By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 13: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) and Pepsi today launched a limited edition Pepsi can featuring the Kuching Festival branding, marking the first time the city’s signature food festival has appeared on a specially designed Pepsi can available in Kuching.
MBKS mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng described the launch as a milestone for the festival, which began in 1986 and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
“After 40 years, we have managed to have our logo featured on the Pepsi can. This is an achievement,” he said at the unveiling ceremony for the limited edition Pepsi can held at the MBKS building here today.
Wee said the collaboration provides an additional promotional platform for Kuching Festival, allowing the festival to carry Kuching’s identity, culture and gastronomy to consumers in Kuching.
“This can will serve as an ambassador for our city, carrying the Kuching Festival brand and introducing our festival to consumers,” he said.
The mayor highlighted the festival’s growth over four decades, from 20 stalls at its inaugural edition at Reservoir Park in 1986 to more than 300 food stalls this year.
He explained that the festival was originally introduced in conjunction with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Trade Fair in 1986, when the federal government encouraged states to organise activities to welcome tourists.
The Kuching Festival Fair 2026 will be held at MBKS grounds from July 22 to Aug 16.
Besides more than 300 food stalls, the festival will feature 97 indoor trade exhibition stalls, 29 amusement and game stalls, nightly stage performances and a garden show.
Wee said the festival attracted more than one million visitors over 24 days last year, and MBKS hoped to surpass that figure this year.
The festival is also expected to complement Kuching’s role as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Wee noted that 28 countries had agreed to attend the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Annual General Assembly in early August, while 80 chefs would participate in the Culinary Borneo Cup competition.
Meanwhile, Etika Sdn Bhd chief executive officer of Etika and International Exports, Hemalatha Ragavan, said the launch marked the first time Pepsi had produced a limited edition can in conjunction with the Kuching Festival.
She congratulated MBKS on sustaining the festival for four decades, describing its growth from 20 stalls to more than 300 stalls as “an amazing feat”.
“This is the kind of partnership that we look forward to, and localisation is the way to go. What better way than with food?” she said.
Pepsi is returning for the second consecutive year as the main sponsor of the Kuching Festival Fair.
According to Wee, the company contributed RM60,000 in cash and additional in-kind sponsorship, including 30 festival sun tents, co-branded promotional materials, digital marketing support and product sponsorship for festival activities.
Wee also assured the public that beverage prices at the festival would remain the same as last year, including the popular happy hour promotions.
The limited edition Pepsi cans will be available in Kuching, serving as a promotional ambassador for Kuching Festival within the city.
Also present were MBKS deputy mayor Dato Zaiedi Suhaili; Etika Sdn Bhd head of commercial Teh Suet Ching; Etika Sdn Bhd vice president for Borneo Andy Chai Chee Teck; and Etika Sdn Bhd regional sales manager Chong Ted Shyang. — DayakDaily
