Istana Budaya, National performing arts center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Istana Budaya is Malaysia's main theatre for opera, musical theatre and classical concerts, beside the National Art Gallery on Jalan Tun Abdul Razak. Its roof folds recall a Kelantan moon kite, and the interior follows the three parts of a Malay house: serambi lobby, rumah ibu auditorium and rumah dapur stage. The Panggung Sari auditorium seats 1,408, with royal boxes modelled on Malay house windows.

Construction of this cultural institution began in 1995, and it opened to the public in 1999. The project represented a major development in the city's artistic infrastructure and performance capabilities.

The name Istana Budaya, "Palace of Culture", was adopted when the venue opened on 15 September 1999; before that it was called Panggung Negara, and the cabinet formally dropped that name in 2000. The foyer carpets carry cempaka flower and banyan tree motifs taken from Mak Yong and wayang kulit staging, and a costume gallery holds outfits from Bangsawan, Mak Yong, Ajat Bebunuh, Layang Emas and Bambarayon. The National Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Traditional Malaysia are based here.

The foyer is reached by a ramp, and a lift with low-set buttons serves the upper levels; accessible restrooms are on the stalls and grand circle floors. The auditorium holds 1,408 seats across stalls, grand circle and upper circle, with 98 more places in the orchestra pit when it is not in use. The building stands beside the National Art Gallery on Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, near Titiwangsa Lake.

Seen from above, the roof takes the shape of a Kelantan moon kite, while the plan follows the sirih junjung, a betel-leaf arrangement used at Malay weddings and welcoming ceremonies. The interior uses Langkawi marble and hand-carved tropical-wood doors with flower and leaf motifs.