MIRI: The Flag-Off and Launch Ceremony of the Taste of Borneo Cultural Carnival (TOBC) 4.0 for the 2026 edition was held with great festivity at Pei Min Secondary School on Saturday.
The ceremony was officiated by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak, Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew, marking the start of official preparations for the city’s largest cultural carnival next year.
TOBC 4.0 will take place from 1 to 12 July 2026 at Boulevard Miri, involving the participation of 23 ethnic associations. The carnival aims to promote Sarawak’s cultural diversity and support Visit Malaysia Year (TMM) 2026, while elevating Miri as a major cultural hub in Borneo.
The upcoming edition will retain the Cultural Village concept, offering visitors a closer experience of the lifestyles of Sarawak’s main ethnic groups.
The year 2026 will also see new developments as organisers anticipate the participation of cultural delegations from Yunnan, China, due to cultural similarities between the minority communities there and the Iban, Bidayuh, and Melanau peoples.
Also invited are cultural delegations from Indonesia, Sabah and Brunei, in line with the aspiration to create a more comprehensive Borneo cultural carnival.
As an added attraction, the 12-day carnival will showcase an exhibition of more than 1,000 bamboo and rattan woven baskets in a museum-style mini exhibition. The organisers also plan to attempt new records in the Guinness World Records and the Malaysia Book of Records.
In terms of education and human capital development, TOBC 4.0 has received approval from the Miri District Education Office to organise a cultural dance competition for secondary schools, a 3R fashion competition for primary schools, as well as the participation of secondary school marching bands in a street parade.
All student participants will receive PAJSK points, in line with efforts to enhance cultural awareness, sustainability, and talent development among the younger generation.
The carnival will also offer participation opportunities through rental of stalls for food, creative products, handicrafts and cultural exhibitions, in addition to open concerts and Cultural Exchange Night featuring ethnic and international delegations, held every night throughout the carnival period.