Shoppers flock to Klang Valley’s non-stop Raya bazaars for discounts and performances — here’s what they think (VIDEO)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — The non-stop Raya bazaar trend that’s taken over some areas in Klang Valley this year has proven to be a convenience for many local shoppers.

This is especially true as they can choose their own time to shop for Aidilfitri essentials, with several non-stop Raya bazaars across Klang Valley to pick from.

This includes the 108-hour Selangor Havoc Raya Fest at Setia City Convention Centre, the 66-hour Absolut Bazaar x Festival Gaya Raya 2025 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) and the 196-hour Gerobok Biru Gegak Gempita Raya 2025 at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL).

If you’re wondering what’s the appeal behind these over-24-hours shopping fests, Malay Mail has talked to some of the shoppers there to find out their experiences.

Coming for flexibility and variety

Mustaza Musa, 61, who visited the Selangor Havoc Raya Fest around 10am last Sunday with his wife and daughter, found an almost empty hall with rows of vendors awaiting customers.

The calming shopping ambiance was ideal for the trio, who purposely choose to come in the morning during the fasting period as they want to avoid heavy traffic and crowds.

Although it was a shopping haven with plenty of choices for Mustaza and his family who came all the way from Seremban, the lack of creative displays by the vendors at the booths there compared to other Raya bazaars was a bit of a letdown for them.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Farek Haron came all the way from Pasir Mas, Kelantan with his family to do their Raya shopping in KL — which has been a tradition for them.

And this year, the 33-year-old and his family decided to go to the Gerobok Biru Gegak Gempita Raya at WTCKL around 10pm last Sunday, which has around 100 food, fashion and accessories retailers, and it is safe to say that they have enjoyed their time there.

Farek said that aside from the abundance of vendors to choose from, the affordable price tags and the non-stop shopping factor were amongst the major appeal for him.

“The prices here are affordable which means anyone can afford them, it doesn’t matter if you have a big or small salary.”

“Another reason is, some people might find it hard to do their Raya shopping during the day, so with this kind of non-stop bazaars, we can come at our own convenience.”

“Especially during Ramadan where most of our free time is after the terawih prayers,” he said.

Farek added that his family’s tradition stems from wanting to soak in the Ramadan atmosphere in the city before returning to Kelantan.

Mohamad Arif Hakim Mohd Mokhtar, who also went to the Gerobok Biru Gegak Gempita Raya 2025 with his family around the same time as Farek, is another supporter of non-stop bazaars.

The 30-year-old, who had also been to other non-stop Raya bazaars previously, said that although it is a fact that it is cheaper to purchase some items online, such as baju Melayu, going to bazaars physically means he can check the quality and measurement of the baju Melayu himself.

Live performances, happy hours and last day discounts

Multiple ‘happy hour’ sessions and live performances by local celebrities have also become a regular feature at these non-stop Raya bazaars.

This can be seen at the Absolut Bazaar x Festival Gaya Raya (ABxFGR) 2025, where they have prepared a slew of performances by celebrities such as Aina Abdul, Nadeera and Hael Husaini.

Meanwhile, their ‘happy hour’, which was normally signalled by the ringing of bells by vendors, would cause the crowd to go into a frenzy.

It is also an open secret that some vendors at these Raya bazaars would tend to give out special discounts, especially during the last day of their operations.

Muhammad Saiful Azwan Mohamad Zaini, 23, was one of those who benefited from the ABxFGR’s happy hour as he managed to buy a RM158 baju Melayu for just RM100.

Shopper Aiman Akmal Norrudin Pahimi from Segambut also benefited from the last day discount as he bought a kurta for just RM89, from its original price of RM109.

Aiman also shared that he had a great time shopping for Raya this year as he also managed to catch Hael Husaini performing live on stage.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Muhammad Azuan managed to score a RM138 kurta for just RM50, saying that it was a total bargain for him.

However, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) member advises the public to plan their shopping journey in advance and be prepared to face heavy traffic especially those going to any Raya bazaars on its final day.

Crazy traffic at Mitec last weekend

The ABxFGR 2025, which ran non-stop from 12pm on March 21 to 6am on March 24, was among the non-stop Raya bazaars with the heaviest foot traffic.

Videos of crowds thronging the hallways of Mitec early in the morning have been circulating online.

Photos of heavy traffic stretching from the Jalan Kuching exit heading toward Mitec also made rounds online on Saturday.

An observation by Malay Mail during the last day of ABxFGR 2025 found that people from all ages, including families with young children, were still coming in droves even as late as 2am on a Monday morning.

Although the traffic had eased by then, parking was still scarce, with some opting to park at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim and walk to the venue.

Meanwhile, it is also worth noting that there was also a dramatic police chase that took place nearby Mitec on March 23 that was caught on video, where the suspect was seen leaving his vehicle on the road in Jalan Kuching before fleeing the scene on foot.

According to Astro Awani, the police found several pieces of equipment believed to be used for stealing cables in the suspect’s car after the chase, which started from Taman Rainbow in Sentul.