At the first event, the pop-ups ranged from fashion brands to homeware and artisanal soaps, drawing curious crowds of bargain hunters, young families and fashion-forward urbanites from around town. Visitors were also treated to In Bloom, a visual exhibition by artist Sharina Shahrin, and entertained by the likes of local singer-songwriter Russell Curtis, and Disko Santan, a collective of vinyl enthusiasts and DJs. Those interested in more hands-on activities could also attend art and floral workshops by Biji-biji Initiative and Flora by Liz.

A Malaysian event wouldn’t be complete without food. On top of RIUH’s line-up of food and drink pop-ups, the organisers also teamed up with Agak Agak, a modern Malaysian fusion restaurant, to launch their own version of the nasi lemak burger – complete with sambal, ayam berempah and runny telur mata sandwiched between two buns. According to founders Ili Sulaiman and Basira Yeusuff, the idea behind the dish was to “Celebrate Malaysia’s favourite dish by bringing together both flavours and people.”

With an estimated 6,500 visitors at RIUH, Affendy notes the turnout for their maiden edition exceeded expectations. Some even travelled from neighbouring states just to check out the festival.

“Most importantly, the brands and vendors were happy with the sales that they made. We treat every partner like family, so when they are happy, we are happy too,” he says.