KUCHING – More than 8,000 participants took part in the 11th Zumba Fiesta held in conjunction with Kuching Festival 2026, bringing residents together for an evening centred on fitness, community participation and Kuching City Day celebrations.
The event was held on August 8 and featured about 50 Zumba instructors who led participants through the large-scale fitness activity.
The Zumba Fiesta has become one of the major activities associated with Kuching Festival, which is widely recognised for its food fair but also features a range of programmes beyond food-related events.
The annual Zumba gathering provides an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to participate in the same activity.
Participants included people from different ethnic communities and age groups, as well as families, friends and colleagues who came together for the event.
The activity was presented as an example of community participation, with residents joining in a shared celebration through physical activity.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian said the event reflected the spirit of togetherness associated with life in Kuching.
He also highlighted the role of activities such as Zumba in encouraging residents to remain active and socially connected.
The event also featured a night glow element, adding another component to the large-scale evening gathering.
Organisers said the event contributed to efforts to promote community involvement and active lifestyles among Kuching residents.
The participation of senior citizens was another notable feature of this year’s Zumba Fiesta.
The event was associated with an attempt to create another 1Malaysia Book of Records achievement for the largest number of senior citizens participating in a Zumba activity.
The record-related participation formed part of the wider programme, which brought people of different generations together through exercise.
Dr Sim linked the event to the broader aspiration of the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to develop Kuching as a city that supports healthy and active ageing.
He referred to the importance of non-infrastructure elements, including active living, social connections and community participation, in supporting the World Health Organization’s age-friendly city concept.
The event therefore extended beyond physical exercise, with organisers highlighting the social dimension of bringing residents together.
The Zumba Fiesta also formed part of Kuching’s annual City Day celebrations, giving residents an opportunity to mark the occasion through a community-based activity.
Dr Sim also referred to a well-known observation about Sarawak’s multicultural society made by the late former chief minister Adenan Satem.
He quoted Adenan as saying, “in Sarawak, the Chinese, the Malay, the Dayak sit together in the same table, eat together, laugh together, even cari amoi together”.
Dr Sim used the remark to describe the way people from different communities participate together in activities in Sarawak.
He added a light-hearted reference to eating and exercising together, connecting the Zumba event with the food fair that remains a major attraction of Kuching Festival.
Following the fitness activities, participants and visitors could also visit the Kuching Festival Food Fair, which featured about 330 food stalls.
The combination of the Zumba Fiesta and food fair illustrates the range of activities available during Kuching Festival.
While the food fair remains one of the festival’s best-known attractions, the festival programme also includes community, cultural, recreational and entertainment activities.
The Zumba Fiesta has continued as one of the festival’s established community events, reaching its 11th edition this year.
The large turnout also involved residents across different age groups, including senior citizens, families and younger participants.
The event’s organisers emphasised participation rather than focusing solely on individual fitness.
By bringing large numbers of residents together in one location, the activity provided an opportunity for people to interact while taking part in exercise.
The involvement of 50 Zumba instructors helped facilitate the large-scale session and guide participants during the event.
Dr Sim congratulated the participants, instructors and MBKS Kuching Festival 2026 organising committee for their involvement in the 11th Zumba Fiesta.
He also acknowledged the continued organisation of the event as part of Kuching Festival.
The participation of more than 8,000 people made the 2026 edition one of the festival’s significant community gatherings.
The event also highlighted the potential role of public activities in encouraging residents to stay physically active and maintain social connections.
These elements are particularly relevant to efforts to create communities where people can remain involved and active as they grow older.
The senior citizens’ participation in the event provided an example of intergenerational involvement, with older residents joining the same activity as younger participants.
The Zumba Fiesta also reflected the multicultural nature of Kuching, with people from different communities taking part in a shared public event.
The gathering provided a setting where residents could celebrate together without the activity being limited to any particular community or age group.
Beyond the exercise session, the event contributed to the wider atmosphere of Kuching Festival, which brings together residents and visitors through a range of activities.
The presence of hundreds of food stalls at the festival also offered participants an opportunity to continue their evening after the Zumba session.
The event’s organisers described the gathering as part of efforts to encourage active lifestyles, stronger social connections and community participation.
These themes are consistent with the broader concept of creating an age-friendly urban environment, where health, social interaction and participation are considered alongside physical infrastructure.
The 11th Zumba Fiesta concluded another edition of the long-running Kuching Festival activity with more than 8,000 participants and about 50 instructors involved.
The event brought together residents from different backgrounds and generations while combining exercise with the wider celebrations surrounding Kuching City Day.
It also demonstrated that Kuching Festival extends beyond its food fair, with community activities such as the Zumba Fiesta forming an important part of the annual programme.
The evening ended with participants able to continue enjoying the festival’s food offerings, including the approximately 330 stalls operating as part of the Kuching Festival Food Fair.
