KUCHING: The final notes of British acid jazz band Incognito echoed across the Rainythm Forest Arena as thousands of festival goers brought the curtain down on another memorable Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF), setting the stage for an even bigger milestone celebration next year.
Beneath the rainforest canopy at the Sarawak Cultural Village, visitors from Sarawak, across Malaysia and around the world danced, sang and swayed to the music on the festival’s final night.
Thousands remained until the closing performance, while a sea of illuminated phone lights lit up the arena, bringing a fitting finale to three days of music, culture and shared experiences.
As this year’s edition came to a close, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, described the festival as another successful outing.
“Alhamdulillah, for the last three days, the weather has been very good and everything went smoothly.
“We welcomed visitors from Sarawak, other parts of Malaysia and overseas, including members of the royal families from Perlis and Selangor, who congratulated the Sarawak Tourism Board for successfully organising this year’s festival,” he told reporters after the festival concluded on Sunday night (June 28).
Looking ahead, Abdul Karim said preparations were already underway for RWMF’s landmark 30th edition in 2027, which would feature a revamped stage, upgraded facilities and a stronger line-up to further elevate the internationally recognised festival.
“The 30th year is a significant year. The stage will change and we have received more allocation from the state government for many improvements.
“In addition to the new stage, audiences will be more comfortable and preparations for performers will also be better organised,” he said.
He said the ministry and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) were also planning to bring in stronger headliners and more crowd pulling acts from Sarawak, Malaysia and abroad to make the anniversary edition even more memorable.
“We will choose performers that are truly appealing, whether they are from Sarawak, Malaysia or overseas, so that the reception will be even better than in previous years.
“Reaching the 30th edition is a major achievement for the state, the ministry and STB, and we want next year’s festival to reflect that,” he said.
Abdul Karim also assured festival goers that the planned infrastructure upgrades would not result in higher ticket prices, stressing that the cost of improving the venue and stage would be absorbed as part of the state’s commitment to enhancing the festival experience.
However, he acknowledged that the dual carriageway project along the Kuching to Damai road, which is expected to begin next year, could temporarily affect traffic flow for festivalgoers travelling to the Sarawak Cultural Village.
“That will probably be the main challenge next year, but we will address it accordingly,” he said.
As RWMF 2026 drew to a close, the final applause echoed through the rainforest, bringing another chapter of the internationally acclaimed festival to an end while leaving festivalgoers with high expectations for its landmark 30th edition next year.
