(From third left) Lee and Karambir are seen with musicians and organisers.
MIRI: Miri is an ideal location to hold music festivals, said Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin.
He said music festivals offer great opportunities for sustainable tourism development here.
“For tourism to do well in a resort city like Miri, we need to offer various events that can cater to everyone. Here in Miri, we started with Borneo Jazz, followed by Miri Country Music Festival, and now we have the Rocktober Fest Borneo event.
“This shows that Miri is capable of offering a variety of music options for everyone, regardless of their musical preference,” Lee said when launching the Rocktober Fest Borneo 2017 on Thursday.
Over 4,000 festival goers are expected at the two-day event, which began yesterday.
“This weekend is all about rock in the city of Miri with fans gathering together to experience an amazing two-day music-filled event,” said Lee.
Councillor Karambir Singh said the Miri City Council fully supported the festival.
“We have always been very supportive of local endeavours to further promote our city as an exciting and vibrant tourist destination.
“This event is an exciting one for us as it not only features top Malaysian and international musicians, it also provides a platform for up-and-coming young Borneans to showcase their musical talents,” he said.
The two-day festival features 37 acts from Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei including Hujan, Estranged, XPDC, Oh Chentaku, OAG, Bunkface and Slapshock.