Venue
Jalan Pekeliling, 64000 KLIA, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
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Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang Circuit guide
MotoGP's loudest weekend at Sepang.
In short
Malaysia's MotoGP round is usually held Friday to Sunday on the last weekend of October or first of November at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit near the main airport. MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 share three days before devoted crowds, with a record 190,977 spectators in 2025. It suits racing fans; book tickets and transport early.
Malaysia's round of the MotoGP World Championship is among the loudest weekends in motorcycle racing. It takes place at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit, the Hermann Tilke track beside the country's main airport, where MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 share three days and the stands fill with some of the most devoted fans on the calendar.
The numbers back that up. The 2025 weekend drew a record 190,977 spectators, and the circuit's grandstands and hillsides turn into a sea of team colours by Sunday afternoon. For visitors it is also an unusually easy Grand Prix to reach: you can step off a long-haul flight and be at the track the same day.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 31 October 2027
Where: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Venue: PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit
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
Next edition starts in
353days
17hrs
9min
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Sun, rain and ear protection
Selangor in late October is hot and humid, and heavy tropical showers can arrive with little warning. Pack for both.
- Sun
- a hat, high-factor sunscreen and sunglasses.
- Rain
- a packable rain jacket or poncho. Umbrellas block the view of the people behind you.
- Noise
- earplugs or ear defenders, especially for children. The bikes are very loud at close range.
- Water
- drink more than feels necessary and refill often. Dehydration creeps up on spectators who sit in the sun all day.
Ticket restrictions and spectator rules
The K2 Hillstand is the bargain of the weekend, but it is restricted to MyKad holders, meaning Malaysian citizens. Foreign visitors need a ticket for one of the other zones.
Prices are not always displayed identically across the circuit's ticket pages, so treat the figure at checkout as final and keep your confirmation on your phone. Before you travel, read the circuit's Spectator Guide and Event FAQ, both linked from the event page, for the current list of permitted bags and banned items.
Leaving the car parks after the race
Leaving Sepang after Sunday's race can take hours, because most of the crowd heads for the same exits at once. You have two sensible options.
- Leave before the podium ceremony and accept missing the trophies.
- Stay put, watch the celebrations, eat, and let the traffic clear before you move.
If you are travelling by Grab, agree a pick-up point in advance with your group and expect long waits straight after the race.
What happens on the day
- Friday
Free practice
MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 all run practice sessions. Use the day to walk between the zones and pick your view for the weekend.
- Saturday
Qualifying and the sprint
Qualifying sets the grids, and the MotoGP sprint gives the first race result of the weekend.
- Sunday morning
Support races
The day builds through the Moto3 and Moto2 races.
- Sunday afternoon
The MotoGP race
The premier class closes the programme. Session times are confirmed by the circuit in race week, so check them on the Thursday.
- Any afternoon
Storm watch
Late-season tropical storms roll in fast. In 2006 a Saturday downpour wiped out qualifying and the grid was set from Friday's times.
Choosing a grandstand at Sepang
Tickets sell through the circuit's own website, and with the race days close the remaining choice is narrowing. On the 2026 list the Main Grandstand, facing the pit lane and the start, was about RM 345. K1 cost around RM 206, F about RM 144, and Premier Roving, which lets you move between zones, about RM 510. The cheapest seat, the K2 Hillstand at about RM 50, is open only to Malaysian citizens with a MyKad. Premier Seat, the VIP Village passes and both rider-named tribunes had already gone. The figures differ slightly from page to page, so the checkout price is the one to believe.
Friday solves the dilemma of where to sit. Every seat zone is open free that day, so you can walk from the main straight to the hairpin and test each view before paying for the weekend.
Base yourself near the track. Hotels around the airport, in Sepang town or in Putrajaya cut the daily drive, and international fans often fly in and never stay in Kuala Lumpur at all. A Night Track Tour, listed at RM 540, is the one add-on that shows the track from a different angle.
Malaysia's motorcycle Grand Prix history
Malaysia first hosted a motorcycle Grand Prix in 1991, on the Shah Alam circuit, where the heat and humidity made life hard for the riders. After the Asian financial crisis the race moved to Johor for 1998. It came to Sepang the following year, on 20 April 1999, just weeks after the new circuit opened. Only the pandemic has interrupted the run since: the 2020 race was cancelled and the bikes returned in 2022.
Hermann Tilke drew the 5.543 km layout, with 15 corners and real changes of level, including a downhill Turn 2 and a climb at Turn 9. Its signature is the pair of long straights joined by a tight hairpin at the end of the lap, where riders brake as late as they dare for a final-lap pass. The main grandstand's umbrella-shaped roofs are the circuit's most recognisable feature.
Valentino Rossi won here seven times, more than any other rider.
Getting there
Flying in
The circuit sits on Jalan Pekeliling in the airport's own postcode, a short drive from KLIA Terminal 1 and Terminal 2; Gateway@klia2 has the coach, taxi and car hire pick-ups. Regional flights include Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur. Travelling on a Bangladeshi passport? See our Malaysia visa page.
From Kuala Lumpur
The track is about 45 km south of the capital. Most spectators drive or book a Grab; allow far more time than the distance suggests on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
By rail, part of the way
The KLIA Transit line links KL Sentral, Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya & Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi with the airport, every 15 minutes at peak and half-hourly at weekends, 05:00 to midnight. The non-stop KLIA Ekspres reaches KL Sentral in about 30 minutes for RM55. The last leg to the circuit is by road.
Where to stay during the festival
The hotel below, in Kuala Lumpur itself, is the nearest one we list to Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang Circuit. The next edition runs from 30 October to 1 November 2026. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, since rooms close to the festival are the first to go.
Kuala Lumpur
Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$181.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
3 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
Expect heat, humidity and storms. At Subang, the nearest long-running weather station to Sepang, October and November average highs of about 32°C and lows of 24°C, with 280-360 mm of rain falling on 16 to 20 days a month (1991-2020 normals).
Showers tend to come in the afternoon, often as short, heavy thunderstorms.
Worth packing
- A poncho (umbrellas block views in the stands)
- Sunscreen and a hat for the open hillstands
- Earplugs, especially for children
- A refillable water bottle
- A power bank for a long day of checking timings
Flights to Kuala Lumpur for Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang Circuit
The busiest routes into Kuala Lumpur (KUL).
Car hire in Kuala Lumpur
Airport transfer to Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang Circuit
Met at arrivals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and driven door to door to PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) → PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit
- 11 km · 20 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)
Booking
No. The K2 Hillstand is reserved for MyKad holders, which means Malaysian citizens. Visitors from abroad should look at F Grandstand or K1 for the lowest-priced seats open to them.
Its listed capacity is 130,000, spread across the covered grandstands, open tribunes and grass hillstands around the lap. Race-weekend attendance is counted over all three days, which is how totals climb far above that figure.
General
The Main Grandstand. It faces the pits and the start line, so you see the grid form, the start and the pit activity, and its shaded roof helps on hot afternoons.
All three World Championship classes: MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3. Each runs sessions on all three days, and the MotoGP race closes the Sunday programme.
Valentino Rossi, with 7 victories. Among manufacturers Honda leads the table by a wide margin, and its bikes have won the race more often than any rival make.
It staged the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix from 17 October 1999, months after the first motorcycle race. The circuit lap record still belongs to Sebastian Vettel, set in a Ferrari at the 2017 race.
Petronas, the Malaysian state energy company, has been the title sponsor since the race returned in 2022, and its name is also on the circuit itself. Earlier sponsors included Marlboro and Shell.
Often at the tight hairpin that joins the two long straights at the end of the lap, where riders brake as late as they dare for a final-lap pass.
The circuit sells a Night Track Tour, listed at RM 540 for the 2026 weekend. Booking is through the same event page as the race tickets.
Cancellations & changes
Once at Sepang: the 2020 round was called off because of COVID-19. The race came back in 2022 with Petronas as title sponsor.