Melaka’s Merdeka long weekend just picked up another reason to book early.
What is new
The Melaka International Sports Festival 2026 debuts at Encore Melaka on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, bringing duathlon, triathlon and aquathlon races to the city under one new multisport banner. The festival is organised by the 113 Triathlon Series, run by events company Eventure Global.
Categories are open to all ages and abilities rather than elite athletes only, and entrants can race solo or sign up with friends and family. Exact distances, start times and fees for each category are published on the organiser’s own registration pages, so check there directly before you commit to racing.
Where it happens
Races are based at Encore Melaka, the striking wave-roofed theatre building on the Impression City waterfront in Kota Laksamana, close to Klebang. It is best known as the venue for the nightly Encore Melaka stage show, so this marks a rare weekend where the site doubles as a race hub instead.
Why the timing matters
This lands right inside Melaka’s biggest weekend of the year. Merdeka Day falls on Monday, 31 August, when the state government is also offering free entry to selected tourism products, and the National Day programme runs at Klebang.
If you are in Melaka that weekend for any reason, not just to race, plan for heavier traffic and tighter parking around Klebang and Kota Laksamana on both mornings as competitors gather. Basing your stay closer to Klebang or Ayer Keroh rather than the old town core is worth considering if the long weekend is your main trip.
Signing up
Registration runs through the Checkpointspot platform, with amendments and full category details listed on the 113 Triathlon Series site. If racing sounds like your kind of Melaka trip, it is a good excuse to pair the long weekend with an actual finish line.
