KUCHING: Harvest Fusion Festival (HFF) is set to transform Kuching’s city nights into a 10-day celebration of music, food and living Bornean culture as the urban pre-Gawai festival returns later this month with a bigger line-up, stronger community focus, and renewed push for cultural inclusivity.
Running from May 22 to 31 at the MBKS Community Hall outdoor parking area, the free-entry festival is expected to feature nightly performances, fusion food experiences, cultural showcases, and the return of its community-driven ‘Udah Makai Buai’ cleanliness campaign.
Festival Director, Ray Houston, said this year’s edition aims to make culture more accessible to urban communities while preserving the warmth and spirit of Sarawak’s kampung traditions.
“We often say this is more than just food and music. It is a celebration of our heritage and everything we are as a community here in the Land of the Hornbills.
“As organisers, we are placing stronger emphasis this year on hospitality and immersive experiences, with festival-goers welcomed at the entrance by cultural groups to recreate the feeling of entering a Sarawakian household,” he said during a press conference at tHe Spring Shopping Mall today (May 16).
A major focus of this year’s festival is the continuation of ‘Udah Makai Buai’, a cleanliness initiative encouraging visitors to take shared responsibility in keeping the festival grounds clean.
“‘Udah Makai Buai’ is a call to action for festival cleanliness to promote social responsibility. HFF’s organising committees are all volunteers, as we believe cleanliness is a collective responsibility from organisers to visitors alike,” he said.
The festival will also feature the return of its symbolic ‘tajau’ opening and closing ceremonies, where preserved tuak is ceremonially opened at the start of the event before a new tajau is sealed on the final night for next year’s festival.
Among the highlights lined up are nightly performances by local acts, including Baby Dream Machine, Alisa Spencer, Seksitito, Jon Kennedy, Masta G, Agura Band and Lock N’ Load.
Other programmes include the ‘Rentak Warisan’ contemporary sape competition organised by Persatuan Anak Seni Sape Kuching (PUSAK), a Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA) cultural night, Bidayuh Artiste and Musicians Association (BAMA) night, cultural dance showcases, and a 90-minute Zumba fitness session.
Festival founder and adviser, Peterus Mering, described this year’s edition as a new chapter for the festival, with Ray taking over creative leadership after previously serving as the event’s designer.
“This year’s rendition of Harvest Fusion is a lot based on Ray’s ideas and vision of how a festival should be,” he said, adding that the transition reflects the organisers’ intention to ensure HFF continues evolving as a community-driven celebration beyond its founding team.
