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Hari Gawai

Hari Gawai 2024, 2025 and 2026

Gawai Dayak also commonly known as Dayak Festival is one of the major festivals celebrated in Sarawak, East Malaysia.

YearDateDayHolidayStates
20241 JunSatHari Gawai Sarawak
2 JunSunHari Gawai Holiday Sarawak
4 JunTueHari Gawai Holiday Sarawak
20251 JunSunHari Gawai Sarawak
2 JunMonHari Gawai Holiday Sarawak
20261 JunMonHari Gawai Sarawak
2 JunTueHari Gawai Holiday Sarawak
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

The word ‘Dayak’ is a collective term referring to the several hundred sub ethnic groups of indigenous people of Borneo. To name a few major ethnic groups, there are the Iban (Sea Dayak), Bidayuh (Land Dayak) and Orang Ulu (Kelabit, Kenyahs, Lun Bawangs, etc).

Hari Gawai, which falls on the 1st and 2nd of June each year is particularly celebrated by the Ibans and Bidayuhs. It is both a religious and social occasion as this festival marks the end of the harvesting season (similar to Pesta Ka’amatan in Sabah) and it is a festival filled with much singing and dancing as they start a new farming season.

It is one of the major festivals the Dayaks celebrate; therefore, most of those who work in the city would return to their village for the celebration.

A month prior to Hari Gawai, most of the locals would prepare the often raved tuak or rice wine. This famous, not-to-be-missed concoction is made of glutinous rice collected from the recent harvest mixed with home-made yeast and is left for fermentation.

Another similar but stronger alcohol that is made by the locals is called langkau. This is the equivalent of our modern day Vodka whereby fermented tuak goes through a process of heating and condensation before it is being collected in a container.

The Gawai celebration is always an occasion of much merry-making. The celebration will not be complete if not for the singing, dancing and fair amount of drinking. Sometimes, Christian Dayaks would go to church for mass and gather after that for a celebration over dinner.

Although officially it is only a two-day public holiday, the celebration often goes on continuously for over a fortnight. However, those who work will have to go back after the two-day celebration. If you have never visited East Malaysia, this is definitely a good time to visit Sarawak and have a taste of its local culture and be a part of the festivity.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHolidayStates
20231 JunThuHari Gawai Sarawak
2 JunFriHari Gawai Holiday Sarawak
20221 JunWedHari Gawai Sarawak
2 JunThuHari Gawai Holiday Sarawak