Venue
National Sports Complex, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Malaysia Open Badminton, Kuala Lumpur guide
Badminton's season opener in Kuala Lumpur.
In short
The Malaysia Open is usually held in January at the start of the BWF World Tour season. As a Super 1000 event it draws the leading singles players and doubles pairs, and home crowds are loud when Malaysians reach the later rounds. It suits badminton fans; book tickets for the knockout stages early.
The Malaysia Open is the tournament that starts the badminton year. As one of the few Super 1000 events, the top grade of the BWF World Tour, it draws every leading singles player and doubles pair to Kuala Lumpur for the first serious test of the season.
It is also one of the oldest titles in the sport. Malaysians follow badminton closely, and when a home pair reaches the later rounds the stands fill and the noise rarely lets up.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 31 January 2027
Where: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Venue: Axiata Arena
Held: Every year
Type of event: Sporting Events
Nearest airport: Kuala Lumpur (KUL) · 1 flight route
Currency: Malaysian ringgit (RM, MYR)
Time zone: UTC+8, no daylight saving
Language: Malay (Bahasa Malaysia), English widely used
Map
Close to the venue
- Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia Attraction · 9.8 km
- Kuala Lumpur Bird Park Attraction · 9.9 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
When tickets go on sale and which days sell out
Prices and sale dates for the coming edition had not been released by late October 2026. When they appear, act on the last two days first.
- Early rounds
- group-stage and first knockout sessions rarely sell out, so you can often decide on the day.
- Semi-finals and finals
- these go quickly, and faster still while Malaysian players remain in the draw.
- Session tickets
- a session can run for hours with matches back to back, so find out if your ticket allows re-entry before you step out for food.
A warm layer and cheering in the arena
The air conditioning inside the arena runs cold, and a long session in a T-shirt becomes uncomfortable by the second match. Bring a light jacket or long sleeves even though it is hot outside.
Bags are checked at the doors, so a small one gets you through faster. Leave anything bulky at the hotel.
Cheering is loud and welcome, especially for home players, but the hall goes quiet as a player prepares to serve. Follow the crowd: applaud good rallies from either side and save the noise for the end of a point. If you are sensitive to sound, foam earplugs help when a Malaysian pair reaches a deciding game.
What happens on the day
- First weekdays
Singles group stage
48 players per singles draw play group matches; stands are quieter and you can sit close to court.
- Throughout
Doubles knockout
Doubles runs as a straight 32-pair knockout from the start.
- Middle days
Knockout rounds
Singles players have rest days built in, so check the order of play the evening before.
- Final weekend
Semi-finals and finals
The crowd grows as the field shrinks; the title matches close the event on Sunday 31 January. Buy these sessions first.
Quieter group stage days or the final weekend
The new format turns one tournament into two quite different experiences. The opening weekdays are given over to the singles group stage, when the stands rarely fill and you can choose a seat close to the court. The final weekend is the reverse. Plan on at least one session from each end of the draw, and buy the last weekend first.
Singles players now get rest days built into the schedule, so a favourite will not be on court every day. Check the order of play the evening before you buy a single day to see one name.
This is also the first tournament played under the new scoring, with matches decided over three games to 15 points.
The arena's history and the tournament's Super 1000 status
The building has changed its name more often than its seats. It opened in 1998 as Stadium Putra for the Commonwealth Games, when it staged the gymnastics, took the Axiata Arena name after a 2017 refurbishment, and in March 2026 a Telekom Malaysia sponsorship turned it into Unifi Arena. Badminton history runs deep here: the arena hosted the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup in 2000 and the BWF World Championships in 2007.
The tournament itself has climbed steadily. For eleven seasons from 2007 it belonged to the old Super Series, then became a Super 750 in 2018 and moved into the top tier, Super 1000, in 2023. That status brings the whole world elite to Bukit Jalil in the first week of the season, and the 2027 purse rises to USD 2 million from USD 1.45 million.
What visitors remember is the noise. Malaysians follow badminton with real devotion, and a home pair in a deciding game turns the arena into a wall of sound. Group-stage sessions are quieter. In a half-full hall you can hear the shuttle crack off the strings.
Getting there
Flying in
Kuala Lumpur International (KLIA) is about 45 km south in Sepang. See Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur flights or Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur flights, and entry rules on our Malaysia visa page.
Airport to the arena
Take the KLIA Transit to Bandar Tasik Selatan and change to the LRT Sri Petaling Line; Bukit Jalil is two stops on.
From the centre
The non-stop KLIA Ekspres reaches KL Sentral in about 30 minutes from Terminal 1 (RM55 one way).
At the arena
Bukit Jalil LRT station (SP17) is inside the sports complex. The line normally runs until 11:59 pm, extended to 2 am on major event nights.
Where to stay during the festival
Bukit Jalil has hotels within walking distance of the arena, and Pavilion Bukit Jalil next door is full of places to eat. KL Sentral or Bukit Bintang suit travellers who want the city on rest days, at the cost of a train ride each way.
Late January is crowded in Kuala Lumpur, with Thaipusam and early Chinese New Year travel competing for rooms, so book as soon as your dates are clear.
Kuala Lumpur
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur5-star hotel
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from$181.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
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Weather and what to pack
January in Kuala Lumpur is hot and wet. Averages are a high of 32.6°C and a low of 23.8°C, with about 227 mm of rain over 14 days (Subang station, 1991-2020 normals).
Afternoon storms are common; the matches are indoors.
Worth packing
- A light layer for the air-conditioned arena
- A compact umbrella
- A Touch 'n Go card for trains
Flights to Kuala Lumpur for Malaysia Open Badminton, Kuala Lumpur
The busiest routes into Kuala Lumpur (KUL).
Car hire in Kuala Lumpur
Airport transfer to Malaysia Open Badminton, Kuala Lumpur
Met at arrivals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and driven door to door to Axiata Arena.
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) → Axiata Arena
- 51 km · 60 min
Restaurants and food in Malaysia
Places to eat in Malaysia before or after the celebrations.
Nancy's Kitchen
13, Jalan KL 3/8, Taman Kota Laksamana, Seksyen 3, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia
Cuisine:NyonyaPeranakan
- Dine-in
Nasi Kandar Line Clear
177 Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Cuisine:Nasi kandarMalaysian Indian Muslim
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Teksen
18 & 20 Lebuh Carnarvon, 10100 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Cuisine:Penang ChineseZi char
- Dine-in
De.Wan 1958
Level 2-2, The LINC KL, 360 Jalan Tun Razak, Taman U Thant, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Cuisine:MalayMalaysian heritage
- Dine-in
Dewakan
48F Skyviews, Naza Tower, Platinum Park, 10 Persiaran KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Cuisine:Modern MalaysianTasting menu
- Dine-in
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Timing & weather
The first edition was played in 1937. The Second World War stopped it between 1942 and 1946, there was a long gap from 1969 to 1982, and the pandemic cancelled the 2020 and 2021 editions.
No. Kuala Lumpur is the usual host, but the tournament has also gone to Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuching and Shah Alam over the past two decades.
No. The Masters is a separate, lower-grade Super 500 event. In 2027 it moves to 17 to 22 August, and a smaller Malaysia S100 tournament follows in October.
No Malaysian took a title. Kunlavut Vitidsarn and An Se-young won the singles, Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae the men's doubles, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning the women's doubles, and Feng Yanzhe with Huang Dongping the mixed.
General
The total purse is USD 2 million, about RM7.8 million, up from USD 1.45 million at the 2026 edition.
Men's and women's singles each take 48 players, who play group matches first. Only those who advance from the groups enter the knockout rounds. Doubles events keep a straight knockout draw of 32 pairs.
Roughly 16,000 seats are set out for sport, more than any other indoor venue in Malaysia. For concerts the layout shrinks to about 11,000.
Reports on the 2027 format say all matches are planned to be televised live, and the BWF has also talked about a streaming platform with behind-the-scenes content that may need a subscription.
Nothing is confirmed yet. The BWF has promised more festival-style activities around its events, and the longer schedule gives sponsors room to organise meet-and-greets on players' rest days.
See Getting there above for the usual hours. Check Rapid KL's notices on the day.