KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Samarahan Food and Cultural Festival 2025 (SFCF2025) will return from Nov 21 to 29, bringing together Samarahan’s rich food and cultural heritage in a 10-day showcase.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the festival would feature traditional dishes and cultural elements from Malay, Iban, Bidayuh, Bugis, Jawa and Chinese communities across the district.
He said Samarahan’s position as a residential and education hub made large-scale community events valuable in creating vibrancy and variety for local residents.
“We want to introduce the uniqueness of food and culture found in Samarahan. With so many ethnic groups here, the festival can feature traditions rarely seen elsewhere.
“This 10-day event also offers families a chance to enjoy different dishes without needing to cook at home throughout the festival period.
“With support from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and local agencies, we believe this programme will reflect Samarahan’s local identity and strengthen community participation,” he said during a press conference at Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) here today (Nov 17).
This year’s festival, held at the MPKS Pasar Tamu grounds in Desa Ilmu, involves collaboration between MPKS, UNIMAS, government agencies, associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Abdul Karim said nightly cultural performances would include Malay ‘bermukun’, ‘bertandak’ and ‘kompang’, Iban ‘gendang pampat’, Bugis cultural items and Chinese traditional arts.
He said cultural groups from Kelantan, Kedah and Melaka under UNIMAS’ cultural units would be featured throughout the festival.
Popular acts from Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia — including Baby Shima, Baggio Damasutra, Mawat, Rickie Andrewson and Winnie Albert — would further enliven the programme.
“We expect university performers to take the lead in most cultural segments every night, giving visitors a wide range of performances.
“The public will also be able to see cultural elements beyond Sarawak through the participation of groups from Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
“These performances will help broaden cultural appreciation and strengthen Samarahan’s role as a gathering point for different traditions,” he added.
Side activities will include Samarahan Idol, Fun Run, Cooking Competition, Pineapple Arrangement Contest, Aerobathon Challenge, Battle of the Bands and a three-hour Non-Stop Zumba session.
Abdul Karim said the festival would also create opportunities for food vendors and young entrepreneurs to expand their business exposure and develop their interest in food-based industries.
He said MPKS aimed to position SFCF2025 as a signature tourism event capable of drawing visitors from across the state and beyond.
“For a festival of this scale, achieving 250,000 visitors is possible. The number may even reach between 400,000 and 500,000 if momentum continues,” he said.
