Balai Nobat, Royal ceremonial hall in Alor Setar, Malaysia

Balai Nobat is a three-storey building in Alor Setar, completed in 1906 in stone and metal, with a dome at its summit echoing mosque architecture. It replaced an earlier five-storey wooden structure from the reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah, and its design follows that wooden predecessor.

Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II commissioned the building in 1735 when Alor Setar was established as Kedah's administrative center. The structure was created during a period when the city was solidifying its role as the royal seat and government hub.

Inside, you can find the royal musical ensemble called Nobat, which includes traditional instruments like serunai, nafiri, gendang, and gong. These instruments are closely tied to court ceremonies and are performed during official royal occasions.

Balai Nobat stands in the heart of Alor Setar, near the Balai Besar and the state mosque, so it can be seen on foot while walking through the old royal quarter. The building is not open to the public and no tours are offered; the Nobat instruments kept inside are played only at royal ceremonies.

The Nobat ensemble originally had 24 songs, of which five are now lost; the surviving repertoire includes Arak-Arak, Bayat, Bayok, Belayar (Raja Berangkat), Berlimau and Bujang Ilir. The instruments may only be played or handled by people of the Orang Kalur, and each instrument passes to a player's son or at least his brother. The ensemble's head holds the title Penghulu, his assistant Kalur Besar.