By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Fest 2026 is being positioned as more than a cultural festival, with a focus on creating opportunities for communities, young talents and local tourism entrepreneurs.
Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Ariffin said the month-long celebration would showcase Sabah’s culture while providing platforms for local communities and creative practitioners.
He said tourism today was no longer simply about places to see, but experiences to feel, stories to understand and connections to remember.
“Our landscapes may inspire a visitor to come to Sabah, but it is often our people, our culture and the experiences they encounter that give them a reason to remember us,” he said when launching Sabah Fest 2026 at Sabah Tourism Board’s building on Saturday.
Jafry said visitors could gain a deeper understanding of Sabah by sharing meals with local communities, learning traditional crafts, listening to local music and witnessing cultural performances.
He said this was the type of tourism Sabah wanted to encourage as it could create opportunities, strengthen communities and provide platforms for local entrepreneurs, artisans, performers, creative and young talents.
Jafry said the opportunities should also reach communities beyond Sabah’s established tourism centres.
He placed emphasis on young Sabahans, saying the next generation should not only inherit traditional culture but also have the freedom to reinterpret it.
“We want to see young Sabahans bringing their creativity into our music, arts, fashion, digital content, food and tourism experiences,” he said.
Sabah Fest 2026 will feature 50 selected events from Aug 29 to Sept 29 under the theme “50 Events, One Golden Journey”.
The events include cultural performances, workshops, exhibitions, tourism experiences, community activities and other programmes organised with various collaborators.
The celebration will also extend beyond the main Sabah Fest programmes in Kota Kinabalu, with programmes scheduled in Kudat, Kuala Lumpur, Sandakan and Tawau.
Jafry said the festival was particularly timely as it coincided with the period leading to Hari Kebangsaan, Sabah Day and Hari Malaysia.
He said the celebrations provided an opportunity to highlight Sabah’s distinctive identity while recognising the diversity that connects Malaysians.
“Our diversity is not a division. Our diversity is our identity. And our diversity is our strength,” he said.
Sabah Fest has been part of Sabah’s tourism calendar since 1988 and has evolved to embrace contemporary expressions while remaining rooted in the state’s cultural heritage.
Jafry also called for continued cooperation among government agencies, the tourism industry, communities, cultural organisations, event organisers and other stakeholders.
As Sabah Tourism Board marks its 50th anniversary, he said the next 50 years would require collective efforts to ensure tourism continued to benefit communities.
He said Sabah should remain recognised for its natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural richness, while also becoming a destination where tourism created opportunities, culture was respected, the environment protected and young people had a future in the tourism and creative industries.
Jafry (centre), and guests jointly launch the Sabah Fest 2026.
