Calendar / Rainforest World Music Festival
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Music & Culture Festivals in Kuching
Rainforest World Music Festival
Jun 25–27, 2027ExpectedRainforest World Music Festival 2027
Run by Sarawak Tourism Board, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why go
The Rainforest World Music Festival is the reason to time a Sarawak trip for late June, a three-day celebration of world and indigenous music set literally in the rainforest. Since 1998 it has run at the Sarawak Cultural Village, a living-museum site of traditional Borneo longhouses spread beneath the jungle-clad peak of Mount Santubong just outside Kuching, and it has grown into one of the most respected festivals of its kind, regularly named among the world's best. The format is what sets it apart: by day, intimate music workshops, instrument demonstrations and cultural sessions let you get close to musicians from every continent and to Sarawak's own Iban and Bidayuh traditions, and by night the two main stages fill with full-scale concerts under the trees. The 2026 edition, the 29th, runs from 26 to 28 June under the theme Regenerations: Roots and Rhythms. Around the festival, Kuching itself rewards a few days, with its waterfront, museums, Sarawak laksa and easy trips to Bako National Park and the Semenggoh orangutans. It is a festival with a strong sense of place, and a rare chance to hear music you will not find on any other bill.
When it runs
Held annually over a weekend in late June at the Sarawak Cultural Village near Kuching, organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board. The 2026 edition, the 29th, runs 26-28 June; the 2027 edition is expected on the last weekend of June.
- Jun 25–27, 2027ExpectedRainforest World Music Festival 2027
- Ran Jun 26–28, 2026Rainforest World Music Festival 2026 (29th edition)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
The festival is held over a weekend in late June, with daytime workshops and evening main-stage concerts across three days. Sarawak is hot and humid with rain possible, and the site is open-air on grass at the forest edge, so pack a poncho, insect repellent and shoes that can handle mud. Tickets are sold as daily or three-day passes through the official channels and the popular editions sell strongly, so book travel and accommodation in Kuching early. Check the official source each year for the exact dates and line-up.
Getting there & around
Kuching International Airport has direct flights from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore and other regional cities. The Sarawak Cultural Village is about 45 minutes by road from central Kuching at Damai near Santubong, and shuttle buses run to the festival site; many festival-goers stay at the Damai beach resorts or in the city and travel out each evening. Book accommodation well ahead, as Kuching fills for the festival weekend.
Where it happens
Kuching, Malaysia.
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