SIGGRAPH Asia 2026: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Kuala Lumpur)

Graphics conference, Twin Towers view

This is Malaysia’s first SIGGRAPH Asia. The 19th edition of the ACM conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques takes place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from December 1 to 4, 2026. The exhibition floor opens for three of those days, December 2 to 4.

The setting is hard to mistake. The convention centre sits on the edge of KLCC Park, and the Petronas Twin Towers stand just across the lawns. Between sessions you can step outside and see their steel and glass above the treeline. On most nights the towers are lit up.

What fills the halls

SIGGRAPH Asia has a familiar shape that regulars recognise from earlier editions. A typical programme mixes peer-reviewed research with things you can watch, touch and play with:

• Technical Papers: the core research talks on rendering, geometry, animation and simulation
• Courses: longer sessions that teach a technique from the ground up
• Emerging Technologies: hands-on demos of new interfaces, haptics and displays
• Art Gallery: digital and interactive artworks
• Computer Animation Festival: screenings of short films and production work
• Exhibition: booths from studios, hardware makers, software vendors and universities

The organiser publishes the full programme, speakers and session schedule for 2026 on the official SIGGRAPH Asia site. That site is the only place this guide trusts for who is presenting and when.

Registration and passes

SIGGRAPH Asia sells tiered registration. The higher tiers include more of the programme, and exhibition-only access is the lightest option. ACM SIGGRAPH members and students usually get their own rates. Each tier lists exactly which sessions it covers.

Registration and current pricing appear on the official SIGGRAPH Asia website. Attendees usually collect badges at the convention centre and wear them the whole time, because session rooms and the exhibition hall check badges at the door.

Reaching the convention centre

Most people arrive on foot through Suria KLCC, the mall at the base of the Twin Towers. KLCC station on the LRT Kelana Jaya Line opens into the mall’s lower level. From there, a walk through the mall and along the edge of KLCC Park brings you to the convention centre’s entrance. Much of the route is under cover.

From the Bukit Bintang shopping district, an elevated, covered pedestrian walkway runs to the KLCC area. People staying near Pavilion or Jalan Bukit Bintang often walk it. Grab, the ride-hailing app, is the usual choice for late finishes or heavy rain. Drivers know the convention centre by name.

Delegates arriving from Kuala Lumpur International Airport usually take the KLIA Ekspres train to KL Sentral. From there the LRT runs on to KLCC.

Moving through KLCC like a regular

Kuala Lumpur in December runs on air conditioning and umbrellas. The northeast monsoon brings frequent heavy afternoon downpours. The halls are cold enough that attendees often carry a light layer while it stays hot outside. A compact umbrella is the one item locals rarely leave behind.

A few habits make the days smoother:

• Paying: cards and contactless payments work almost everywhere in KLCC. A Touch ‘n Go card covers the LRT and MRT.
• Tipping: it isn’t expected. Restaurant bills often already include a service charge.
• Language: English is the working language of the conference and is widely spoken around the city. Bahasa Malaysia is on the signs.
• Lunch: many delegates go to the food court and restaurants inside Suria KLCC instead of queueing at the venue. Halal food is the norm in Malaysia, and menus usually show it clearly.
• Prayer rooms: malls and the convention centre usually have a surau, a Muslim prayer room. You’ll see it on signs.

During the exhibition days the busiest stretch is usually midday, when session crowds and exhibition visitors cross paths. Seasoned attendees tend to walk the booths at the start or the end of the day.

Beyond the badge

Everything you need for an evening off is within walking distance. KLCC Park has a jogging track and fountains in front of the towers. Aquaria KLCC, the city’s large aquarium, sits at the convention centre’s lower level. The Petronas Twin Towers skybridge and observation deck take visitors high up the towers themselves.

For dinner, Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang is the obvious walk after dark. It is a street of open-fronted Chinese-Malaysian restaurants and hawker stalls, with plastic tables out on the road. Further afield, Merdeka Square and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building show colonial-era Kuala Lumpur, a few LRT stops away. On a free half-day, plenty of conference visitors take the KTM Komuter train to the limestone Batu Caves.