By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Oct 23: Thousands of international visitors are adding to Kuching’s festive buzz as 2,450 paddlers from 22 countries compete in the 12th Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta, held alongside the Kuching Waterfront Festival 2026.
The regatta was officiated today by Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP) Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah on behalf of Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, with Perlis Chief Minister Abu Bakar Hamzah also present at the ceremony.
The competition runs from October 23 to 25 as part of the 10-day Sarawak Regatta-Kuching Waterfront Festival 2026, which brings together sporting competition, cultural performances, handicrafts and local business activities.
“There are four events altogether, and these are occasions that visitors, especially Kuching residents, tourists and people from outside the city, have been eagerly looking forward to,” Abdul Karim told reporters after the ceremony today.
The four events are the Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta, Borneo Sarawak Craft Festival, Sarawak Malay Drum Festival and Sarawak Entrepreneurs Showcase.
Abdul Karim said Kuching was also receiving an influx of international visitors attending conferences and other events, adding to the number of people visiting the city during the festival period.
“When we put all these events together, we can see that there are many visitors from outside Kuching at the moment,” he said.
This year’s dragon boat regatta features 80 teams competing in seven categories, including premier open, mixed, women’s, senior and cancer survivor races, as well as the Malaysia Closed Men 12’s category. The competition offers RM200,000 in prizes, including cash, trophies and medals.
Meanwhile, the Borneo Sarawak Craft Festival, themed “Ini Kraf Malaysia” and centred on the concept of “Crafts as Malaysia’s Identity”, features 43 tents showcasing local handicrafts, demonstrations and business opportunities.
The Sarawak Entrepreneurs Showcase, led by the Sarawak Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment (MINTRED), offers 50 lots comprising 40 food and beverage stalls and 10 exhibition spaces for small and medium-sized enterprises. Activities include business matching, live selling and other promotional programmes.
The Sarawak Malay Drum Festival will take place from October 30 to November 1, featuring bermukun, Malay drum performances, sape music, busking and cultural performances by Sarawak’s ethnic communities.
Abdul Karim also noted that hotels throughout Kuching were fully booked amid the influx of visitors, highlighting the wider impact of the events on the city’s tourism and hospitality sectors.
The Sarawak Regatta-Kuching Waterfront Festival continues until Nov 1, with the main Sarawak Regatta races scheduled for Oct 30 to Nov 1 and the Raja Sungai Cup race set for Nov 1.
Among those present were MTCP deputy minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan; Datuk Sebastian Ting, MTCP permanent secretary Morshidi Frederick and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) mayor Dato Hilmy Othman. — DayakDaily
