Music in Malaysia is widely varied. The recording industry is slow-growing but quite large, and music education is on the rise alongside the growing middle classes. From punk rock to symphonies, the Klang Valley is littered with venues to listen to and make music in.
Traditional musics from our various cultures are practiced in places like the Temple of Fine Arts or Aswara. You would find jazz music at Alexis, Mezze, No Black Tie or Suzie Wong’s. Indie music happens at The Bee or Gaslight Cafe or Merdekarya. Specialty spots like Bobo KL and Theatre Lounge Cafe program anything from cabaret performances to chamber musicals. Local punk spaces Rumah Api and Tandang Record Store are known voices within the alternative scene.
Malaysia also boasts a vibrant festival scene. For example, The Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching is an annual event founded in 2001 and boasted an estimated attendance of 30,000 in 2017. Some of the main festivals in the Klang Valley include the Rock The World, KL Jazz Festival and Urbanscapes. A recent addition is the K-pop focused K-Wave Festival. Outside, there's the Good Vibes Festival in Genting, Penang Island Jazz Festival, Borneo Jazz Festival, Sunset Music Festival in Sabah and more.