Fans who’ve been following the worldwide singing competition “i-SiNG World” closely would know that this year’s finals will be held in Malaysia.
Since this coincides with Tourism Malaysia’s “Visit Truly Asia Malaysia 2020” campaign, the competition aims to promote the country to international tourists.
While Malaysia has always been one of the favoured tropical destinations in Southeast Asia, the extra boost of popularity from the competition is especially welcome this year, following the drop in worldwide tourism due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).
During the press conference of “i-SiNG Malaysia 2020” and “i-SiNG World Finals 2020” that was held yesterday at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, it was revealed that “i-SiNG World” participants, who will arrive in Malaysia for the finals this September, will be taken to popular tourist spots prior to the competition.
Batu Caves and the Petronas Twin Towers are among the places the participants hailing from various countries across the globe will be able to experience in Malaysia.
“i-SiNG World Finals 2020”, taking place from 11 to 16 September, marks the first time that the final round of the singing competition, as well as the awards ceremony, will be held in Malaysia. Previously, it was held in Myanmar, France and Sweden.
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| Syafeek Ikhwan, winner of “i-SiNG World Finals 2018” that was held in Paris, showed off his singing skills with the song “Jampi” at yesterday’s press conference. |
The awards ceremony that will be held on the last day, 16 September, will not only hand out accolades to the winners but will include other industry awards, as well.
So far, 28 countries have confirmed their participation in this year’s edition, such as Malaysia (of course), Singapore, Cambodia, France, Hong Kong, Pakistan, South Korea, Ukraine, India and more. The competition is expecting to welcome more than 50 countries this year.
Each country will hold its nationwide “i-SiNG” competition throughout the year, up until September, to select a maximum of 20 participants to represent the country at the finals.
This year’s competition includes three categories: Juniors (solo singers aged 6 to 16 years), Solo Seniors (solo singers aged 17 and above), and Group (any combination of 2 to 5 singers regardless of age).
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| “i-SiNG Malaysia 2020” will be held throughout March to July. Winners will represent Malaysia at the finals in September. |
For the Malaysian selection, “i-SiNG Malaysia 2020” will be held starting from this month in Johor Bahru and Malacca, before heading to Sabah and Sarawak in April.
After a brief Aidilfitri break, the competition will resume in Kuala Lumpur in June. During the same month, it might also be held in Penang and Kuantan. The finals will be held a month later in July, also in Kuala Lumpur. The full schedule can be found on the competition’s eponymous Facebook page.
Audition fees are RM100 for each solo contestant and RM200 for each group.
An American singer, whose identity has yet to be revealed, will be part of the jury for this year’s finals as well as for the next two years’. Stay tuned to find out who the singer is!