Gawai Dayak Parade, STF Open House in Betong attract thousands

BT
Jun 9
3 min read

BETONG, 9 June 2025: We had the pleasure of attending the Gawai Dayak Parade as well as the Sarawak Tourism Federation Gawai Dayak Open House over the recent weekend, as part of a Media Familiarisation Trip organised by the Sarawak Tourism Board. The trip, which also comprised media representatives from Singapore, Brunei and West Malaysia, took place June 6 to 8, 2025, bringing us into the heartlands of Sarawak that is Sri Aman and Betong.

The Gawai Dayak Parade, which took place on June 7, 2025 at the Betong Sports Complex, saw the participation of 1,591 people from 19 contingents, which included government departments, private companies, longhouses, secondary schools and primary schools. This annual celebration, which proudly showcases the vibrant culture of the Sarawakian Dayak, especially the Ibans, saw thousands of spectators gathering at Betong’s town centre for a glimpse of the unique floats, costumes and performances.

Attended by Betong Member of Parliament, Dato Dr Richard Rapu and Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development, Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu, the parade took the contingents, which included the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association Sarawak, SMK Saribas, Bukit Saban Longhouse, SALCRA Betong, SK Nanga Passa and more on a 1.8km route around Betong town. People of all ages, from primary school children to longhouse elderlies, can be seen walking the streets all decked out in their best traditional attire and props, putting the culture and heritage of Sarawak’s indigenous ethnic group on the forefront of the celebration.

Later in the day, the STF Gawai Dayak Open House kicked off its third edition at Rumah Veriland @ Engkeranji, bringing the cultural celebration to a more modern longhouse. This 22-door longhouse, which also served as homestays for fellow media personnel, kicked off celebrations with a Miring ceremony, a traditional Iban blessing ritual which not only welcome travellers from near and far, but also call upon the spirits for a smooth and blessed celebration.

People attending the open house were treated to a ngabang session after the miring, where drinks like the tuak (traditional rice wine) were poured as a proper Dayak welcome. The evening proceeded on with a series of traditional dance performances, plenty of traditional food as well as merry drinking.

Behind the longhouse, glamping tents were set up courtesy of Borneo Glamping, which saw enthusiastic campers enjoying the festivities while remaining close to nature. The Gawai-Kaamatan Concert also took place later that night next to the glamping grounds and saw an enthusiastic crowd singing and dancing to the timeless hits sung and performed by Melissa Francis, Jerry Kamit and the talents of Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association Sarawak, effectively bringing in a unique Sarawak-Sabah flavour to the evening. The concert, which ended at midnight, concluded the overall celebrations with a festive fireworks display.

Heartiest thanks to Sarawak Tourism Board as well as the Sarawak Tourism Federation for taking us along this celebration!