Get ready for the ultimate “ocean wave” cause Desaru Coast is launching the ultimate coastal weekend celebration with Ombak Festival. The 3-day event is set to take place between 13th to 15th September 2024, featuring four captivating elements: music & performances, visual arts & craft, F&B, and Ombak Kids.
During this duration at the award-winning destination resort, guests will get to experience 16 hours of Ombak Main Stage programming with the highlight being 3 special international headliners – pop culture icon Grace Jones, R&B Hall of Famer Macy Gray, and Swedish band The Cardigans – all of whom are expected to perform their biggest hits onstage.
Ombak Festival is the epitome of all values that Desaru Coast holds, offering vibrant high-quality outdoor events with a distinctly Malaysian flair, that appeal to all in a natural and authentic way.
Karina Ridzuan, Director of Ombak Festival, said: “Ombak Festival is an international festival with a Malaysian soul. It is intentionally diverse, melding the international and local, the young and old, heritage and contemporary elements. In addition to Grace Jones’s Asia-exclusive performance and Macy Gray’s 25th anniversary show, we also have local stars, including Alena Murang, Thee Marloes, Aisyah Aziz, Bunga and Masdo, taking the stage.
“This juxtaposition is also seen in our kids, F&B, and arts programmes, as we pair Star Wars with the distinctly Malaysian heritage of wayang kulit; the collaboration of chefs from different culinary backgrounds; and UiTM’s Segaris Art Centre’s installations together with Kota Tinggi School students, which underpins a year-round collaboration that exposes the younger generation of Johoreans to new forms of eco-conscious art.
“With more than 50 events on the cards, Ombak Festival guests can mix and match food, art, and music offerings at their own pace, supported by world-class facilities. It’s a carefully curated programme for festival goers of all ages to enjoy with the people they love – their partners, friends, and children – making it The Ultimate Weekend.”
Karina expressed hope that the success of Ombak Festival’s party-as-you-go format will beget future editions. “We hope to build on this in the coming years, placing Desaru Coast and Johor on the regional festival map in the run up to Visit Johor Year 2026. Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of the local councils and communities within the Greater Desaru region, who worked with us to make Ombak Festival a reality.”
The Ultimate Weekend for All
In addition the Ombak Main Stage, the beats continue on the beach, where festival goers can either chill to scintillating Nanyang jazz by The Shang Sisters and WVC Jazz; sway to the Latin rhythms by Cuban high-energy band Havana Jazz Tumbao; or dance the night away to the Afro-Latin beats of DJ Güpson Pierre or the eclectic selections of Disko Santan.
An explosion of Malaysian and international food experiences await, as the region’s top chefs and mixologists undertake exciting kitchen takeovers and showcases to spotlight Malaysian flavours and produce. Festival goers can look forward to culinary offerings from Ember Beach Club Brunch by Chef Andrew Walsh; Kitchen Takeover by Carbon KL, which sees ingredients and seasonal produce prepared using contemporary grilling techniques; and Latin Street Flavours by Feliz, which spotlights the vibrant and diverse flavours of Peru. Drink devotees can down Flavours of Borneo Ombak Festival-exclusive concoctions crafted by mixologists from renowned Malaysian cocktail bars Reka:bar and Vér, with tapas by Chocha Foodstore.
Art lovers will be captivated by intricate installations that celebrate Malaysia’s and the region’s artistic heritage, from the mesmerising fluid metal sculptures of Abdul Multhalib Musa – one of Malaysia’s young leading contemporary sculptors – to the participatory Shore Debris Table installation by artist and photographer Ernest Goh of Ayer Ayer. Ombak Festival will also feature two marketplaces – a Southeast Asian fashion and lifestyle collection curated by Dia Guild, and local artisanal designs at Lokal Market – with offerings that are environmentally and socially conscious and accessible to all.
The fun extends to even the youngest of guests through Ombak Kids and its programme of family-friendly activities. From the Silent Disco Kids edition to Mereka Garden Games; from Junglewalla eco-adventures and Flying Kites to Sailing Jongs – there will be a variety of interactive workshops, thrilling games, and engaging entertainment for the young and the young at heart to revel in.
For more information on the Ombak Festival Stay Packages and the 3-day event, click here.
