Grammy winners Gipsy Kings among 200 acts at Sarawak's Rainforest music fest in June


KUCHING: Sarawak's renowned Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) will make a physical comeback in June with nearly 200 Malaysian and international performers from 24 groups taking the stage.

The three-day event at the Sarawak Cultural Village here will be headlined by Grammy winners Gipsy Kings from France along with international acts such as Big Mountain (Jamaica), Rastak (Iran), Rizal Hadi & Folk (Indonesia) and Safi Theatre (Tanzania).

Local performers include singer Zee Avi and Sarawakian bands At Adau, Meruked, Nading Rhapsody and Tuku Kame.

"I believe the festival will attract over 20,000 visitors this time," state Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told reporters after launching the event here on Monday (April 3).

"We would like to see more people but the space at the Sarawak Cultural Village cannot accommodate more," he added.

To a question, he said no dress code restrictions would be imposed on festival goers.

"They have dressed decently enough in the past. Of course we don't expect anyone to go naked or topless," he added.

The festival was held in a hybrid format last year with physical and virtual performances, while in 2021 it took place as a virtual experience only due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Earlier in his speech, Abdul Karim said RWMF had grown over the years to become an advocate for responsible tourism and sustainability.

He said this was in line with the state government's emphasis on environmental sustainability, particularly in its plans to recover from the pandemic towards long-term economic growth.

"Proactive measures have been taken to create and implement a sustainable, eco-friendly festival.

"As in the past, among the initiatives (geared) towards responsible tourism are banning single-use plastics, encouraging upcycling of used materials, exploring innovative waste management solutions, and providing shuttle buses for festival goers to reduce carbon emissions," he said.

Ticket sales for the June 23-25 festival will open on April 15, with early-bird prices starting at RM190 for an adult one-day pass.

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