events&Festivals
FOOD
FESTIVALS
About the Bario Food Festival
Held annually in the Kelabit Highlands, the Bario Food Festival, locally known as Pesta Nukenen Bario, celebrates the rich culinary traditions and cultural heritage of the Kelabit community. Visitors can enjoy authentic local dishes prepared using fresh highland ingredients, including the renowned Bario Adan Rice, traditional bamboo-cooked meals, forest vegetables, and handmade delicacies.
Beyond the food, the festival features cultural performances, traditional music, handicraft exhibitions, storytelling, and community activities that showcase the unique identity of Bario. It offers visitors an unforgettable opportunity to experience Kelabit hospitality while discovering one of Sarawak's most distinctive cultural celebrations.
Food • Tradition • Celebration
Celebrating Kelabit Culinary Heritage
“Food festivals in Bario are more than celebrations of flavour—they are gatherings that preserve heritage, strengthen community, and warmly welcome visitors into the traditions of the Kelabit Highlands.”
Echoe's of Bario
Celebrating Culinary Heritage
Through food festivals and community gatherings, the Kelabit people proudly preserve and share the unique flavours of the highlands with visitors from around the world.
POSTER
2026
Festival
2025
Festival
2024
Festival
2018
Festival
UPCOMING EVENTS
24–26 Jul
Pesta Nukenan Bario
Celebrate Bario's signature annual food and cultural festival featuring traditional Kelabit cuisine.
May
Bario Highland Gospel Festival
Experience one of Malaysia's most unique highland gospel festivals, where choirs from Bario and surrounding villages come together in celebration through music and faith.
Year-Round
Guided Eco & Cultural Tours
Discover Bario's breathtaking rainforests, scenic rice fields, waterfalls, traditional longhouses, and authentic Kelabit culture through guided local experiences.
noticable person
Alena Murang
Alena Murang is an internationally acclaimed Sarawakian artist, musician, and cultural advocate dedicated to preserving the traditions of Borneo's indigenous communities. Through music, storytelling, and performances, she introduces the rich heritage of the Kelabit and Kenyah peoples to audiences around the world.
She is especially known for reviving traditional songs and promoting the sape', indigenous languages, and oral traditions, ensuring that younger generations continue to appreciate their cultural identity.
Sky Song
1 April 2021
Flight
Debut (EP) 2016
Cultural Ambassador
Alena Murang has dedicated her career to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Sarawak's indigenous communities. Her performances blend traditional Kelabit and Kenyah music with contemporary influences, creating a bridge between ancient traditions and modern audiences.
Through documentaries, international festivals, educational workshops, and collaborations, she has helped raise global awareness of Borneo's unique cultural heritage.
- Traditional Sape' Music
- Indigenous Cultural Preservation
- International Performances
- Contemporary World Music
award&recognition
Featured Artist
Alena Murang
“For me, art isn’t about preserving Kelabit culture, but actively living and breathing it through music.”
