Sabah International Dragon Boat Festival Guide
What is the Sabah International Dragon Boat Festival?
The Sabah International Dragon Boat Festival is an annual May regatta on Likas Bay, Kota Kinabalu — one of East Malaysia's longest-running dragon boat events. In 2025 it drew 141 teams across 11 categories for a RM94,000 prize pool.
What is the Sabah Dragon Boat Festival?
The Sabah International Dragon Boat Festival is one of the state's signature water sport events, staged on Likas Bay in Kota Kinabalu. Dragon boat racing — with its long, narrow boats, synchronised paddlers, and driving drumbeat — has a strong following across East Malaysia, and this festival is among the region's most established.
The event blends serious competition with festival atmosphere. Teams of paddlers from corporate, club, and community backgrounds race in front of crowds gathered along the bay, making it both a sporting contest and a popular public spectacle.
When and where it is held
The festival runs annually in May on Likas Bay, Kota Kinabalu. The drier-season timing helps with race conditions, and it places the regatta in the same busy month as the Borneo International Marathon — making May a strong period for sports visitors to the state capital.
Teams, categories and prizes
The festival is a large, well-supported competition. The 2025 edition gives a clear picture of its scale:
| Measure | 2025 edition |
|---|---|
| Teams | 141 |
| Racing categories | 11 (corporate, open, women, traditional and more) |
| Prize pool | RM94,000 |
The wide range of categories means the event welcomes everything from elite paddling clubs to first-time corporate crews.
Racing on Likas Bay
Likas Bay provides a striking setting for the racing, with the South China Sea horizon on one side and the Kota Kinabalu skyline on the other. The sheltered bay water suits dragon boat sprints, and the open shoreline gives spectators clear, free viewing of the action close to the city centre.
A long-running East Malaysia event
The Sabah International Dragon Boat Festival is recognised as one of the longest-running dragon boat events in East Malaysia. That longevity has helped it build a strong base of returning teams and a reputation that draws crews from beyond Sabah, reinforcing Kota Kinabalu's position on the regional water sports calendar.
Visiting the festival
The festival is an easy and rewarding addition to a Kota Kinabalu trip, especially for visitors already in town for the May marathon weekend.
Because the Dragon Boat Festival and the Borneo International Marathon both fall in May, the city is busy and accommodation books up. Plan your stay early, head to the Likas Bay shoreline for free spectating, and check official channels for the exact race dates each year.