Rainforest World Music Festival features renowned local acts as well as international ones. — Rainforest World Music Festival/Facebook
The Land Of The Hornbills, that’s the moniker we often hear in reference to Malaysia’s biggest state, Sarawak.
But really, there is another epithet it could go by – “The Land Of Music”. It fits the state well as it has been home to one of the biggest music festivals in the region for close to three decades now.
Additionally, it hosts other festivals that return annually to entertain music lovers from all over the globe. These passionate melophiles (people who love music) not only get to enjoy good tunes when they travel to Sarawak, they also gain the opportunity to immerse themselves in the state’s rich culture and verdant nature.
Exuding an atmosphere that is decidedly less hectic in comparison to more populous travel destinations elsewhere in Malaysia, it’s unsurprising that both foreigners and locals do not hesitate to visit Sarawak for a rejuvenating music festival-themed holiday filled with good vibes and good food.
If you’re thinking of planning your next holiday around music festivals, here are a few that are based in Sarawak that you can consider for your itinerary.
Borneo Jazz Festival is one of South-East Asia’s longest running jazz festivals. — Handout
“Jazzy Miri” was the theme of last year’s Borneo Jazz Festival (BJF), which made its return from pandemic hiatus with a three-day concert from late November to early December.
The 18th edition of the festival, held at Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club in Miri, saw a global lineup of performers regale audiences with an invigorating mix of jazz, reggae, pop, tribal, and world beats.
Representing Malaysia were the likes of Datuk Sheila Majid, WVC Jazz Ensemble and Miri’s very own Ta’Dan, performing on the same stage as artistes from the United States, Germany and Indonesia.
If you were to attend this year’s edition (dates have yet to be announced), make sure to allocate some time to sightsee in Miri as well.
Places of interest here include Canada Hill, where the historical landmark The Grand Old Lady is located; Saberkas Night Market, which is open Tuesday to Saturday; and of course, the amazing Gunung Mulu National Park, a Unesco-inscribed tropical karst area that also houses the world’s largest known cave chamber (Sarawak Chamber).
As mentioned, Sarawak has played host to one of the largest world music events for decades, namely the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF).
Since its inception in 1998, RWMF has brought together the biggest names in traditional, fusion and contemporary world music on one stage. Internationally renowned, Grammy-winning Japanese musician Kitaro was the headliner in last year’s festival; many other award-winning artistes had also graced the event in previous years.
It’s now an annual three-day event that’s highly anticipated by fans both local and international.
The festival’s name is indicative of its setting – the lush rainforest of the Bornean state. Specifically, it takes place at the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) of the capital city, Kuching.
This translates to a tranquil environment to enjoy the soulful plucking of a sape or the calming melodies of a nose flute. If you prefer more upbeat music, don’t fret, because that’s part of the set list too, which is typically a balanced mix of mellow tunes and energetic beats.
Aside from enjoying the evening performances, you can also spend your day participating in music workshops or exploring the cultural village – it is a living museum after all, which offers visitors a look into the culture and lifestyle of the state’s many ethnic groups.
There are already dates set for the 28th edition, so mark your calendar for June 20-22 if you want to experience RWMF in 2025.
Kuching Jazz Festival was previously known as Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival. — Kuching Jazz/Instagram
Not to be confused with BJF, this Kuching-based music festival debuted as Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival in 2017. It was later rebranded to Kuching Jazz Festival in 2022.
The 2024 edition was held for two days in October, at the Kuching Waterfront Esplanade.
A few days prior to the festival, however, there were additional activities held as part of the event. These included a gala dinner to raise funds for charities, a jazz competition and a blood donation drive.
No dates have been set for this year yet, therefore no details on the ticketing as well. But if it doesn’t differ much from last year, you can expect to see tickets to the festival packaged together with room offers too.
This collaboration with several hotels in Kuching makes booking for both the event and accommodation more streamlined and less of a hassle.
As this festival is set in the city centre, it is easily accessible from Kuching International Airport, which is less than 30 minutes away by car. Taking taxis or booking rides using e-hailing services is the fastest way to get from the airport to the city.
Borneo Sonic Music Festival’s star-studded lineup draws thousands of concertgoers. — Borneo Sonic MF/Facebook
There have been two editions of the Borneo Sonic Music Festival (BSMF) so far since its inception in 2023. It was most recently held in October 2024 at the Sarawak Stadium, located about 30 minutes away from Kuching.
With a seating capacity of 40,000, the stadium easily accommodates the festival’s more than 30,000 attendees.
BSMF draws a large crowd every time thanks to its star-studded lineup, featuring big names not only from Malaysia (such as Yuna) but also South Korea (Big Bang’s Taeyang, Rain, Jessi), Australia (Slumberjack) and more.
Other than the concert, last year’s BSMF included a “music run” – held at the 3km course that surrounds the stadium. Concertgoers were also allowed to camp overnight on a football field, giving them easier access to the festival.
No dates for 2025 are set yet at the time of writing, but judging by the enthusiastic response, chances are there will be a third edition held this October.
Borderland Music Festival is said to be the biggest EDM festival in Borneo. — Borderland Music Festival/Facebook
Here’s another festival that also made its debut in 2023. Borderland Music Festival (BMF) held its most recent edition in September 2024.
For two days, festivalgoers danced away to pumping dance beats by DJs from all over the world, including ones from our local EDM scene. Up-and-coming multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Belle Sisoski, who incorporates traditional instruments (some of which are near-extinct) in her electropop tunes, was one of the performers last year.
Electronic music combined with traditional music, as well as dance, cultural events, and food fairs, is the essence of BMF. Apropos of this, the second iteration of the festival was held at Kuching’s SCV – where better than the cultural village that celebrates the state’s heritage to showcase the festival’s interesting blend of traditional and modern?
Much like RWMF, BMF prepared shuttle buses for attendees coming from Kuching’s city centre. As it takes less than 30 minutes, with good traffic, to reach the village from the city, those with cars could also opt to drive to the venue.
Since BMF’s vision, as stated on its official website, is “to become one of the top music festivals in Asia within the next three years”, it is highly likely that it will return for its third edition sometime this year.
