KOTA KINABALU: The fifth edition of Sepilok Jazz, to be held on September 4 and 5, is set to be a spectacular event, featuring renowned artistes from Malaysia and abroad.
Among the performers are acclaimed singer Sheila Amzah, as well as local favourites Roger Wang Trio, Yap King String Quartet and Janet & WVC Quartet. International acts include Mezzotono from Italy, Class Acts 80s from Indonesia and JASSYO from Singapore, among other prominent names in the jazz genre.
Founder of the Sepilok Jazz Festival Alexander Yee said this year’s festival, to be held at the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Sandakan, promises to be the biggest edition the organisers have staged so far.
“We have 105 musicians signed up, and we are expecting to more than double the number of attendees from 2,200 last year to at least 4,500 this year,” he said.
“We have also partnered with all the major hotels in Sandakan, including The Elopura Hotel and Sandakan Hotel as well as Ormond Hotel, which will serve as our official accommodation providers,” he said.
Yee said the organisers had taken up the challenge of expanding the festival after seeing strong interest in this year’s Bakat Sepilok Jazz competition.
“We sat down and thought about it, and we decided to take up the challenge. Bakat Sepilok Jazz 2026 received 132 applications. Some of these were group applications, with 20 or 30 musicians in a single group, so the actual number of participating musicians is considerably higher than 132.
“We have Jeremy Montero joining us as one of the judges, while Ian Baxter is returning to help judge the event.”
“We also have the winner of the inaugural Bakat Sepilok Jazz in 2023 coming on board as the ambassador for Sepilok Jazz this year, as well as serving as one of the judges. So, it is quite exciting for us.”
Yee said the final round of Bakat Sepilok Jazz was held last month, and the organisers are now focused on preparations for the main festival on September 4 and 5.
“We have completed the final round of Bakat Sepilok Jazz and are now preparing for Sepilok Jazz,” he said, adding that the festival would feature multiple stages and 12 food stalls.
“This will not only promote music and its cause, but also provide opportunities for food businesses to promote their products and services.”
Promotional efforts had been stepped up through partnerships with tourism agencies, hotels, airlines and local businesses.
Yee said Tourism Malaysia was among the festival’s promotion partners, while Sabah Travel Guide had been appointed as the official booking portal.
“We have also partnered with all the major hotels in Sandakan, including The Elopura Hotel and Sandakan Hotel, which will serve as our official accommodation providers,” he said.
Yee said the festival had also secured a collaboration with Malaysia Airlines, offering discounted fares to ticket holders travelling to Sandakan from Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur.
“For those who have purchased Sepilok Jazz tickets but are flying in from either Kota Kinabalu or Kuala Lumpur, we have a special booking code that entitles them to a 10 per cent discount on Malaysia Airlines flights,” he said.
He said the organisers had also teamed up with local fast-food brand Borenos Chicken to offer discounted festival tickets through a promotional QR code printed on customers’ receipts.
“Various promotional efforts are already under way, and we are looking forward to the event. We encourage more people to come on board,” he said.
Yee said ticket sales had so far reached about a quarter of the organisers’ target, but they were optimistic about a surge in bookings closer to the event.
“We have currently sold about a quarter of our targeted number of tickets. However, people in Sandakan and Sabah are known for making plans quite at the last minute, so we are looking forward to that last-minute increase in bookings and a final push in our marketing activities,” he said.
The Sepilok Jazz Festival is an annual event launched in 2022, to raise awareness and funds for endangered sea turtles on Libaran Island. Yee is the president of Friends of Sea Turtles Education and Research (FOSTER ).-pr/BNN
