Children and families came together to celebrate Malaysia’s cultural diversity through art, creativity and shared experiences at Artsense Carnival 2026: Colours of Malaysia held at Megah Rise Mall, Petaling Jaya, from Sept 4 to 6, 2026.
The three-day carnival brought Malaysian heritage to life through activities where young participants can see, create and participate in – from traditional art and cultural workshops to performances, competitions and exhibitions.
Among the main attractions were Malaysia Art & Culture Workshops where children learned traditional crafts like batik, Wayang Kulit paper puppetry, Deepavali decorations, felt Chinese fan-making and Merdeka-themed painting.
The carnival also featured the “100 Sun Bear, 100 Malaysian Stories” art showcase created by young participants, alongside a Kids Bazaar, performances and competitions.
Saturday’s programme lineup included the CMDC Dance Competition by Dance Zone, International Children Drawing Contest by JCI Petaling Jaya, Public Speaking by ChampsMan Academy and a Kids DJ Performance by DJS Playground.
The programme continued on Sunday with an award presentation for the “100 Sun Bear” Art Certificates, CMDC Dance Competition and Kids DJ performance.
Artsense founder and director Shawn Yap said the carnival is built entirely around seeing Malaysia’s heritage, traditions and daily life through the direct artistic lens of children.
“Seeing the children experience Malaysia’s culture through art and then express it in their own way is exactly what we hoped to achieve with Artsense Carnival.
“What makes it even more meaningful is seeing children of different backgrounds and abilities creating and learning together.
“We hope this experience encourages them to stay curious about the culture, places and stories that make Malaysia unique,” he said.
The carnival complements both the Visit Malaysia 2026 and Visit Selangor 2026 campaigns, with support from Tourism Malaysia and Tourism Selangor. It encourages families to explore Malaysia’s heritage and destinations through a child’s unique perspective.
Tourism Selangor corporate strategy manager Halim Hamdan, speaking on behalf of Tourism Selangor chief executive officer Chua Yee Ling, stated that the Artsense Carnival 2026 connects children’s creative expression with education, community participation and destination promotion to support the Visit Selangor 2026 agenda.
Artsense Studio partnered with the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) as the official charity partner to support and guide autistic children.
Children from Nasom took part alongside other kids to share art and learning, while special artwork created by the autism community was also displayed at the carnival.
The carnival also featured the “Malaysia Through Your Eyes” drawing and colouring competition, organised in collaboration with JCI Petaling Jaya, bringing together 100 young participants.
Artsense hopes to expand the carnival into an annual nationwide platform, starting with Selangor, with future editions targeting Melaka, Johor and Penang.
