By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, July 6: The second edition of Rock In The Jungle (RITJ) will return to the Sarawak Cultural Village on Aug 29 and 30, featuring iconic Japanese heavy metal band Loudness and Indonesian rock heavyweights Gigi and Kotak.
The two-day rock festival, following its successful 2024 debut, will showcase six powerhouse bands for an electrifying weekend of live music set against the breathtaking backdrop of Borneo’s rainforest.
RITJ 2.0 event administrator Nur Linda Bara Abdullah described the festival as a unique concept that merges the energy of rock music with the natural beauty of Sarawak’s environment.
“The RITJ event is a music festival that is uniquely held in a rainforest setting. Its aim is to unite rock music with the beauty of nature,” she said during a media session held last night.
She also revealed that a press conference with Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, is expected to be held in the coming week.
The event is organised by Authentic Ideas & Events and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP), alongside Tourism Malaysia.
On Day One (Aug 29), audiences can expect high-energy performances from Gigi and Kotak, alongside Sarawak’s very own nicestupidplayground (NSP), who will bring their signature indie rock to the stage.
Day Two (Aug 30) will lean into a heavier soundscape with Loudness headlining, supported by regional acts Fearless and Breathe in Ocean.
RITJ spokesperson Zaini Zainuddin said the target audience for this year’s edition is 12,000 people across both days, with efforts to ramp up promotion now underway following the conclusion of the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF).
He added that organisers took feedback from the inaugural edition to improve this year’s event line-up.
“Last year, we had bands like Sweet Charity and Wings, which attracted mostly older adults rock fans. This year, we want to entertain the younger crowd too—that’s why we brought in bands like nicestupidplayground. I didn’t know them before, but they have a strong Sarawakian fanbase,” he added.
Zaini also shared that Loudness had already expressed interest in participating last year and were quick to accept the invitation this time around.
“Even on Facebook, people from Jakarta to the United States are asking them to perform. So, for them to come to Sarawak is something special,” he said.
He highlighted that performing on the same stage as bands like Loudness, Gigi, and Kotak would be a moment of pride for local bands.
“If you look at the line-up, last year we featured bands from Kuala Lumpur. But this year, we intentionally brought in Indonesian bands along with local Sarawakian acts.
“We want our local bands to have that proud moment of sharing the same stage with international names like Loudness, Gigi, and Kotak,” he stressed.
Reflecting the festival’s growing scale, Zaini said RITJ is expanding beyond Southeast Asia for the first time, fulfilling the organiser’s dream of establishing a rock music platform in Sarawak.
“It has always been our dream that rock has its own platform in Sarawak. We know there’s a strong underground scene, and the audience is there—so let’s make it big,” he said.
He also noted that ticketing options now include special children’s rates (RM88 for ages 3–12; free for under 3s), with the potential for a university student discount to be announced soon.
Tickets are now available online at https://tickets.pergh.asia, priced at RM169 nett for a one-day pass and RM300 nett for a two-day pass, with early bird promotions valid until Aug 5.
For further details, contact:
• Sunil Mohd Faizan, Festival Director – 012-8530863
• Jacqueline David, PR Agency AFAZ Prestige – 016-8546251
• Nur Linda Bara Abdullah, Event Administrator – 018-9810889
— DayakDaily
