The Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) makes a spectacular comeback this year with ticket sales surpassing 2022 figures. This number is expected to further increase, as the festival goes into full crescendo with internationally renowned musicians, ‘Big Mountain’ famous for their song, ‘Baby, I Love Your Way’, closing the festival on Sunday.
This year’s RWMF is on its way to creating a new record for the Malaysia Book of Records for “Most Percussionists in a Music Festival”. Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is confident of setting this record over the 3-day RWMF celebration. This unique gathering of percussionists in action, sends a strong message of unity, togetherness and oneness, at the same time elevating international recognition of the iconic RWMF.
Another highlight of day 2 was the launch of the ‘Market @ RWMF 2023’ by the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. The market showcased products by over 200 local vendors including crafts, fashion, lifestyle and wellness related services, drawing the bulk of the RWMF crowd.
The second day also witnessed the crowd being thrilled by the performance from Grammy Award winner Gipsy Kings Featuring Tonino Baliardo, famous for the hit ‘Bamboleo’.
“The overwhelming response in the first two days of RWMF 2023 has exceeded our expectations and proven the strong appeal of our festival’s content, ‘beyond music’ – with culture, food and overall strong camaraderie among local and international performers and visitors. We continue to advocate Responsible Tourism creating awareness on the importance of planetary health, which has further fuelled a defining zeitgeist movement of sustainability among our audience extending the spirit of RWMF beyond the traditional music-based festival,” according to Sarawak Tourism Board CEO, Sharzede Datu Hj Salleh Askor.
Themed ‘Reflections’, the RWMF’s first fully physical experience since the pandemic was ruminated on the experiences and lessons learned in the last three years of the pandemic, as well as how far the RWMF had evolved since its inception in 1998.
The opening night of Rainforest World Music Festival 2023 saw original performances by Rastak from Iran, At Adau from Sarawak and local Sarawakian international artiste Zee Avi.
The Sarawak Cultural Village, home of the RWMF, housed performances at the ‘Jungle Stage’ and the ‘Tree Stage’ as well as workshops from the Bidayuh, Iban, Chinese and Malay houses. Additional performances also livened the atmosphere throughout the grounds of the festival.
Building on its commitment to Responsible Tourism, the RWMF had been consistently steadfast in its sustainability efforts. This year, the festival had taken further steps to reduce its ecological footprint. One such initiative was the introduction of seed paper for festival tags, a biodegradable material embedded with seeds that grow when planted in soil, reinforcing the festival’s deep connection to nature.
The festival also maintained its ban on single-use plastics, encouraging attendees to use reusable water bottles and providing on-site water refill stations. Additionally, to alleviate carbon emissions and promote greener transportation, the festival provided a free shuttle bus service from and to the festival grounds.
These initiatives are part of the festival’s broader strategy to promote sustainability, demonstrating that the festival’s commitment to the environment extended far beyond the stage. Through these initiatives, RWMF continued to harmonise the celebration of world music and cultures with the overall protection and sustainability of planetary health.
RWMF 2023 was supported by sponsors namely Malaysia Airlines, Air Asia Ride, TV Sarawak, Carlsberg, PEPSI, Plaza Merdeka & Waterfront Hotel, Spin Sportwear, Petroleum Sarawak Berhad, SACOFA, Midvalley Megamall Kuala Lumpur, Hornbill Skyways, Sarawak Timber Associations and ATS Global Travel & Chapter Sdn Bhd.
