adminLABUAN, Sept 25 (Bernama) — The Borneo Arts Festival (BAF) 2026 is playing an important role in positioning the Federal Territory of Labuan as a dynamic arts, culture and heritage tourism destination in the Borneo region, says Department of Federal Territories (JWP) director-general Datuk Mohammad Azmi Mohd Zain.
He said the three-day festival, held from Sept 25 to 27, was not merely a cultural event but had evolved into a creative arts tourism hub bringing together local and international talents.
“Today’s atmosphere is filled with positive energy, vibrant colours and an extraordinary artistic vibe, reflecting the diversity of arts, culture and heritage that the festival celebrates,” he said in his speech at the BAF’s opening at Financial Park Convention Hall here tonight.
Azmi said the festival featured a diverse line-up of activities catering to people from all walks of life, including stage performances, competitions, fashion showcases, interactive art workshops, handicraft exhibitions and a street food bazaar.
Among the highlights are the Borneo Creative Dance Competition, Tingkah Geruh competition and Instrumental Sounds of Borneo musical showcase.
The festival also features fashion and runway presentations showcasing modern and traditional ethnic designs by local designers, as well as interactive workshops in handicrafts, batik and painting.
Visitors can also experience local food, cultural products, artworks and traditional handicrafts through the festival’s exhibition and bazaar.
Azmi said BAF, which has been organised for 13 years, had also been recognised as a successful product under the Socio-Cultural and Education (SCE) cluster of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
He said the festival’s consistent organisation and participation by the four BIMP-EAGA member countries reflected its success in bringing together diverse artistic and cultural expressions.
“Congratulations and a round of applause to Labuan Corporation for this achievement,” he said.
Azmi said the organisation of BAF 2026 was in line with the continued commitment of JWP and Labuan Corporation to transform Labuan into a leading cultural tourism destination and events-based tourism hub in the Borneo region.
“We do not want Labuan to be known solely as an international financial centre. We want Labuan to be recognised for its unique identity and as a dynamic, modern and sustainable arts, culture and heritage tourism destination,” he said.
The festival, he said, was also expected to provide a significant economic boost to the local community by attracting visitors and generating spillover benefits for various sectors.
“The hospitality and homestay sectors, transportation services, food outlets, as well as small and medium-sized traders will certainly benefit from the economic spillover.
“This is an excellent example of how arts and culture can drive the people’s economy, or what we know as the orange economy,” said Azmi.
He also called on artists, cultural practitioners and visitors to use the festival as a platform to create, interact and promote Borneo’s rich cultural heritage internationally.
“Take photographs, create content and share the beauty of Borneo’s culture on your social media platforms so that it can be appreciated by audiences around the world,” he added.
— BERNAMA
