Why Cyberjaya is becoming Klang Valley’s next lifestyle destination

For years, Cyberjaya has been known as Malaysia’s tech hub, a city synonymous with office buildings, universities and technology companies. These days, however, there is much more to discover beyond its corporate image.

From bustling weekend markets and homegrown cafés to green spaces and virtual-reality experiences, the city is gradually carving out a lifestyle identity of its own.

Acknowledging that offices and technology companies remain part of Cyberjaya’s DNA, Cyberview CEO Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad says the city has more to offer than many might realise.

“You can see students now going to cafés, and families spending their weekends in the parks in Cyberjaya. The city is more vibrant with more hype and vibes these days,” he said.

Among those who have watched Cyberjaya evolve is Joshua Michael, the co-founder of Kaapi Kreat, a South Indian lifestyle café that opened last year.

Inspired by the café culture he encountered during visits to Chennai, Joshua wanted to retain its South Indian identity while offering a more contemporary experience.

“I genuinely feel that Cyberjaya has charm to it. It’s never just about the place; it’s also about the people that live in a neighbourhood,” he said.

Today, his customers include those who regularly commute from Kuala Lumpur and Seremban, particularly on weekends, pairing their coffee run with a trip to one of Cyberjaya’s lakes.

Indeed, the city’s growing lifestyle scene becomes particularly visible once the weekend rolls around. At Another World Cyberjaya, visitors can strap on wireless virtual-reality headsets and roam freely around an arena, battling zombies and aliens – or one another.

Branch manager Kai said its customers range from university students and families to birthday groups and companies looking for team-building activities.

“We even had an 80-year-old grandparent come and play before!” he said.

For something more traditionally Malaysian, there is Lorong Belakang Cyberjaya, a weekend pasar malam that brings together the city’s different communities while giving small businesses room to grow.

More than just a market, Lorong Belakang was created to give local youth a platform to gain experience, start businesses and contribute to the community.

Its organisers say visitors now come from across the Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur. “Cyberjaya is actually a liveable city. There are many families and lots of pockets of communities here,” Hanif Marzuki shared.

“It is small enough for you to start local, and big enough for you to go global.”

The green in between

Cyberjaya’s greenery remains a big part of its appeal. Nazrin Akashah, event director of the Cyberjaya Forest Half Marathon 2026, said they initially considered Putrajaya when looking for a location to turn what had been a virtual event into a physical run.

Cyberjaya, however, offered the combination they were looking for: greenery, wide roads and modern buildings. Nazrin calls it an “urban city in the forest”.

“That’s why I chose Cyberjaya – because of the big roads, a lot of trees, and beautiful buildings that we can look at while we run,” she added.

The first physical Cyberjaya Forest Run attracted about 6,500 participants, while this year’s event grew to 7,500 runners, including from Malaysia and overseas.

The greenery has also caught the attention of newcomers. Iqmal Haziq, 31, recently moved to Cyberjaya and admitted he initially knew little about the city, including where to get breakfast.

That changed after he repeatedly passed a farmers’ market and noticed the crowds. “I didn’t expect there to be a lot of food in the morning,” he said.

But it was Cyberjaya’s greenery that surprised him most: he describes the surroundings as being “like a nature park”, with plenty of related attractions.

The Cyberjaya Farmers Market has also played a part in the city’s tech story. In 2020, it served as a testing ground when Cyberjaya became the first city in Malaysia to adopt DuitNow QR.

One of its vendors, Anis, calls Cyberjaya “peaceful”, pointing to its lakes and the sight of people jogging.

The market offers homemade dishes ranging from nasi dagang to kuih, with many vendors preparing what they sell themselves. “We cook and do it with our heart,” Anis said.

More than a tech city

Together, these cafés, markets, recreational spaces and green pockets are adding another dimension to a city long defined by technology.

For Kamarul, Cyberjaya’s growing lifestyle scene does not mean leaving its technological roots behind. “Technology and community complement, and not compete with, each other,” he said.

Local businesses, he added, are particularly important in giving the city its character. “The soul of the city must be built by the local communities,” he stressed.

And that may ultimately be what Cyberjaya’s evolution is about – not replacing the tech city Malaysians have long known, but building a stronger community around it.

For those who still remember Cyberjaya as little more than offices and quiet roads, perhaps the easiest way to see how much has changed is simply to spend a weekend there and see where the day takes you.

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