JB Festival 2026 brings Johor Bahru city centre back to life as RM25 million upgrade transforms urban space

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Menteri Besar Dato’ Onn Hafiz Ghazi attended the JB Festival 2026 at Dataran 0KM and Jalan Dato’ Onn in Johor Bahru, marking a visible milestone in the city centre’s revitalisation effort backed by RM25 million (S$7.8 million) in infrastructure and urban development funding.

The five-day festival, which ran from September 16 to 20, 2026, filled the city centre with artistic, cultural, sports, and community programming, including the Sarong Train, 0KM Neon Fun Run, Rentak Budaya, and ghazal and zapin performances. The JB Light Show illuminated the Johor Bahru City Hall building, accompanied by a fireworks display, while local traders offered products and food alongside the public events.

Dato’ Onn Hafiz described the most heartwarming moment as seeing the area come alive with visitors, noting that the festival simultaneously opened up commercial opportunities for traders and the local community.

“This effort not only beautifies the city’s appearance but also brings the public closer to the people and adds value to the local economy and community life,” he said in a translated post.

Why this matters for the JS-SEZ and RTS Link

With the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link set to open in January 2027, the revitalisation of Johor Bahru’s city centre takes on added significance. A more vibrant, well-maintained urban core with active programming, improved infrastructure, and a visible commercial ecosystem strengthens the city’s appeal as a destination for the tens of thousands of daily cross-border commuters the RTS Link is expected to generate.

The RM25 million investment in city centre infrastructure is, in that sense, also an investment in the visitor economy that the RTS Link is expected to activate.