Gawai Dayak 2026 - Sarawak Harvest Festival

Gawai Dayak falls on 1–2 June every year and is a public holiday in Sarawak. The festival marks the end of the rice harvest and the start of a new farming year for the Iban and Bidayuh peoples of Sarawak. The word “Gawai” means festival or ritual in Iban, and “Dayak” refers to the indigenous peoples of Borneo collectively.

Celebrations begin at midnight on June 1 with the miring (offering ritual) and the drinking of tuak (rice wine). Traditional music played on the sape (a stringed instrument unique to Borneo) accompanies ngajat (Iban war dance) performances. Feasts of lemang (glutinous rice cooked in bamboo), pansoh (meat cooked in bamboo), and kueh (traditional cakes) are central to the celebration.

Some longhouses in Sarawak - particularly those on the Lemanak, Skrang, and Batang Ai rivers - accept visitors for Gawai homestays. These are arranged through licensed operators in Kuching, typically RM300–500 per person including transport, accommodation, and meals. Booking several months in advance is essential as capacity is limited. In Kuching itself, the padang (open ground) near the waterfront hosts a public Gawai celebration with performances open to all. The Sarawak Cultural Village also runs a dedicated Gawai programme during the festival period.

Longhouse visits for Gawai require some cultural preparation. It is respectful to bring a small gift for the headman’s household - canned goods, biscuits, or a bottle of local spirits are conventional. Accepting tuak rice wine when it is offered is part of the hospitality exchange; declining politely is fine, but accepting shows goodwill. Appropriate dress is smart-casual; some hosts may provide a borrowed traditional garment for photographs.

June 1 is a public holiday across Sarawak. Kuching itself quiets down as residents travel to their home longhouses, but the city’s waterfront and the Cultural Village programmes offer accessible Gawai experiences for those not on an organised longhouse trip. The period from 2–7 June is known as the “open house” window, when Iban and Bidayuh families in Kuching welcome friends, colleagues, and sometimes strangers into their homes for food and celebration.