Kaamatan Harvest Festival

Kaamatan marks the end of the rice harvest for the Kadazan-Dusun and related peoples of Sabah, and it runs through May in villages across the state before closing with two public holidays at the end of the month. The older layer of the festival is a set of rituals around the rice spirit, conducted by ritual specialists, and the modern layer is a large public gathering with sompoton bamboo mouth organs, gong ensembles, dance, rice wine, food stalls and a well-known cultural pageant. The main state-level event takes place at the cultural association hall in Penampang, a short drive from Kota Kinabalu, while smaller village and district celebrations spread across Sabah earlier in the month are quieter and easier to take in.

What you actually see

• The sompoton and gong music - bamboo mouth organs and hanging gong ensembles.
• The sumazau dance - the slow arm-raised dance performed in black and gold costume.
• The rice wine - tapai and lihing poured from jars at village houses and stalls.
• The district celebrations - smaller village events through the month before the state finale.

When to go

The whole of May, with the largest gatherings on the last two days of the month, which are public holidays in Sabah. Book accommodation in Kota Kinabalu early for that weekend, as it fills. District events earlier in the month are less crowded and often more interesting. Expect heat, crowds and long queues at the main venue.

Honest expectations

The state celebration is a large, loud public event with a stage programme and heavy crowds, closer to a fairground than a village rite. Parking and transport around Penampang are difficult on the main days. Ritual elements are not performed for spectators and are mostly not visible to visitors. Much of the main venue is open ground and late May afternoons are wet.

Nearby

Kota Kinabalu, the Crocker Range and Kinabalu Park are all within a couple of hours.