Kota Kinabalu Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia)

As the Sabah capital, there are more unique festivals and events here than elsewhere in the state. Kota Kinabalu also puts on a feast of ethnic minority events. Many festivals staged in the city are of a sporting theme and there are always plenty of things to do for tourists.

Popular Kota Kinabalu events include the Harvest Festival Regatta (Pesta Kaamatan) each May, and the nearby Kinabalu International Climbathon at the end of October / early November. There is also the Kiulu 4M Challenge of the Kadazan tribe nearby, held each year in November.

Kota Kinabalu Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

January

• New Year's Day - January 1st, the city has a sizeable expat populace, plus the locals also enjoy partying on New Year's Eve into the first day of the year

February

• Chinese New Year - usually mid-February, enjoyed in the local Chinatown and in particular along the Jalan Gaya, with the eating of dumplings and traditional lion dances
• Prophet Mohammed's Birthday - February / early March, various festivities are staged in the city to honour Mohammed

March

• Sabah Festival - early March, celebrating local traditions and cultures through music and dance performances. The Sabah Fest also involves handicrafts
• Muslim New Year - mid March, a holiday celebrated by the local Muslim community
• Mount Kinabalu Mountain Bike Challenge - Borneo's tallest peak is the scene of a lively mountain bike meet along the foothills of this leviathan

April

• Malaysia Water Festival - month-long event, features water sports action, with jet-skiing and kayaking competitions
• Good Friday - celebrating the Friday before Easter Sunday, with colourful parades and mass services

May

• Labour Day - May 1st, a national holiday in Malaysia
• Harvest Festival Regatta - with traditional dances by the Kadazan tribe along with local cuisine. Of note, this also goes by the title of Pesta Kaamatan
• Patterns and Colours of Sabah - mid-May, a month-long event featuring various exhibitions of art works and handicrafts

June

• Sabah Dragon Boat Race - one of the big sporting events of the year, held at Likas Bay, hosting international dragon boaters. The traditional longboats come with obligatory dragon head and include a drumming coxswain

July

• There are no notable festivals and events during the month of July

August

• Ramadan - early August, when Muslims are forbidden to eat or drink between sunrise and sunset
• Merdeka Regatta - late August, a week of racing, with many classes of boat across several events. Competitors come from around the globe, followed by parties
• National Day - August 31st, public holiday all over Malaysia including in Sabah, featuring parades, lights, live performances and flowers

September

• Hari Raya Aidilfitri - celebrating Ramadan's end and the start of Islamic New Year at mosques throughout the city
• Malaysia Fest - fortnight-long event involving tourist agencies, shopping malls and hotels, held to promote the city and country as a tourist destination. The Malaysia Fest always features great food and lots of handicrafts

October

• Sabah State Ruler's Birthday (Hari Jadi Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah) - early October, with local festivities
• Festival of Lights (Deepavali) - a popular Hindu festival noting the victory of good over evil with the lighting of candles and the dressing up of Hindu-centric streets and homes
• Kinabalu International Climbathon - late October / early November, a gruelling 20-km / 12-mile race to the top of Mount Kinabalu

November

• Hari Raya Haji - early November, an annual Muslim holiday taking place approximately 70 days after the end of Ramadan
• Kiulu 4M Challenge - a day of swimming, rafting, running, and stilt-walking, all traditional ways of travel for the north-east Kadazan tribe
• Awal Muharram (Islamic New Year) - late November / early December, a national holiday in Malaysia

December

• Christmas - December 25th, the same as it is anywhere in the world nowadays, with trees, lights, carols in shopping malls