WAK Festival 2025 celebrates community, creativity and collaboration
- BT
- Nov 19, 2025
- 3 min read
KUCHING, 19 November 2025: Organisers of the WAK Festival 2025 hosted an Appreciation Dinner yesterday evening at the Theatre Hotel to honour the collaborators, partners, sponsors, volunteers and community members who contributed to the success of the 7th edition of Sarawak’s iconic arts, culture and lifestyle festival.
Graced by the Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the dinner celebrated a festival that has continued to grow in scale, character, and community impact since its inception in 2017. Throughout October, WAK Festival 2025 transformed Kuching’s cityscape with vibrant programming, including Sidewalk Rhythms, featuring performances framed by the city’s iconic murals; Pickled on the Street, fun runs, and pop-up sports including 3x3 Kuching Street Slam and Boxing 101, breathing new life into urban spaces; Celebrating Us at Pengkalan Sapi, a waterfront cultural showcase officiated by Dato Sri Abdul Karim on behalf of the Premier of Sarawak; A diverse range of ticketed and free performances such as Jazz It Up, Malam Galau, Forever Young, Hidden Gigs, and Drip & Drop; Unique theatrical productions, including a beachfront staging at Pasir Pandak and intimate indie theatre series across the city; International cultural contributions through Tapestry: Harmonising Peranakan Cultures, An Evening with Baba GT Lye, and the Japanese Film Festival presented by the Japan Foundation; Growth in specialised interests including Rapid Chess; Outdoor programmes such as the Padawan Raft Safari; Lifestyle and wellness activities like Pilates by the River, Fit Camp by Fit Moms, and Lavie’s Explore, Experience & Energise; Large-scale arts, crafts, textiles, and photography exhibitions in major malls including The Spring, AEON, La Promenade, Green Heights Mall and The Podium.
“Our collaborators remain at the core of WAK. Their dedication, creativity, and enthusiasm to be a part of this festival are what make WAK vibrant and relevant each year. This evening, we acknowledge all our 70 collaborators, 71 partners and 85 WAKAs for contributing to the festival’s 69 events, 372 daily programmes across 42 locations and 27 marketplace vendors. Our sincere congratulations for your tireless efforts in successfully staging your respective events. Each content component plays a vital role in shaping the overall festival experience for our audience,” said WAK Festival Director, Donald Tan in his welcoming speech.
“The expansion of the WAK movement into our central and northern regions, with WAK Sibu and WAK Miri continuing to grow and progressing towards their next editions in 2026, reflects a wider appetite for creativity throughout Sarawak. This tells us that WAK is no longer just a celebration for Kuching, it has become a celebration for the whole state,” shared Dato Sri Abdul Karim. “As Minister, I see WAK as more than a festival. I see it as a cultural ecosystem that nurtures local talent, builds creative careers, strengthens communities, attracts visitors, and positions Sarawak as a natural home for creativity. It represents what is possible when passionate communities, visionary organisers, and supportive public policies work hand in hand.”
Also present at last night’s event, Deputy Ministers of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP), Datuk Snowdan Lawan and Datuk Sebastian Ting, MTCP Deputy Permanent Secretary, Julin bin Alen, Deputy Director of Infrastructure Services at the Kuching North City Commission, Ts Mohamad Faisal bin Adenan representing the Kuching North Mayor, Dato Haji Hilmy bin Haji Othman, Councillor Cr Eric Tay representing the Mayor of Council of Kuching South, Dato Wee Hong Seng, Deputy Chairman of the Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS), Cr Daily ak Joseph, representing the Chairman, Abang Ismawi bin Abang Ali, Councillor Goh Teck Joo, Respresenting Cr Tan Kai, Chairman of Padawan Municipal Council, Deputy Mayor of Miri City, Haji Ariffin, Deputy Chairman of Sibu Municipal Council, Cr Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar bin Dato Roseley, CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board, Sharzede Datu Haji Salleh Askor, General Manager of Corporate Management at BESarawak, Jacqueline Png, Acting CEO of Sarawak Arts Council, Awang Ikman bin Awang Sepian and Regional Director Tourism Malaysia Sarawak, Rubiah Tul’Adawiyah binti Hj Md Yusof.
See you at WAK Festival 2026!
