Large-scale drama and dance shows are staged here, as well as music performances by the National Symphony Orchestra and National Choir. The building's soaring roof is based on a traditional Malay floral decoration of betel leaves, while the columned interior invokes a provincial colonialism. There’s a dress code of no shorts and no short-sleeved shirts.
Shutterstock / Yojik
Istana Budaya
Kuala Lumpur
Contact
Address
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
1.25 MILES
Resembling twin silver rockets, the Petronas Towers are the perfect allegory for the meteoric rise of the city from tin-mining shanty town to 21st-century…
1.48 MILES
Although the Petronas Towers are taller, the 421m Menara KL, rising from the crest of Bukit Nanas, offers the best city views. The bulb at the top…
Forest Research Institute Malaysia
6.07 MILES
A fresh green haven in easy reach of Kuala Lumpur, the 545-hectare Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is an active centre of forest management…
Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad
1.84 MILES
This graceful, onion-domed mosque, designed by British architect AB Hubback, borrows Mogul and Moorish styles with its brick-and-plaster banded minarets…
3.77 MILES
Sitting atop leafy Robson Heights, this vividly decorated multistorey Chinese temple, dedicated to Thean Hou, the heavenly queen, affords wonderful views…
2.46 MILES
Inhabiting a building that's nearly as impressive as its collection, this museum showcases Islamic decorative arts from around the globe. Scale models of…
1.9 MILES
The huge open square, where Malaysian independence was declared in 1957, is speared by a 95m flagpole, one of the world's tallest. In the British era, the…
1.49 MILES
At the heart of the mammoth KLCC development, this excellent park offers a 1.3km soft-surface jogging track, a great children's playground and paddling…
Nearby Kuala Lumpur attractions
1. National Visual Arts Gallery
0.11 MILES
The artworks on display at the NVAG are worth a trip out of central KL for their inventiveness and sheer scale. In rotating exhibitions by regional…
0.31 MILES
For a postcard-perfect view of the city skyline, head to Lake Titiwangsa and the relaxing tree-filled park that surrounds it. It's a pleasant spot for…
0.72 MILES
Founded in the late 1880s, this is Kampung Baru's principal mosque; it has been expanded and now sports a handsome gateway decorated with eye-catching…
0.75 MILES
Southeast Asia's largest Sikh temple is the spiritual home of KL’s Sikh community. There’s been a temple and school here since 1918, though the present…
0.75 MILES
Take language classes and attend French-themed exhibitions and events at this outpost of the French institution.
0.77 MILES
This daily wet market, serving the working class of Chow Kit, packs a heady, chaotic atmosphere. It sprawls across several blocks including new sheds, old…
0.81 MILES
Search out this handsome traditional Malay home of former school headmaster. Built in 1921, the blue-painted palladian style house is raised on stone…
0.82 MILES
A modern concrete and blue glass gateway marks the entry to this neighbourhood of traditional Malay wooden houses. Gazetted by the British in 1899,…