Ramadan and Hari Raya are the biggest stretch of the year for many Malaysian brands. People shop, cook, give, travel home and gather with family, and they spend a lot of that time on their phones. For brands, that means high intent and a very crowded feed.
In 2027 the season starts earlier than many teams expect, and it overlaps with Chinese New Year. Here's how to plan it, phase by phase.
The key dates for 2027
These dates are expected and subject to the official moon sighting, so confirm them closer to the time.
- Ramadan is expected to begin around 8 February 2027 and end around 9 March 2027.
- Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected around 10 March 2027.
- Syawal, the month of celebration that follows, runs for roughly a month after Raya.
One more date matters: Chinese New Year falls on 6 February 2027, just before Ramadan is expected to start. The two seasons sit almost back to back, so creators, ad inventory and your own team will be stretched across both. We cover how to handle that in our companion post, the CNY and Ramadan 2027 overlap playbook.
The season at a glance
| Phase | Expected timing | What people are doing | What brands should do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Ramadan | November 2026 to early February 2027 | Finishing the year, preparing for CNY | Set goals, brief and book creators, lock content dates |
| Ramadan | About 8 February to early March | Fasting, sahur, iftar, bazaar Ramadan, giving | Iftar and sahur moments, food, charity, reflective content |
| Last 10 days | Late February to about 9 March | Raya shopping, baking, planning the trip home | Baju raya, kuih raya, gifts, balik kampung, live selling |
| Hari Raya | About 10 March | Prayers, family visits, duit raya, open houses | Warm family content, light brand presence |
| Syawal | About 10 March to early April | Open houses and gatherings all month | Hosting, food, fashion and post-Raya offers |
Phase 1: Before Ramadan (plan and book early)
The work that decides your Raya results happens months before the first iftar. In 2027 that's even more true, because CNY lands right before Ramadan and many creators will be booked for both.
- Set one clear goal. Awareness, sales, app installs or store visits. Each needs a different creator mix.
- Brief early. Good Malay-speaking creators, family creators and modest-wear creators are in demand every Raya. The best ones fill their calendars first.
- Plan content in phases. Ramadan content and Raya content are different moods. Brief them separately rather than asking one post to do everything.
- Get approvals done before CNY. Your own team will be busy with CNY too. Lock scripts and schedules before the holiday.
Phase 2: Ramadan (iftar, sahur, giving and reflection)
Ramadan is not just "pre-Raya". It has its own rhythm, and content that respects it feels far more natural.
Iftar and sahur moments. Breaking fast and the pre-dawn meal are daily rituals. Food and drink brands fit naturally here: what's on the table at buka puasa, quick sahur ideas, staying hydrated through the day.
Bazaar Ramadan. Bazaar visits are a favourite content format. Creators taste, rate and recommend, and local F&B brands can piggyback with stall tie-ins or delivery offers.
Giving and charity. Ramadan is a month of generosity. Campaigns that support a cause, donate meals or highlight community work tend to land well, as long as the giving is real and not just a hashtag.
Reflective content. Personal stories about family, faith, patience and gratitude are common in the feed during Ramadan. Brands can support creators telling these stories without making the product the hero of every frame.
Proof it works: for Cooltopia's Ramadan campaign, we worked with 20 influencers to position its herbal cooling water as a buka puasa drink. The campaign reached about 1 million people with 44,329 views. A simple, relevant idea, tied to a daily Ramadan moment, did the heavy lifting.
Phase 3: The last 10 days (Raya shopping peaks)
This is when shopping intensifies. People are buying for themselves, their families and their hosts.
- Baju raya. Fashion and modest-wear creators doing try-ons, colour-theme reveals and family matching outfits.
- Kuih raya. Baking content, kuih hauls and "what's in our balang this year" posts suit food, kitchen and grocery brands.
- Gifts and hampers. Gift guides for parents, in-laws and colleagues, plus duit raya packet designs.
- Balik kampung travel. Road trip prep, car care, snacks for the journey, travel essentials and keeping the house safe while away.
- Beauty. Raya-day makeup looks that last through a long day of visiting, and skincare for fasting days.
This is also prime time for live selling. A creator-hosted live with a clear time-boxed offer gives shoppers a reason to buy now. If you're new to it, read how to script a live selling session that converts.
Phase 4: Hari Raya (family first)
On Raya itself, people are with family, at prayers and visiting relatives. Feeds fill with family photos, open-house moments and duit raya exchanges.
This is a day for warm, low-key content: a greeting, a family scene, a creator's real Raya morning. Hard-sell posts feel out of place. Brands like Chek Hup and Watsons have run Raya campaigns with us that leaned into the feeling of the season rather than shouting about product.
Phase 5: Syawal (the whole month counts)
Raya in Malaysia is celebrated throughout Syawal, so don't stop on day three. Open houses run for weeks, and so does demand for:
- Hosting and catering ideas
- Outfits for the next open house
- Home and décor content
- Post-Raya offers and "back to routine" products
Many brands go quiet after the first week. That makes Syawal a more affordable, less crowded window for brands that stay present.
Which creators to book
| Creator type | Why they fit | Content ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Malay-speaking creators | Speak directly to the audience celebrating, in their own language | Personal Ramadan routines, Raya preparations, family stories |
| Family and home | Raya is about family and hosting | Sahur and iftar at home, open-house prep, balik kampung |
| Food | Food is at the centre of every phase | Bazaar reviews, iftar recipes, kuih raya, open-house menus |
| Fashion and modest wear | Baju raya is a major purchase | Try-ons, colour themes, family matching outfits |
| Beauty | Raya looks and fasting-day skincare | Long-lasting makeup, skincare routines, gift sets |
Most strong Raya campaigns mix sizes: a few larger KOLs for reach plus many smaller creators for trust and reviews. Our guide to KOL vs KOC vs celebrity explains how to choose the mix.
Formats that work
- TikTok for bazaar reviews, recipes, outfit try-ons and short family moments.
- Instagram Reels for polished fashion, beauty and home content.
- Live selling in the last 10 days, when purchase intent is highest.
Sensitivities to get right
Ramadan and Raya are religious occasions first. A few principles keep your campaign respectful:
- Respect fasting hours. Time food and drink content close to iftar, not mid-afternoon when people are fasting.
- Mind halal and modesty. Check that featured food and products are halal where relevant, and that styling and wardrobe suit the occasion and the audience.
- Never mock religious practice. Humour is welcome, but not at the expense of prayer, fasting or faith.
- Be authentic, not tokenistic. Work with creators who actually celebrate and let them tell it their way. Dropping a ketupat graphic onto a generic ad isn't a Raya campaign.
What it costs
SushiVid recommends a budget of at least RM10,000 a month for six months, so you can test, learn and build momentum across the season. Creator fees range from about RM340 for nano creators to about RM5,400 for creators with 150,000 to 300,000 followers, per round of content. See our influencer marketing cost guide for the full breakdown.
For more festive lessons, read the festive influencer marketing playbook, and for the wider market picture, see the state of influencer marketing in Malaysia 2026.
Ready to plan Raya 2027?
Raya creators get booked fast, especially with CNY right before Ramadan this year, so the earlier you brief, the better your line-up. WhatsApp us and we'll reply within one business day.
