Encore Melaka: The New, Immersive Way to Experience Melaka’s Rich Heritage

Given its reputation among travellers within the region, Melaka needs no extravagant introduction. This charming historical city in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia is one of the country’s most popular travel destinations, a favourite among both locals and foreigners alike.

Without a doubt, Melaka’s greatest draw is its rich history. This is reflected by the many heritage landmarks you can find throughout the city such as St. Paul’s Hill and the iconic Christ Church at Dutch Square. In fact, Melaka is such a cultural gem that it was designated as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage City in 2008!

Indeed, no visit to Melaka is complete without a foray into its many cultural and historical treasures. But museum hopping and heritage walks may not necessarily be everyone’s cup of tea. If you crave discovering Melaka’s intricate cultural heritage in a more inspiring and memorable way, then you definitely need to know about the city’s newest attraction: Encore Melaka!

What is Encore Melaka?

Encore Melaka is one the most exciting up and coming attractions in the historical city of Melaka. It is a stunning, immersive theatrical experience which combines live performances, vivid multimedia projections, and captivating musical ensembles featuring familiar old folk songs from various dialects. These are seamlessly blended into the story line, offering a masterfully balanced performance.

Part of the Impressions and Encore Series of live performances made famous in China, Encore Melaka is a mesmerising show which aims to uphold the heritage and culture of the city in a unique and unforgettable way. This new addition to the long list of must-do activities in Melaka started in July 2018 and has been garnering a faithful following since then.

The performances are housed in a uniquely designed building at Impression City @Kota Syahbandar. Located next to the Straits of Melaka, this architectural landmark stands out amidst the city’s heritage buildings, making it an eye-catching addition to its urbanscape.

Featuring prominent white and blue motifs (signifying purity and eternity), the building and its design acts as a metaphor for Melaka’s multicultural society. Needless to say, the entire area surrounding this Insta-worthy building offers plenty of #potd opportunities. But it’s what awaits you inside that will take your breath away.

Showcasing and reflecting Melaka’s rich history in an unprecedented way

We’ll try our very best not to give away any spoilers as we give you a little glimpse of what’s to come #Don’tSpoilEncoreMelaka Although, we have to say that the Chinese drum performance towards the beginning of the show was lit!

Encore Melaka presents to the audience authentic, touching life stories of the city’s multicultural society throughout history. From the arrival of Parameswara in the early 1400s to the city known throughout the region today, you’ll be able to experience over 600 years of history, all expertly incorporated into an epic 75-minute theatrical performance that will captivate you throughout!

Featuring intricate props, colourful costumes and a bedazzling musical performance, Encore Melaka is sure to be a memorable experience. Expect a wonderful blend of traditional dances and performances, impressive projection mapping, dynamic lighting, and all in all, an immersive audiovisual experience that celebrates the multicultural existence of the Melakan people. What’s more, in true Malaysian spirit, the entire performance is presented in a multilingual format!

And guess what, we haven’t even gotten to the most exciting parts yet!

A theatrical masterpiece that transcends space and time

If you haven’t guessed it yet, Encore Melaka promises to be a truly one-of-a-kind experience. This is thanks in large part to its state-of-the-art production conventions! For one, it features Southeast Asia’s first ever 360° rotating auditorium!

That’s right, unlike most conventional stage plays where you sit on a passive, non-moving platform, the entire auditorium of Encore Melaka moves in tune with the stage and the performance, adding an immersive experience for the viewers as they traverse through multiple time periods in Melaka’s history.

What’s more, the performance features multiple stages set up around the auditorium. This allows for smooth transitions and promises an epic journey throughout the performance. Vivid audio and innovative lighting arrangements further amp up the excitement, along with 200 local live performers all ready to thrill and charm you in the 75-minute journey through Melaka’s mesmerising history and cultural heritage. It will be a theatrical performance you won’t soon forget!

An exciting new attraction you don’t want to miss!

I’m sure that by now you’re already itching to experience Encore Melaka yourself! Again, the performances are held in the futuristic building located at Impression City @ Kota Syahbandar. There are usually two shows per day operating as follows:

Monday to Saturday	5:30 p.m. & 8.30 p.m.*
Sunday	2:30 p.m. & 5:30 p.m.*

*We recommend getting there early and making your way to the theatre 30 minutes before the start of the show. That’s because if you miss the beginning, you’ll have to wait until an appropriate break before you can enter. If you arrive past a certain point of time, you might not even be allowed entry at all. It might seem a bit harsh but this is to minimise the distraction of untimely arrivals and to preserve the quality of the viewing experience.

Naturally, ticket prices vary according to the seat category that you choose. There are also slight variations in terms of prices for tickets between peak tourist season and non-peak seasons. Regardless, expect to pay from RM128 (S$42 – Malaysian) and RM148 (S$49 – non-Malaysian) for a standard ticket. Concessional ticket prices are available for persons with disabilities (the venue is wheelchair friendly) too.

As far as attractions go in Melaka, Encore Melaka is truly one of the must-see, must-do activities in 2019 in this historical city. While Jonker Street and Dutch Square will always be timeless favourites, it’s time to spice things up with this one-of-a-kind performance the next time you’re in town!