Venue
Jalan Berhala, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Wesak Day in Kuala Lumpur guide
A candlelit float procession for Wesak.
In short
Wesak falls on the full moon of Vesakha, usually in May, and is a public holiday in Kuala Lumpur. Prayers begin at first light, and in the evening a candlelit float procession, held since the 1890s, winds through the streets. It suits travellers who want to see a solemn day become a public one; follow quietly.
Wesak is the day Buddhists remember the birth of the Buddha, his enlightenment and his death, and no date in their year matters more. Kuala Lumpur marks it with a public holiday, prayers from first light and a candlelit float procession that has wound through the streets since the 1890s.
That procession is described as the oldest and largest religious procession in Malaysia. It turns a solemn day into a public one, with thousands following the floats on foot.
Visitors of any faith are welcome, and the free vegetarian meals are handed out to whoever comes.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Venue: Buddhist Maha Vihara
Held: Every year
Type of event: Cultural Events, Religious Festivals
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
191days
18hrs
27min
Map
Close to the venue
- Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia Attraction · 1.5 km
- Kuala Lumpur Bird Park Attraction · 1.5 km
- Kuala Lumpur City Gallery Attraction · 2.3 km
- KLCC to Bukit Bintang Pedestrian Walkway Attraction · 4.2 km
- Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur Hotel · 4.3 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Temple etiquette on Wesak
The Maha Vihara is a working temple, and on Wesak it is full of people at prayer.
- Dress
- cover shoulders and knees. White or pale colours fit in well, since many devotees wear white for the day.
- Shoes
- leave them outside every shrine hall. Slip-ons save time when you go in and out all day.
- Chanting
- lower your voice and put your phone on silent while the monks are chanting.
- Posture
- when you sit, tuck your feet away so they do not point at a Buddha image.
- Photos
- ask before photographing monks or anyone in prayer. The floats are fair game.
Weather and finding a spot for the procession
May in Kuala Lumpur is hot and humid, with frequent afternoon showers. Bring an umbrella that doubles as a sunshade, and more water than you think you need.
To see the procession well, take your place on the kerb in the late afternoon and expect to stay put. Pavements on the route fill up, and squeezing forward once the floats arrive is difficult and unwelcome.
Many people walking in the procession carry lit candles. Keep loose scarves and children's hands clear, and let the walkers pass before you cross the road. Free vegetarian food and drinks are offered at the temple; take what you will eat, and if you would like to give something back, a donation to the temple's charity work is the usual way.
What happens on the day
- First light
The Eight Precepts
Devotees arrive to take the precepts; some spend the whole day at the temple in white.
- Morning
Offerings
Shrines fill with incense, flowers and candles, and volunteers serve free vegetarian food and drinks.
- Afternoon
Rest
Sit out the heat.
- Early evening
Oil lamps and candles
People line up with candles in the courtyard before the procession.
- After dark
Float procession
The lantern-lit floats leave Brickfields; the last return late at night.
Morning at the Maha Vihara and the evening float procession
Wesak in Kuala Lumpur works best as a day in two halves. Go to the Buddhist Maha Vihara on Jalan Berhala early, while the monks are chanting and families are making their first offerings, and you see the temple at its most devout. Then rest through the heat of the afternoon and come back for the procession, or meet it somewhere along its loop through the city.
That second choice matters. The temple grounds and Jalan Berhala are packed before the floats leave, and moving around Brickfields becomes slow. In 2023 the floats wound through Chinatown along Jalan Petaling, then out to Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Pudu, so a kerb in Chinatown or Bukit Bintang lets you see the lanterns pass with more space and a dinner table close by. Routes can change from one year to the next, so confirm it in early May.
The history of the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields
In Brickfields the festival carries a layer of local history worth knowing before you go. Work on the Maha Vihara began on 25 August 1894, when the first stone of its shrine room went down, and monks arrived from British Ceylon the following year under Patthalagedera Dhammananda Thera. It remains a Theravada temple, administered from the start by the Sasana Abhiwurdhi Wardhana Society, and its chief monk is also Malaysia's Buddhist Chief High Priest.
The money came from more than one community. The largest single donation was made by Yeap Quang Seng, Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur, and Chinese devotees became an ever larger part of the congregation after 1920. That mix is what you see on Wesak morning, with Sri Lankan, Chinese and Thai families praying side by side. The procession is now a joint effort by some 60 Buddhist groups across the Klang Valley, and in 2018 the Sri Lankan government presented the temple with a special Wesak arch.
Take time to walk the grounds. The International Pagoda holds a bone relic of the Buddha, the sacred Bodhi trees shade the courtyard, and the belfry dates from 1926.
Getting there
From the airport
KLIA is about 45 km south of the city. The KLIA Ekspres reaches KL Sentral in about 30 minutes from Terminal 1, every 20 minutes from about 5am to midnight; a single costs RM55. Check entry rules on our Malaysia visa page.
To the temple
From KL Sentral the Maha Vihara is a short walk into Brickfields. Tun Sambanthan monorail station, one stop from KL Sentral, is the other approach.
For the procession
Ride the monorail to Bukit Bintang well before the floats are due, if that road is on the year's route. The monorail is busy once the floats have passed.
Driving
Leave the car behind: Jalan Berhala jams early and roads on the route close through the evening.
Where to stay during the festival
Brickfields and the hotels around KL Sentral keep you within walking distance of the temple for the dawn visit. Chinatown puts you on the procession route itself.
Book once the procession date is confirmed.
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
May in Kuala Lumpur is hot and humid, with average highs of about 34°C and nights around 25°C. It is one of the wetter months, with roughly 230 mm of rain, mostly in late-afternoon thunderstorms.
Worth packing
- White or modest clothing for the temple
- A compact umbrella
- Slip-on shoes
- Water for the procession kerb
Flights to Kuala Lumpur for Wesak Day in Kuala Lumpur
The busiest routes into Kuala Lumpur (KUL).
Car hire in Kuala Lumpur
Airport transfer to Wesak Day in Kuala Lumpur
Met at arrivals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and driven door to door to Buddhist Maha Vihara.
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) → Buddhist Maha Vihara
- 58 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)
General
No. The temple describes its doors as open to everyone, and on Wesak visitors of any faith come to watch the chanting, eat the free food and follow the floats. Dress modestly and you will be welcome.
The most devout spend the whole day at the temple keeping the Eight Precepts, and simple white clothing goes with that commitment. You will see them meditating and listening to the monks until evening.
Around 100,000 people pass through over the course of the Wesak programme, which runs across much of the month.
Yes, and it is far calmer then. The temple runs meditation sessions on Mondays and Thursdays, yoga and qi gong classes, Dharma teaching for deaf students and a Sunday clinic. Call the front desk on +603 2274 1141 for times.
The pagoda in the temple grounds holds a bone relic of the Buddha, and devotees pay their respects there during the day. It sits alongside an Asoka Pillar and a granite moonstone carving.
Thousands walk behind the floats, and the 2023 procession drew devotees and visitors alike. If you join, carry a candle or lantern, keep pace with the group and be ready for a long walk that ends late at night.
Berhala is Malay for shrine, a fair name for a street that also holds a Hindu temple, a Chinese temple and the Temple of Fine Arts as well as the Maha Vihara.
Buddhists are encouraged to eat only vegetarian food on the day, and the food served at the temple is meat-free. Keep any meat snacks well away from the grounds.
At some Malaysian temples a small Buddha figure stands in a flower-decked basin and devotees pour water or sweet tea over it, a gesture of washing away bad karma. Ask at the temple whether it is offered that year.
Penang's temples mark the day with big celebrations of their own, and as Wesak is a national holiday you will find temple programmes running in most Malaysian cities.
Cancellations & changes
Yes. The float procession was suspended for three years because of Covid-19 and returned in May 2023, when thousands gathered in Brickfields to see it leave.