KUCHING: The haze may have hung over Kuching over the weekends but it did little to dampen the spirit of around 1,500 fans who turned up at the Waterfront Esplanade on both nights for the Rock-in-the-City (RiTC) 2026.
Despite the high Air Pollutant Index (API) reading, fans continued to throng the concert ground, with the organisers also providing free face masks for concertgoers as a precaution while they enjoyed the performances.
The second and final night (Sunday night) featured Kuching metal outfit Senseless, the Indonesia-Sarawak collaboration Fearless, and Malaysian heavy metal veterans Barbarik+.
The festival had kicked off on Saturday night with an equally strong regional line-up featuring Indonesian rock giants Peterpan, Brunei’s Secret Signal and Kuching’s Post Mortem Education.
The biggest roar of the final night came from Barbarik+, who delivered a high-octane set, bringing down the curtain in style and marking their inaugural live performance here.
The veteran rockers performed many of their popular hits, taking fans on a nostalgic trip through their musical journey while demonstrating that their trademark heavy metal energy remains very much alive.
Adding to the excitement, Barbarik+ also introduced their latest release, ‘Periok Api’.
The performance saw fans singing along, headbanging and responding enthusiastically.
Before Barbarik+ took the stage, Fearless delivered their brand of rock shaped by their Indonesia-Sarawak connection, while Senseless got the crowd moving with their hard-hitting performance.
Fearless, who also performed at last year’s Rock-in-the-Jungle, returned with new material, including two new songs and a music video filmed in Kuching.
The first night on Saturday had already set the pace with Peterpan, performing with their new vocalist Arda, bringing their much-loved songs to the Kuching crowd while Secret Signal showcased Brunei’s rock scene and Post Mortem Education represented the emerging local talent.
The 2026 edition marked a new chapter for the festival, which was previously known as Rock-in-the-Jungle (RiTJ) and held at Sarawak Cultural Village.
This year, organisers brought the festival into the city, giving fans easier access to the event while introducing a new urban setting at the Waterfront Esplanade.
The move, however, does not mean the jungle concept is gone permanently, with organisers indicating that RiTJ could return in future editions, potentially alternating with the city-based format.
