5 Truly Johorean Festivals You’ll Want to Experience First-Hand
Photo Source: Xinhuanet
When Johor celebrates, it doesn’t hold back.
From dragons dancing through the streets of Johor Bahru to kites blanketing the skies, every festival here is one of heritage, community, and pride. Johor’s festivals are a feast for the senses and you don’t know what you’re missing until you’re experiencing it in person.
Here are five uniquely Johorean festivals that deserve a spot on your travel calendar.
1. Johor Bahru Chingay Parade
Photo Source: Xinhuanet
Once a year, the busy streets of downtown Johor Bahru are closed to make way for dragons, fireworks, and drums. Also celebrated in Penang and Singapore, Johor’s Chingay parades may be the oldest - celebrated annually since 1870.
Held on the 21st day of the first month of the Lunar New Year, the sight of lion and dragon dancers swirling through the night, accompanied by floats, incense smoke, and cheering crowds, is pure sensory overload.
The Johor Bahru Chingay Parade is held to honour the five deities from the Johor Bahru Old Chinese Temple. This temple itself has a fascinating history, being a common place of worship for the different Chinese dialect groups. In fact, each of the deities housed in the temple are separately worshipped by each group.
If you ever wanted to see faith, history, and festivity fuse into one spectacle, Chingay night in JB is where you want to be.
2. Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival
Image Source: Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival
Every February or March, the skies above Pasir Gudang turn into a moving canvas of color and imagination.
Held at the aptly-named Bukit Layang-Layang since 1995, the annual event attracts participants from over 40 countries to compete, collaborate, and showcase their magnificent creations.
From traditional wau bulan to 3D figures that appear to defy gravity, the kites fly late into the day, with special glowing designs that take advantage of the night sky. On the ground, it’s a carnival atmosphere — food stalls, cultural performances, and local crafts filling out the festive energy.
The Pasir Gudang World Kite Festival isn’t just family-friendly, it inspires awe and sparks creativity regardless of age.
3. Ombak Festival
Photo Source: Ombak Festival At Desaru Coast Johor
Down by Desaru Coast, the Ombak Festival is Johor’s beachside celebration of music, art, and - in their own words - “The Ultimate Weekend experience”.
The festival is composed of Music, Arts, Food, and Kids Activities, so yes, the festival is completely family-friendly. In fact, children under 12 get to enter for free!
The music performances are headlined by international and local acts, while chefs and mixologists ensure you’re well-fed and watered with everything from Johorean classics to modern fusion. Meanwhile, the arts area offers exhibitions, performances and workshops, and pop-up stalls.
4. National Pineapple Day (Hari Nanas Malaysia)
Image Source: Buletin TV3
You may not know this, but most local pineapples available in the market are grown in Johor. In fact, the largest pineapple production base in Malaysia is in Johor, in a town named - you guessed it - Pekan Nanas.
While pineapple-producing towns have been hosting local pineapple festivals for a while, the celebrations were taken to the national level for the first time on June 27th 2025. Johor became host to a 3-day celebration of pineapples, including a pineapple tart competition, concerts, and food.
The festival will be held once every two years. This means that, if you love pineapples, set a reminder for June 27th 2027.
5. Festival Kota Selatan
Photo Source: Utusan Malaysia
If you’re looking for a festival that’s truly, purely an unadulterated experience of everything Johor, Festival Kota Selatan is it.
The festival is a culturally rich celebration that brings together traditional dance, theatre, and crafts. It’s where you’ll see performances of Zapin, Kuda Kepang, and Ghazal Johor, alongside modern interpretations by young performers.
Between the performances, you’ll find local food stalls, local craft markets, and interactive workshops. It’s all of Johor, condensed.
In Johor, every celebration tells a story
Photo Source : @UiHua Cheah
From modern festivals to century-old tradition, each festival is rooted in Johor’s rich history, culture, and geography.
In fact, it’s even possible to have a themed road trip purely based on visiting towns with the most fantastical (but some true!) name origin stories.
If that’s not enough culture for one trip, you can just hop on a ferry to Batam at Berjaya Waterfront, where new stories, flavours, and festivals await.