Tag: george town festival

Scenes from George Town Festival 2026

George Town Festival 2026, held from 1–9 August, once again transformed George Town into a vibrant celebration of art, culture and heritage under the theme “Beyond Boundaries.” Among the memorable highlights was Remembering Azmi, a moving outdoor short documentary that premiered on 8 August at Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, celebrating the life, art and legacy of beloved Penang cartoonist Azmi Hussin through the memories of his family, friends and collaborators. The festival also brought traditional and contemporary cultural experiences into George Town’s historic spaces, from shadow puppetry and giant puppets to film, music, theatre, dance, projection art and international collaborations, showing how Penang’s rich heritage continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in its community.

Penang Town Hall during George Town Festival

Terang, meaning “bright” in Malay, is a projection mapping spectacle by the Malaysian digital art collective Filamen. The showcase reimagines George Town’s historic Town Hall by turning its colonial facade into a radiant display of digital artistry, blending light, motion, and colour to create an immersive visual experience. This event will end tonight, as part of the George Town festival activities.

Penang Street Art (The ‘Sad Art’ Cement Eclipses Tiny Figure Miniatures)

During the George Town Festival, Spanish artist Isaac Cordal brought a unique touch to Penang by placing around 20 tiny cement sculptures—known as Cement Eclipses—throughout George Town. These small, somber-looking figures, about 17–20 cm tall, can be found perched on walls, ledges, and electrical boxes, often high above eye level. Blending quietly into the city’s heritage architecture, they invite passersby to pause, look up, and discover hidden corners of the city—like a little art treasure hunt tucked into the urban landscape.

Here is the list of locations where you can hunt/find these tiny art sculptures (note: some may no longer be there anymore or removed):

  • Armenian Street Junction (opposite the famous bicycle mural)
  • Biscotti Cafe, Beach Street
  • Warehouse 129, Beach Street
  • Fuku (side alley of the building), Beach Street
  • The Courtyard, Beach Street
  • Vietnamese Phở & Coffee @ Lean Thye 1951 (building’s back), Ah Quee Street
  • Lebuh Ah Quee Junction
  • 56, Lorong Pasar
  • Penang Straits and Oriental Museum, Stewart Lane
  • 39, Love Lane
  • 33, Love Lane
  • Journal George Town, Muntri Street
  • Green-colored Townhouses along Magazine Road
  • Curios-City Penang, Victoria Street
  • U.A.B Building Interior (closed at the time of this hunt)

George Town Festival 2019: Teatro Pavana’s Le Ballerine (Video)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLAFi8ZK8Ps?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

George Town Festival 2019’s WHEN NIGHT FALLS, which is held at the Esplanade area featuring Teatro Pavana performing Le Ballerine.

George Town Festival 2019: WHEN NIGHT FALLS

 

The first event of the 2019 George Town Festival is WHEN NIGHT FALLS, which is held at the Esplanade area from 13 to 14 July, 7pm to 11pm. The event is a series of performance and lights display, featuring the following:

  • Compagnie des Quidams from France performing FierS à Cheval
  • Moz Drums from France performing The Lighted Drummers
  • Teatro Pavana from The Netherlands performing Le Ballerine & Night Colors
  • FILAMEN, a local projection mapping community group which will showcase a variety of beautiful animated visuals onto the facade of the Penang Town Hall.

Penang George Town Festival

Penang George Town Festival

The Penang George Town Festival that ended recently is a month-long celebration of arts and cultural performance which is held annually (normally during mid-year, July to August period). Every year, the event attracts thousands of visitors and many art performers from around the world, quickly becoming one of Asia’s must see events. The George Town Festival was launched in 2010 as a recognition of George Town’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.