GEORGE TOWN, Dec 28 — The inaugural LovePENANG Carnival, organised by the state government, will be held at Padang Kota Lama here on January 7 next year.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the carnival will feature local food along with heritage and cultural performances as part of the LovePENANG campaign that was launched in June.

"Various interesting activities will start at 4pm and will be followed by performances by local and international artistes till 11pm,” he told a news conference at his office here today.

Among the performers are local artistes Datuk David Arumugam, Acidic Bunch, Jaclyn Victor, Faizal Tahir, PongPong, Santesh and Shawn Lee.

Chow proclaimed the LovePENANG campaign a success in uniting everyone in the state following the Covid-19 pandemic.

He expects the carnival turnout to number between 30,000 and 50,000 people.

Since the launch of the LovePENANG campaign, there have been several other programmes in tandem, including an award that aims to recognise those who give back to their community.