KUCHING: The guitars were tuned, the stories were shared and the excitement was already building as rock legends and rising bands from Sarawak, West Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei gathered for a Meet-and-Greet session prior to the Rock-in-the-City (RiTC) 2026, which kicked-off on Saturday.
Held on Saturday at the Sadong Room, Grand Margherita Hotel, the session brought the performers together with members of the media ahead of the two-night rock festival, which took place on Saturday and Sunday night at the Waterfront Esplanade.
For the artistes, the session was more than a chance to meet the media. It was an opportunity to share their excitement about performing in Kuching, reconnect with old fans and, for some, experience a stage they would not easily get back home.
Formerly known as Rock-in-the-Jungle (RiTJ), the festival was previously held at Sarawak Cultural Village, embracing the natural surroundings at the foot of Mount Santubong.
This year, organisers have given the festival a new urban setting, bringing RiTC into the heart of Kuching to create a more accessible experience for rock fans while offering a fresh identity for the festival.
Barbarik celebrates Sarawak’s love for rock returning to Sarawak was particularly meaningful, with guitarist Joe Branko praising the state’s openness towards rock music.
He recalled a time when rock musicians in Peninsular Malaysia faced restrictions, including being told to cut their hair, making Sarawak’s approach to rock music stand out.
“We went through a time when rock was banned and musicians were even told to cut their hair. Here in Sarawak, rock is celebrated and has been elevated into a festival. To me, Sarawak is the best,” he said.
Joe said the band was also curious to see whether the fans who followed their music since the 1990s would still turn up, while also hoping to connect with a younger generation of rock enthusiasts.
“We have been doing this for more than 40 years. We want to see whether our old fans are still here and whether there are new fans who have discovered our music,” he said.
He is legendary for being the longtime former lead guitarist of the iconic Malaysian rock band, Wings for 28 years. During that time, he was widely known as ‘Joe Wings’. Later, he founded Barbarik+ in 2022 alongside former Wings and May vocalist Muss. The band’s name was taken from Wings’ famous 2000 studio album, Mr. Barbarik.
Barbarik took the stage on Sunday night with a 90-minute performance featuring around a dozen songs and several surprises.
Alongside, another performing band from Indonesia, in infamous, Peterpan brings back the nostalgia, also looked forward to reconnecting with Sarawak fans, having already established a strong connection with the region’s music lovers.
The band said ‘Mimpi Yang Sempurna’ remained one of their most meaningful songs as it represented an important starting point in their musical journey.
More than two decades later, their songs continue to reach younger listeners through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, demonstrating the lasting appeal of their music across generations.
Performing in Kuching with new vocalist Arda, a familiar name in Indonesia’s music scene, Peterpan was also looking forward to enjoying Sarawak’s famous local food.
The band was scheduled to headline the opening night alongside Post Mortem Education from Kuching and Secret Signal from Brunei.
Secret Signal is forever grateful for Sarawak stage, said its Frontman Wady, and appreciated Sarawak for providing opportunities for regional musicians to perform, particularly as entertainment performances face significant restrictions in Brunei. For Brunei’s Secret Signal, the invitation to perform in Kuching carried a special significance.
“We really appreciate being brought here to showcase our music. We are happy to meet the legends and share the stage with them. This is our first big show in Kuching, and we are very grateful for the opportunity,” said Wady.
The band has performed internationally, including opening for Simple Plan in Thailand, as well as performing in Indonesia and Vietnam.
Wady said performing alongside established names at RiTC was also an opportunity to showcase Brunei’s rock scene to Sarawak audiences.
For local bands, they embraced the opportunity, especially in prestige event such as RiTC 2026.
For Kuching’s Post Mortem Education, the festival represented an important milestone for a band that has been active for only around four years.
The band thanked the organisers for giving them the opportunity to perform alongside established musicians from across the region, describing it as a valuable experience from which they could learn and grow.
Meanwhile, Fearless, an Indonesia-Sarawak collaboration, returned to the festival after appearing at last year’s Rock-in-the-Jungle (RiTJ 2.0).
The band brought two new songs and music videos to the festival, including one music video filmed in Kuching just a few months ago.
Kuching metal outfit Senseless also joined the line-up, completing the strong representation of local rock talent.
AIE Entertainment event coordinator Nur Linda Bara Abdullah said the change from jungle to city was intended to introduce a different experience rather than replace the original concept.
“This year, we wanted to create a different concept by bringing RiTC into Kuching. Last year was about nature and the rainforest at Sarawak Cultural Village. But that doesn’t mean Rock-in-the-Jungle is over. We may alternate between the jungle and the city in the future,” she said.
She also revealed that organisers were exploring the possibility of taking the festival beyond Kuching, with Miri among the locations being considered for future editions.
The Meet-and-Greet set the tone for what promises to be two nights of loud guitars, powerful vocals and nostalgic rock anthems, bringing together established names and emerging musicians from across Borneo and beyond.
With Peterpan, Post Mortem Education and Secret Signal performed on Saturday night, followed by Fearless, Barbarik and Senseless on Sunday, Rock-in-the-City 2026 gave Kuching’s rock fans a weekend to remember, from 7.30 pm to 11pm at the Waterfront Esplanade, here.
