Over 6,500 festival-goers invaded Horse Ranch, Resorts World Genting over the weekend, thanks to the annual multi-arts festival, Urbanscapes 2014! It was definitely the place to be as there was something for everyone – food lovers, music enthusiasts and art admirers – who braved the rain to have a great time and enjoy the show.
The entire festival grounds, which was divided into three sections, had tons of attractions. First, there was the main Urbanscapes stage, where Bassment Syndicate, Paperplane Pursuit, OJ Law, The Lemonheads, Local Natives and Kimbra performed their famous hits.
Then, there was North Bangsar, which housed music acts such as Hameer Zawawi, Faiq & The Manja Mob, Lawrence Graham’s DJ set, Azyml Yunor and of course, comedy hour by local comedian Kuah Jenhan’s alter-ego, Jon Mayor, and Terry & The Cuz, who presented a parody with a hilarious storyline.
Last but not least, was the Upfront Tent, featuring the chilled-out tunes of artistes such as Jumero, The Cotton Field Scarecrowes, Ali Aiman, June Marieezy, Najwa, Jagwar Ma and Kopigo.
Besides the live music, there was an arts and craft tent with local vendors selling everything from sunblock to shoes; a DIY flower crown booth at the Market Of Experiences tent; food trucks at the Food Village that served up everything from coconut shakes to tacos, burgers and cakes; and the art installation by social enterprise, The Biji Biji Initiative, which educates people about the power of water.
Also there was The Star, which played its part in educating young Malaysians about the importance of a moderate Malaysia through its Voices of Moderation campaign at its booth.
Passers-by who registered for the Eliminate Extremism Challenge were given three darts to pop balloons that had words such as discrimination, racism, bigotry, tolerance and extremism, and were rewarded for their efforts with T-shirts and postcards.
To show their support, they took pictures at the photoboard and posted it on social media with the hashtag #moderateMY. With the ‘Brave Views, Bold Ideas’ ethos, the campaign by the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM), in partnership with The Star, aims to get more young Malaysians involved in achieving national moderation by encouraging unbiased and open discussion.
Overall, Urbanscapes attendees had largely glowing reviews of the festival. Jervinn Lim, 24, said “I think the layout of the attractions that were available here was well thought out. Although there were different stages playing different music, the overall ambience that was created really helped everyone to have a good time.”
Another concert-goer Kenneshwaran Kandiah, 32, said, “There was just so much to see and do – I ate, drank, shopped, got a massage, listened to music and had an awesome time doing it all – it was everything I expected and so much more!”
If you weren’t there, don’t worry, we’ve got more pictures from the festival!
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