is also teaming up with the Australian High Commission and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia to collaborate with the artists from Australia and Taiwan in the event.
Check out some of the events from the George Town Festival 2023 that you’ll enjoy in their website.
