Rainforest World Music Festival Background:

Established in 1998 with an audience of only 300 people, it is now a major annual event in the State’s music calendar, eagerly anticipated by a crowd of over 20,000 people who flock from overseas, interstate as well as locals. It is a family-friendly event with an accent on participation especially at the afternoon workshops. It has a record of environmental awareness as evidenced by its tree planting campaigns, its attention to recycling and the use of shuttle buses to reduce carbon emission.

Every Kind of Music You Can Imagine:

The festival features a wide range of musical performances from traditional to world fusion and contemporary. While electronic instruments are fairly commonplace at the festival now, the festival emphasizes the use of traditional acoustic instruments. Invited performers come from all over Malaysia, as well as Australia, Colombia, Ireland, Africa and beyond. If you find yourself needing a break from all the didgeridoos, lutes and sitars, you can wander over to the Food & Village Mart, where local craftspeople sell everything from henna tattoos to jewelry and fabric, and food stalls hawk kolo mee (a typical Kuching noodle dish) and sautéed wild fern. You know, just your average festival fare.

The Vibe:

Although there is a set schedule for the workshops and evening performances, the atmosphere at the Rainforest World Music Festival is extremely relaxed, and attendees are free to wander the village, coming and going from the festival over the three days. Daytime workshops are held inside traditional houses in the village, where the performers are often on the floor with the audience, allowing guests to get up close and personal with the musicians. You won't find performers hiding backstage or in private trailers here. Instead, artists roam around the village, mingling with curious festival-goers who chat them up about the music and the events of the day.

Sarawak’s Iconic Music Festival – Awards & Achievements:

• 2010 -2022, for 6 consecutive years, awarded 25 of the best International Festivals by Songlines, a UK based World Music Magazine
• 2012/2013 Brand Laureate Country Branding Award awarded by Asia Pacific Brands Foundation
• ASEANTA Excellence Award 2009
• PATA Gold Awards 2006

Top tips:

• The workshops are an intimate, informal and often interactive way to see individual musicians, as opposed to large-scale concerts with the full band.
• The final concert on the last night is typically reserved for the big names, and the acts that are most upbeat. The crowd gets worked up into a frenzy of collective joy, an experience not to be missed.
• The Mulu Caves are not part of the festival, but if you’re going to be in Sarawak, these are not to be missed. Limestone mountains have been eroded away by water running down the slopes and toward the sea for millennia. What’s left is a complex network of vast and staggeringly beautiful caves that beg to be explored.
• Bring cash
• Bring your own lawn chairs
• Be prepared for wet weather

Rainforest World Music Festival Organizer:

Sarawak Tourism Board