Gawai Dayak Harvest Festival

About This Event

Gawai (meaning 'festival' or 'ritual') Dayak is the biggest celebration in the Dayak calendar, officially recognized as a public holiday since 1964. Celebrated annually on June 1-2, this harvest festival marks the end of the rice harvesting season and gives thanks for blessings, harmony, and sustenance. Experience colorful traditional dances (ngajat), cock-fighting competitions, blowpipe demonstrations, and feasting on specially prepared delicacies like penganan (traditional rice cakes). Visitors are welcomed into Dayak longhouses throughout the festival, experiencing authentic hospitality and the vibrant cultural heritage of the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, and other Dayak communities.