WAK Festival looks beyond Kuching, eyes Bintulu among potential venues

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By Nancy Nais

KUCHING, Oct 3: From a Kuching festival to a potential Statewide creative movement, the WAK festival is setting its sights beyond the capital city, with Bintulu and other parts of Sarawak being considered for future editions.

Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the vision was to build a network of WAK festivals across Sarawak, allowing each community to showcase its own creative identity while collectively presenting the State’s cultural diversity to Malaysia and the world.

Now in its eighth edition in Kuching, WAK has grown significantly since it began in Kuching in 2017 and has expanded to Sibu and Miri, each now in its third edition and gaining traction within its community.

“Imagine in the years ahead, a network of WAK festivals across Sarawak, each celebrating the distinctive character and creativity of its own community. The growth shows that WAK worked because it was not simply imposed on communities but built with and by them.

“Therefore, the proposed expansion could generate opportunities beyond festivals themselves, including connecting creative communities, providing platforms for artists and performers, activating public spaces, supporting local businesses, and encouraging visitors to discover different parts of Sarawak.

“This is why the Sarawak government sees WAK not simply as a calendar of events, but as part of a much larger creative ecosystem,” he said in his speech read by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at the launch of the WAK Festival 2026 event today.

Abang Johari also stressed that creativity should be seen as more than a passion, particularly for young Sarawakians, as it can provide meaningful careers, viable businesses, and economic opportunities.

He encouraged organisers to strengthen connections among Kuching, Sibu, and Miri, explore Bintulu and other communities when appropriate, and develop stronger regional and international collaborations.

Government agencies, government-linked companies and the private sector, he added, should view supporting WAK not merely as sponsorship, but as an investment in Sarawak’s creative economy and its people.

Abang Johari hoped that WAK’s next chapter will be more ambitious, with the long-term aspiration of becoming a distinctive Sarawak creative platform recognised nationally, regionally and eventually internationally.

Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said WAK has evolved into a community-driven platform involving artists, musicians, performers, cultural practitioners, entrepreneurs, businesses, institutions and communities.

“There are so many WAK events going on for the whole month, and it is almost impossible for you to follow all of them. Every day and every night, something is going on. You must look at the event directory to see what is happening, pick and choose which one you want to go to,” Abdul Karim said. — DayakDaily

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