Are
you ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the award-winning Rainforest
World Music Festival (RWMF) from 17-19 June after the physical event has been
put on hold over the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
RWMF,
with its humble beginnings in 1998, attracted a small crowd of about 300 music
enthusiasts but at its last count of in 2019 before the Covid-19 lockdown, this
event had over 20,000 people attending it.
Many
of its fans will be delighted to welcome back RWMF 2022, themed the “Legendary
Rainforest Celebration” by its organiser Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), which
will be holding it in hybrid format for the first time.
While
the venue remains at Sarawak Cultural Village, music enthusiasts who are unable
attend the physical live show, can livestream it in the comfort of their homes
via subscribing an online viewing platform.
At
the recent launch of the 25th Legendary RMWF at the newly opened Borneo Cultures Museum in Kuching, Sarawak’s Minister
for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim
Rahman Hamzah, says: “I’m very proud of how far our homegrown product has come:
From around 300 spectators for its first-ever concert back in 1998 to becoming
the first hybrid festival of its kind in Malaysia.
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Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah |
“Concertgoers
who miss the feel of the physical concert can come together in mutual
appreciation of world music, and those around the world can enjoy world music
live from the comfort of their own homes.”
Sarawak
Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor remarks,
“Every year, we strive to make the RWMF better than the year before.
“Last
year’s Virtual Experience gave us invaluable feedback on how we could work
towards combining the best of both worlds – physical and the digital – to
create RWMF’s first hybrid edition this year.
“We
hope that creating this unique precedent for the 25th edition of the festival
will become a keystone for the next 25 years for the festival, bridging the
past with the future and sustaining and reinventing our musical heritage and its traditions for many years to come.”
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Sarawak Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor |
When
STB tried out the virtual platform last year, streaming RWMF Virtual Experience
for free viewing, it received encouraging response from 402,865 viewers who tuned
in from 79 countries last year.
In
February this year, STB won the bronze award at the Marketing Excellence Awards
Malaysia 2022 for its Excellence in Mobile Marketing for the RWMF, which recognises
outstanding marketing strategies.
As
in previous RWMFs, an international selection of performers and local groups
will be showcasing their best presentations with non-stop music before sunset
to midnight at the weekend.
STB
is currently finalising its list of international performers from Canada,
India, Finland, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, Australia,
Mexico, New Zealand, China, Bhutan, South Korea and the United States among
other countries.
It
is working with Majlis Seni Sarawak, mixing traditional Sarawakian music with
international flavours to open the three-day show in a first-time musical
collaboration.
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File Picture: The nightly crowd over the thousands that filled the Sarawak Cultural Village |
RWMF
is more than just a music concert or festival. It has become a breeding ground for
Sarawakian talents to become international performers at other international
music festivals worldwide. This year, STB will again showcase some of these Sarawakian
talents.
They
include Alena Murang, Kemada, Sang Rawi, At Adau, Tuku Kame, Suk Binie’, Nading
Rhapsody and Mathew Ngau alongside other international talents.
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STB
Director of Communications Margaret Apau (third from right) receiving the bronze award for Excellence in Mobile Marketing for RWMF. Picture from STB |
There
will be an Early Bird ticket sales for the RWMF 2022 starting 18 April for both
the physical and virtual concerts on www.rwmf.net
For the physical concert, festival-goers can grab tickets in the different categories: An adult one-day pass at RM150, adult three-day pass (RM375); child one-day pass (RM80), child three-day pass (RM155) while a one-day family package pass for two adults and two children costs RM400.
The
virtual tickets for the RWMF 2022 are priced at RM25.
Teaser Video Rainforest World Music Festival is "BACK"
Malaysia
Airlines has been named the official airline partner for the RWMF 2022. This
collaboration, a continuation of the Malaysia Aviation
Group (MAG) partnership with STB, will see the national carrier together
with its sister airline Firefly and Journify
offering unbeatable deals comprising flights and a three-day event pass to
drive visitors to Sarawak.
Malaysia Airlines and Firefly have early birds deals of up to 15% and
10% off discounts on flights on selected Malaysia Airlines, including from
London, Australia and some ASEAN destinations and the recently launched
Firefly’s jet operations from Penang to Kuching.
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Firefly started direct flights from Penang to Kuching from 11 April using Boeing 737-800 aircrafts |
The
sale will start from 25 April until 14 May for travels from 1-30 June. These
tickets are available exclusively for those who purchase the three-day pass via
the airline’s respective websites, where they are required to include the promo code to enjoy the discounts on the air
tickets.
Customers
will also have the option to buy the “value-for-flights” deals exclusively on
Journify that offers MHflypass plus a three-day pass to the RWMF 2022 at a
fixed attractive price which gives them flexibility, convenience, and control
over their flight spending.
The
MHFlypass offers two convenient options for passengers travelling for the RWMF
based .on their destination origin, allowing them to choose the zone that
matches their travel needs best
Early
birds can grab a MHFlypass for as low as RM1,774 for Zone 2 and RM1,974 for
Zone 3 with the flights valid for a year.
Zone
2 offers passengers the opportunity to fly between Kuala Lumpur and
destinations in Sabah and Sarawak while Zone 3 allows them to fly from Sabah
and Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia destinations, with a connection in Kuala
Lumpur.
Multiple
payment options are available, including an installment plan or Buy Now Pay
Later, for these deals.
Speaking
on behalf of MAG, MASWings Chief Operating Officer
Captain Nasaruddin A Bakar says, “We are honoured to be appointed as the
official carrier for the highly anticipated 25th edition of RWMF to bring in
travellers from all over the world to the Land of the Hornbills.”
With
Malaysia’s international borders reopening on 1 April, he believes this
collaboration with STB will be “vital to rebuild the tourism industry,
stimulate domestic and international travelling, and help support industry
players' value chains such as travel agents, product owners, local artisans,
and business partners”.
He
adds, “We will continue to build travellers' confidence by maintaining high
levels of safety and hygiene standards onboard our flights to make it a
memorable travel experience for all to fly confidently, fly Malaysia and fly
beyond.”
#RWMF
#Sarawak
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Music Festival
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Cultural Village
#Journify
#Borneo Cultures Museum