Things to do in & near Malaysia this May 2025
If there’s anything that we love about Malaysia more than our food, it’s our public holidays. In May, we have two long weekends and the Term 1 school holidays ahead to relish before we officially hit that mid-year mark of 2025.
With short trips to Singapore and Thailand on the cards with no ALs required, we rounded up a list of things to do in and near Malaysia this May, so the grown-ups can maximise their weekends and parents can spend quality time with their kiddos.
Table of Contents
- Things to do in & near Malaysia this May 2025
- 1. KL Illustration Fair 2025
- 2. Dream with DIMOO pop-up
- 3. Sunny Side Up Market
- 4. Mummy & Me Floral Jam
- 5. Cinco de Mayo Street Fiesta
- 6. Cardcaptor Sakura Exhibition: The Enchanted Museum
- 7. Nintendo Pop-Up Store
- 8. One Piece Asia Hunt
- 9. Merunkai Binkai at National Art Gallery
- 10. My Hero Academia at Doko Koko
- 11. KAWS:HOLIDAY THAILAND
- 12. Market Lane
- 13. LEGO Botanicals Mother’s Day Pop-Up
- 14. Pingmin Market
- 15. Sun-Star Stationery: MOOMIN x Peanuts
- 16. Wonders Of Nature at New Art Museum Singapore
- 17. Comic Art Festival
- 18. Chainsaw Man Pop-Up
- 19. Hin Sunday Market
- 20. Artist-Made Collection by SEVENTEEN POP-UP
- 21. Shonen Jump Pop-Up Shop at Kinokuniya Malaysia
1. KL Illustration Fair 2025
Kuala Lumpur – 1st-4th May
Image credit: @klillustrationfair via Instagram
The annual KL Illustration Fair is back this May with exhibits and booths highlighting 160 talented artists from Malaysia and around Asia. Get to meet and support regional artists by purchasing various art goods at booths spread across three floors at GMBB.
Event-goers can also hear straight from the voices of artists at free art talks held during the 4-day event, with guest speakers involved including the animation studio behind Ejen Ali and spotlighted artists from Malaysia and China.
Admission: RM20/pax. Purchase tickets here.
Venue: GMBB
Dates: 1st-4th May 2025
Time: 11am-8pm
Contact: KL Illustration Fair Instagram
2. Dream with DIMOO pop-up
Kuala Lumpur – 20th-25th May
A Dimoo pop-up in China.
Image credit: Pop Mart World
Besides checking out the huge new Pop Mart store at TRX this May, blind box collectors can visit a pop-up dedicated to the adorably shy Dimoo at Pavilion KL.
Called Dream with Dimoo, the event is a first for the China toy company in Malaysia, with previous pop-ups for Crybaby held in neighbouring Singapore and Thailand. This time around, the whimsy and dreamlike world of Dimoo and his companions are brought to life for fans in Malaysia who can’t get enough of him.
Admission: Free
Venue: Centre Court, Level 2, Pavilion KL
Dates: 20th-25th May 2025
Time: 10am-10pm
Contact: Pop Mart Malaysia Instagram
3. Sunny Side Up Market
Kuala Lumpur – 3rd & 4th May
Image adapted from: @wildflowerculture, @sheenmakespots via Instagram
If you’re looking to shop one-of-a-kind gifts for your mum this Mother’s Day, Sunny Side Up Market is having a Mother’s Day edition bazaar with pop-up vendors selling all sorts of homemade and artisanal goods. Browse gift-ready goodies from Styled Diary, dreamy acrylic prints from Wildflower Culture, delicate ceramics from Sheen Makes Pots, and more.
Admission: Free
Venue: Slate at The Row
Date: 3rd & 4th May 2025
Time: 12pm-7pm
Contact: Sunny Side Up Market Instagram
4. Mummy & Me Floral Jam
Kuala Lumpur – 4th May
Image credit: @lulea.kl via Instagram
To spend quality time with mum this Mother’s Day, join the Mommy & Me Floral Jam by florist LULEA. The workshop includes light refreshments, unlimited flower picks from a flower bar, plus handy tips and tricks from a professional florist during the DIY bouquet session.
The best part is that you get to bring home your unique creation. In essence, you’re really paying for a bespoke bouquet, a fun learning experience, and precious time with your loved ones, all rolled into one.
Admission: RM300 for adults and RM150 for kids aged 18 and below
Venue: Kota Spaces, Empire Damansara
Date: 4th May 2025, Sunday
Time: 11am-1pm
Contact: LULEA KL Instagram
5. Cinco de Mayo Street Fiesta
Kuala Lumpur – 3rd May
Image credit: @spiritssyndicate via Instagram
If you’re looking for a reason to dress loud and eat well, REXKL is throwing a 1-day only Cinco de Mayo Street Fiesta that promises all the right kind of weekend chaos. The event will spill out onto the streets of KL, boasting the kind of energy that you’d expect when you bring together tentalising grub from food vendors, upbeat tunes from live performers, and cocktails with Mexican flavours.
Admission: Free
Venue: REXKL, 80, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
Date: 3rd May 2025, Sunday
Time: 12pm-10pm
Contact: REXKL Instagram
6. Cardcaptor Sakura Exhibition: The Enchanted Museum
Kuala Lumpur – 12th April to 11th June 2025
There are some anime series we never truly outgrow, and Cardcaptor Sakura is that for many of us. To throw yourself into Sakura’s world of cards and magic, head to the Cardcaptor Sakura Exhibition: The Enchanted Museum at Incubase Arena.
It has eight zones to explore, including an interactive flower room where visitors are given a flower sticker to paste on any surface of the room and the highlight photo zone with a larger-than-life installation of the adorable Kero-Chan.
Admission: RM50/adult and RM25/kids. Purchase tickets here.
Venue: INCUBASE Arena Malaysia, Level 2, Fahrenheit 88
Dates: 12th April to 11th June 2025
Time: 10am-10pm
7. Nintendo Pop-Up Store
Singapore – Now till 24th July
Nintendo Pop-Up Store in Singapore in 2023.
Image credit: Nintendo
The Nintendo Pop-Up Store is back at Singapore’s Changi Airport for a limited time only. Find over 500 pieces of Nintendo merch from games like Super Mario, Animal Crossing, and The Legend of Zelda here, plus over 150 hard-to-get items available only in Japan – the pop-up is the only store outside of Japan, after all.
There’s something for every Nintendo fan here, from cute collectibles like the Nintendo Statue series, to character-themed homeware like Super Mario Mushroom salt and pepper shakers.
Admission: Free
Venue: Jewel Changi Airport, #04-227, 78 Airport Boulevard 819666 Singapore
Dates: 25th April-24th July 2025
Time: 10am-10pm, Daily
8. One Piece Asia Hunt
Selangor – 10th May-10th June
Image credit: @onepiece.opah via Instagram
One Piece fans are in for a treat with the One Piece Asia Hunt in Malaysia. Feel just like a character from the popular anime during the treasure hunt event, with participants having to solve mysteries, complete challenges, and search for hidden treasures around SplashMania. The water park venue will bring all those adventuring and pirating vibes alive for fans, for sure.
Admission: RM168 for adults and RM128 for children. Purchase tickets here.
Venue: SplashMania Waterpark, Jalan Cove Sentral 4, Bandar Gamuda Cove, 42700 Dengkil, Selangor
Dates: 10th May-10th June 2025
Time: 10am-6pm
Contact: One Piece Asia Hunt Instagram
9. Merunkai Binkai at National Art Gallery
Kuala Lumpur – April 2025-April 2027
Image credit: @nationalartgallerymy via Instagram
Culture vultures are invited to descend on the National Art Gallery in KL for the Merunkai Binkai immersive exhibition, which promises an experience that transcends dimensions through modern innovations like AI and AR. This new cutting-edge exhibition highlights 34 works from the gallery’s permanent Visual Art Collection in a dynamic digital space, and runs until April 2027.
Admission: Free
Venue: National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Negara), KL
Dates: April 2025-April 2027
Time: 9am-5pm
Contact: National Art Gallery Instagram
10. My Hero Academia at Doko Koko
Kuala Lumpur – 10th May-6th July 2025
A Love and Deepspace collaboration at Doko Koko cafe.
Image credit: @dokokoko_dkkk via Instagram
Doko Koko Cafe, an anime-themed cafe in LaLaport BBCC, is set to launch a My Hero Academia collaboration café this May, featuring a fan-centred themed experience with everything from specially-designed food offerings and exclusive official merch.
Set in a fully transformed themed space that is sure to delight fans of the series, the event will bring in dishes like Deku’s One For All Pasta, and limited edition official goods produced by Doko Koko.
Admission: Free
Venue: Doko Koko Cafe, LaLaport BBCC
Dates: 10th May-6th July 2025
Time: 10am-10pm
Contact: Doko Koko Cafe Instagram
11. KAWS:HOLIDAY THAILAND
Thailand – 13th-25th May
Image credit: @centralembassy via Instagram
We are all no strangers to the iconic works of the genre-defying artist, KAWS. This May in Thailand’s Sanam Luang state park, you can see a towering 18-metre sculpture of his celebrated COMPANION cradling an illuminated moon, with a smaller COMPANION in his lap.
Located next to the popular tourist attraction, Grand Palace, the sculpture celebrates the legacies of knowledge, values, and care, and underscores the links between past, present, and future.
Admission: Free
Venue: Sanam Luang, Ratchadamnoen Klang Rd, Khwaeng Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
Dates: 13th-25th May 2025
Time: 7am-10pm, Daily
12. Market Lane
Kuala Lumpur – 9th May
Image credit: Heart Patrick
The Exchange TRX is set to open up a vibrant new precinct for art, retail, and food on its ground floor called Market Lane. You can expect to catch pop-up markets, workshops, and even live music performances weekly in this space, which is set to become KL’s new hub for creativity and community.
Address: Ground Floor, The Exchange TRX, Persiaran TRX, Imbi, 55188 Kuala Lumpur
Opening date: 9th May 2025
13. LEGO Botanicals Mother’s Day Pop-Up
Selangor – 9th-12th May
Image credit: LEGO
Everyone’s favourite brick toy brand is back with another exciting pop-up, this time in conjunction with Mother’s Day. Called the LEGO Botanicals Mother’s Day Pop-Up, this event at Sunway Pyramid will feature floral-themed building activities, special promotions, and giveaways for you to celebrate with the special women in your life.
Expect things like complimentary LEGO roses during the Free Flower Hour, and Rose & Daisy Make & Take Activities from 10th to 12th May where you can bring home LEGO Botanicals brick flower sets you build on-site.
If you can’t make it to Sunway Pyramid, you can participate in the Mini Orchid Make & Take activity at all LEGO Certified Stores in Malaysia at selected timings:
- 3rd & 4th May – LEGO Certified Stores at Mid Valley Megamall, Sunway Velocity, Sunway Pyramid & tHe Spring Kuching
- 10th & 11th May – LEGO Certified Store at 1 Utama, Mid Valley Southkey, AEON MALL Bandaraya Melaka & KLCC
Admission: Free
Venue: Sunway Pyramid, Selangor
Dates: 9th-12th May 2025
Time: 10am-10pm, Daily
14. Pingmin Market
Selangor – 2nd-4th and 9th-11th May
Image credit: @pingminmarket via Instagram
KL event hoppers perk their ears at the mention of Pingmin Market, a regular event in the Klang Valley area. They have several markets lined up this May, including Peejay Peeps, which features over 60 vendors offering food and gifts from local small businesses – the perfect place to grab unique gifts for Mum or just spend a relaxing weekend with the fam.
Admission: Free
Venue: Atwater, Petaling Jaya
Dates: 9th-12th May 2025
Time: 12pm-10pm, Daily
Contact: Pingmin Market Instagram
15. Sun-Star Stationery: MOOMIN x Peanuts
Kuala Lumpur – Now till 15th May
Image credit: @eslite.my via Instagram
With the journaling trend going strong among younger Millennials and Gen Zs, aesthetic Japanese stationery brands are more popular than ever.
Until 15th May, fans of Moomin, Peanuts, Disney, Chiikawa, and mofusand can find merch from Japan’s Sun-Star Stationery at eslite Bookstore. Check out this pop-up for themed notebooks, pouches, sticker packs, and more for your journaling needs, or just for cute item retail therapy.
Admission: Free
Venue: eslite Bookstore, KL
Dates: Now till 15th May 2025
Time: 10am-10pm, Daily
16. Wonders Of Nature at New Art Museum Singapore
Singapore – 5th April-5th October
Image credit: @mabel_koh via Instagram
If Singapore is on your travel radar, here’s one more reason to book a ticket. The Wonders of Nature exhibition, now on show at New Art Museum Singapore, features quirky artworks that’ll heal your inner child and a pop-up cafe called Waga Waga that serves matcha drinks and light bites.
Image credit: @drshaunatan via Instagram
The exhibition showcases a perfect blend of modern flair and global creativity, with iconic dotted artworks of Yayoi Kusama displayed alongside creative pieces by fellow Japanese artists like Go Yayanagi, Go Ogawa, Masato Inagaki, and Yuji Kanamaru. There’s even a fun ball pit installation that the kiddos will enjoy here.
Admission: $18 (~RM59.23) | Free for kids under 7 & seniors over 60. Purchase tickets here.
Venue: New Art Museum Singapore, 39 Keppel Road, Singapore 089065
Dates: 5th April-5th October 2025
Time: Tue-Sun 11am-7pm (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: New Art Museum Instagram
17. Comic Art Festival
Kuala Lumpur – 31st May-1st June
Image credit: Comic Art Festival Kuala Lumpur via Facebook
Calling all fans of illustration and comic art – the 9th edition of the annual Comic Art Festival lands at Fahrenheit88 this May. This event, which highlights artists and illustrative culture in Malaysia, features retail booths, meet and greets, life drawing sessions, panels, and art battles.
Drop by here if you’re looking to be inspired or meet with like-minded creatives from around the Southeast Asian region, and want to pick up illustration art goods.
Admission: Free
Venue: Fahrenheit88, KL
Dates: 31st May to 1st June 2025
Time: 10am-10pm
Contact: Comic Art Festival Instagram
18. Chainsaw Man Pop-Up
Kuala Lumpur – Now until further notice
There’s a new Japanese anime exhibition at Pavilion Bukit Jalil, this time for the shōnen manga-turned-anime, Chainsaw Man. The first of its kind in Malaysia, this themed exhibition has photo spots to pose with characters, game zones where you can win merch, and a themed cafe with Chainsaw Man-inspired food, drinks, and desserts.
Admission: From RM25/pax. Purchase tickets here.
Venue: Lot 3.102, 3.103 & 3.58, Level 3 (Pink Zone), Pavilion Bukit Jalil
Dates: 19th April 2025 until further notice
Time: 10am-10pm
19. Hin Sunday Market
Penang – 3rd-31st May
Image credit: @harrychaiyanda via Instagram
The Hin Bus Depot weekend market in Penang is a lively affair that has something for everyone. From mouthwatering food to sustainable shopping and handmade goods by local artisans, it’s the perfect weekend hangout. With live music and a breezy open-air setting, you’ve got an experience worth visiting all throughout the month.
Image credit: @hinbusdepot via Instagram
If you’re someone who loves tapping into your artsy side, Hin Bus Depot is also hosting an art exhibition this May. They’ve collaborated with CULT Gallery for a Ways of Seeing showcase to shine a light on up-and-coming talents in the local art scene.
This year’s group exhibition features seven emerging artists, each presenting a full body of work instead of just a single piece. You get a deeper, more insider look into the different ways artists are shaping their creative voices through unique methods and materials.
Admission: Free
Hin Market
Venue: 59A, Jalan Timah, 10030 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Dates: 3rd-31st May 2025 (Weekends)
Time: 11am-5pm
Contact: Hin Market Instagram
Hin Bus Depot Exhibition Space
Venue: 31A, Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Dates: 1st-18th May
Time: 12pm-7pm (Weekdays), 11am-7pm (Weekends)
Contact: Hin Bus Depot Instagram
20. Artist-Made Collection by SEVENTEEN POP-UP
Singapore – 10th-31st May 2025
SEVENTEEN’s Artist-Made Collection in Manila.
Image credit: X
While SEVENTEEN is yet to announce its next concert in Malaysia, local CARATS can at least visit a pop-up happening in Singapore for merch from the group’s Artist-Made Collection. The line features personal curations by the members, with items like plushies, rice bowl sets, and a range of beauty goods – a departure from the usual t-shirts and photocards offerings at K-pop merch pop-ups.
Fans of the group can even get their hands on free portrait postcards with purchases, and create custom keychains with group-themed charms.
Admission: Free
Venue: Level 2, Atrium, BUGIS, 201 Victoria Street, Singapore
Dates: 10th-31st May 2025
Time: 10am-10pm
21. Shonen Jump Pop-Up Shop at Kinokuniya Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur – Now until further notice
Image credit: @kinokuniyamalaysia via Instagram
Avid anime fans will want to check out the Shonen Jump Pop-Up Shop at Kinokuniya Malaysia in Suria KLCC. The pop-up stand carries all sorts of anime merch, including blind packs, acrylic stands, and enamel pins of popular series like Demon Slayer, Naruto, Jujutsu Kaisen, and other iconic series under the Shonen Jump magazine.
Admission: Free
Venue: Kinokuniya Malaysia, KL
Dates: Now until further notice
Time: 10am-10pm
The best things to do in and near Malaysia this May 2025
There always seems to be something happening anywhere in and around Malaysia, no matter the time of year – but this month’s offerings include numerous noteworthy ones you should check out, especially if you’re looking for things to do with the fam this May 2025. So bookmark this article to make sure you’re never out of places to see and things to do.
Cover image adapted from: @onepiece.opah via Instagram, @nationalartgallerymy via Instagram, LEGO, @kinokuniyamalaysia via Instagram