Fancy shopping at midnight? Malaysia’s Ramadan bazaars open round-the-clock amid growing demand
Beyond the festive experience, such bazaars are also seen as powerful economic engines, generating millions of dollars in sales and creating thousands of jobs.
Crowds at a round-the-clock bazaar at Kuala Lumpur's Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre on Mar 22, 2025.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians can look forward to getting food, fashion and festive must-haves from bazaars during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which began at the start of March this year.
While they are a staple of the festive season, not just in Malaysia but other Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Indonesia, they have also evolved over time from simple night markets to vibrant cultural and economic landmarks.
Some in Malaysia are now open round-the-clock as demand grows and consumption habits shift.
At one such bazaar at Kuala Lumpur’s Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), shoppers have been able to patronise stalls manned by more than 700 vendors.
The energy at the four-day-long bazaar – which ran from 12pm to 6am and ended on Monday (Mar 24) – was just ramping up when CNA was there close to midnight on Saturday.
Thousands of shoppers thronged the country’s largest trade and exhibition centre, soaking in the festival-like environment. Videos posted online also showed congested roads leading to MITEC, with traffic coming to a standstill at certain points.
For some patrons, late-night shopping is not only a convenience but also about spending time with family and friends.
“People are usually busy with work in the day, so it’s great that this is 24 hours and people can come at any time,” one shopper told CNA.
Another said: “The atmosphere is very lively tonight. There are so many people here; it's crazy crowded.”
Among the prominent guests that patronised the bazaar was former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamed.
The 99-year-old turned up during the daytime on Saturday, where he was shown around the booths and spoke briefly.
VENDORS BENEFIT FROM CROWDS
For vendors at the MITEC bazaar like Mr Azzim Zahid, they have been working round-the-clock to keep up with the steady stream of visitors.
The 28-year-old founder of Bulan Bintang, a premium brand for traditional Malay costumes, said it has brought in more workers who can rotate across two shifts.
“An event like this, with the marketing done by the organisers, plus celebrities and big-name brands involved, really brings in huge volumes of traffic. It can be challenging to manage,” he added.
"For a brand like ours, we really focus on the festive season. Naturally, timing like this – and bazaars like this – contribute the highest sales of the year for Bulan Bintang."
Beyond the festive experience, such Ramadan bazaars are also seen as powerful economic engines.
According to national statistics, Ramadan and Aidilfitri bazaars nationwide generated more than RM2.5 billion (US$560 million) in sales in 2023, with over 200,000 jobs created through these events.
Absolut Bazaar alone generated about US$10 million in sales over the last three years, giving small businesses and local entrepreneurs a valuable platform to grow.
Ms Sharifah Nadiyah, director of organiser Absolut Bazaar, said the amount of time that the bazaar stays open means larger crowds and “another huge window of spending” that will benefit vendors.
“We see that we created a platform that allows for this to happen. We feel so touched and honoured for the opportunity to bring entrepreneurs together and to create more for the community,” she added.
