KUCHING, Sarawak, 29 June 2026: Sarawak welcomed the world to the rainforest as the 29th edition of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2026 opened at the Sarawak Cultural Village, attracting more than 200 performers from 13 countries for three days of music, culture, community and sustainability from 26 to 28 June 2026.
The opening day was marked by a walkabout by YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, who visited key festival activations across the Sarawak Cultural Village to experience first-hand how RWMF 2026 brings together culture, sustainability, community participation, food, innovation and responsible tourism within one festival setting.
Held under the theme “Regenerations: Roots & Rhythms,” RWMF 2026 transforms the iconic festival grounds in the foothills of Mount Santubong into a global meeting point where heritage, creativity and cultural exchange come alive through the universal language of music.
During the walkabout, YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim was briefed on several festival highlights, including Green Ruai, the Rainforest Flavours gastronomy activation at the Global Village Pavilion, food and beverage offerings across the festival grounds, sustainability operations, and community-led experiences designed to enhance the visitor journey throughout the three-day festival.
A key highlight of the walkabout was Green Ruai, which carries the theme “Roots of Change, Future of Sustainability.” Located near Rumah Gasing, Green Ruai serves as a dedicated sustainability platform showcasing practical green innovations, community-based initiatives, and environmentally responsible solutions that support the festival’s broader sustainability direction.
Among the featured showcases is DBKU’s E-Penambang at the Sarawak Cultural Village lake, presenting an environmentally friendly interpretation of Sarawak’s traditional river-transportation heritage.
The showcase reflects how cultural memory, local identity, and green innovation can be brought together in a way that is both educational and relevant to contemporary sustainability conversations.
Green Ruai also features collaborations and showcases involving renewable energy solutions, solar-powered infrastructure, clean energy systems, community-based sustainability initiatives, eco-friendly products and innovative approaches to waste and resource management. These initiatives reflect RWMF’s continued effort to make sustainability visible, accessible and participatory for festivalgoers.
Over three days, RWMF 2026 featured a diverse international and regional line-up spanning world music, soul, funk, groove, Nusantara traditions, Afro-fusion, Basque folk, Mongolian and Southeast Asian contemporary sounds. The festival continues to strengthen its reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s most distinctive cultural festival experiences, bringing together artists, audiences and communities in a setting that is uniquely Sarawak.
The opening day offered festivalgoers an immersive experience beyond the concert stage, with afternoon music workshops, cultural demonstrations, wellness sessions, interactive activities and community engagements taking place across the festival grounds. These activities allowed visitors to connect directly with artists, traditions, and stories from around the world while experiencing the cultural richness of Sarawak and Borneo.
According to YB Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, RWMF continues to play an important role in strengthening Sarawak’s global visibility as a cultural tourism destination.
“For nearly three decades, the Rainforest World Music Festival has shown how culture can bring the world together while strengthening appreciation for heritage, community and sustainability. RWMF is more than a festival. It is one of Sarawak’s strongest international platforms, reflecting who we are as the Gateway to Borneo and demonstrating how culture, nature and responsible tourism can coexist meaningfully,” he said.
He added that the festival’s on-the-ground activations demonstrate how Sarawak continues to strengthen responsible tourism through practical, visible initiatives.
“What we see at RWMF today is not only music and performance, but a wider ecosystem of culture, food, craft, sustainability and community participation. Initiatives such as Green Ruai and the E-Penambang showcase are important because they demonstrate how heritage and innovation can work together. This is the kind of meaningful tourism Sarawak wants to champion, where visitors enjoy the festival while also learning about our culture, environment and way of life,” he said.
Dr Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, Chief Executive Officer of the Sarawak Tourism Board, said the 2026 theme reflects the festival’s evolution as it approaches its 30th anniversary next year.
“Regenerations: Roots & Rhythms captures the spirit of this year’s festival beautifully. ‘Roots’ reminds us of the cultural heritage, traditions and knowledge passed down through generations. At the same time, ‘Rhythms’ reflects renewal, creativity and the way music continues to evolve through collaboration and contemporary expression,” she said.
“This year, we see that theme coming alive across the festival through the performances, workshops, cultural storytelling, food, craft, sustainability initiatives and the shared energy of festivalgoers. RWMF continues to show that culture is not static. It is lived, shared, renewed and carried forward,” she added.
The evening programme culminated in a highly anticipated performance by Malaysian music icon Dato M Nasir, whose poetic storytelling, timeless repertoire and enduring influence in the regional music landscape captivated audiences gathered beneath the rainforest canopy. His performance set the tone for a weekend dedicated to celebrating cultural identity, artistic innovation, and the power of music to transcend borders.
In addition to the main concerts, festivalgoers can look forward to a full programme of immersive experiences throughout the weekend, including more than 50 workshops and activities across the festival grounds. These include music and dance workshops, artist-led sessions, cultural storytelling, traditional craft demonstrations, wellness activities, family-friendly programmes, cultural performances, and community-led activities.
The programme also features the BIMP-EAGA and ASEAN Gastronomy Experience through Rainforest Flavours at the Global Village Pavilion. Curated by the Culinary Heritage and Arts Society Sarawak (CHASS), the activation showcases distinctive regional flavours and shared culinary traditions from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, including Sarawak.
Rainforest Flavours highlights heritage ingredients, traditional cooking techniques, local food stories, and authentic food showcases, offering festivalgoers a deeper taste of Sarawak, Borneo, and the wider region. This complements RWMF’s celebration of music, culture and community by positioning food as another important expression of shared heritage.
Festivalgoers can also enjoy approximately 50 food and beverage vendors across the festival grounds, offering Sarawakian favourites, traditional local cuisine, international street food, Western delights, barbecue specialities, artisanal desserts, tropical fruits, vegetarian selections, festival-style bites and a wide selection of beverages.
Sustainability remains a core pillar of RWMF 2026, with the festival serving as a live implementation platform for the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System as it progresses towards sustainable event management and responsible tourism development.
On-the-ground initiatives include Green Ruai, the Green Warriors Waste Management Programme, structured waste segregation and recycling initiatives, nine EcoStations across Damai Sentral and Sarawak Cultural Village, and the EcoGreen Planet Tree Planting Initiative.
Through EcoGreen Planet, implemented in collaboration with the Sarawak Forestry Corporation, more than 6,000 trees have been planted across Sarawak since 2023, and the programme is on track to plant 10,000 trees this year. These efforts reinforce RWMF’s commitment to reducing environmental impact while encouraging festivalgoers to engage in responsible tourism practices.
RWMF 2026 is made possible through the strong support of its official partners and sponsors, who continue to play a vital role in strengthening the festival’s global reach, cultural impact and sustainability commitments.
Malaysia Airlines and Firefly serve as the Official Airline Partners, supporting connectivity and travel access into Sarawak. TV Sarawak (TVS) returns as the Official Broadcast Partner, extending the festival’s reach to audiences across Malaysia and beyond, while Astro Radio, comprising Era FM Sarawak, Sinar FM, Mix FM and Lite FM, serves as the Official Radio Partner. Rip Curl joins as the Official Apparel Partner, contributing to the festival’s lifestyle and creative expression ecosystem.
A diverse network of partners across the sustainability, hospitality, beverage, mobility, media, and corporate sectors further supports the festival. These include Cuckoo International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, F&N Marketing Sdn Bhd as Non-Alcoholic Beverage Partner, Plaza Merdeka, The Waterfront Hotel Kuching, Media Exchange, Avis Budget Malaysia, Carlsberg Marketing Sdn Bhd, Solarvest Borneo Sdn Bhd (Sarawak), PETROS, and Trienekens (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd.
As RWMF 2026 continues through the weekend, audiences can look forward to more world-class performances, cultural discoveries, sustainability showcases, and meaningful encounters that celebrate the diversity of global music while reinforcing Sarawak’s position as the Gateway to Borneo and one of Asia’s most compelling destinations for cultural and sustainable tourism.
For more information on Sarawak, visit: www.sarawaktourism.com
(Source: Your Stories — Sarawak Tourism Board)
