The Borneo Sonic Music Festival (BSMF) 2023 was officially unveiled to the public on 10 August 2023. This was no surprise as the festival had already been known since July although the artist list was kept secret until the unveiling.
The reveal was done by Sarawak’s Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah at a press conference at the Ministry’s office at about 4.30PM.
Based on expectations, the music festival will be the biggest paying music festival in Malaysia-Borneo, expecting some 30,000 festival goers a day, or 60,000 music fans over the spread of two days.
Who can attend BSMF 2023
The organizers revealed that only those aged 12 and above can attend the festival. They also stress that those below 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
This was mentioned in the FAQ of the festival which was released on 13 August 2023.
When is Borneo Sonic Music Festival 2023
The BSMF 2023 will be held from Friday, 6 October 2023 until 7 October 2023.
It is rumored that some 30,000 festival tickets will be sold to the public although there is anticipation that the numbers could be much higher as the venue, Stadium Sarawak, will likely be able to accommodate more than 30,000 a day.
Borneo Sonic Music Festival 2023 performers
Highlights and performers of Borneo Sonic 2023 are Taeyang (Big Bang), CL (2NE1), HYO (Girls’ Generation), Suho (EXO), Autralian DJ Havana Brown, and American rap legend Fatman Scoop.
Popular Malaysian singer Ning Baizura, and girl group DOLLA, will also be performing alongside Belle Sisoski, and Yung Kai.
Also performing are Taiwanese singer 7Ling and BG8LOCC, Majin and Canadian Melo Moon.
The organizers announced more performers for the festival on 17 August 2023.
The additional artist are Andi Bernadee, Guccimith & Zhekamil, Keeyushee, Jordan Queka and JA-G.
Performer schedule for BSMF 2023
According to the official website, the invited performers will perform separately for two days.
CL will be headlining day one of the Borneo Sonic, together with HYO, Fatman Scoop, Ning Baizura, Majin, 7Ling and YungKai.
Day two of Borneo Sonic will see Taeyang headlining with Suho, Havana Brown, DOLLA, bG8LOCC, Melo Moon and Belle Sisoski.
On 17 August, the organizers made slight changes to the line-up and schedule following the additional artist which are set to perform for the festival.
The new line-up and schedule can be seen in the poster below.
Borneo Music Festival (BSMF) 2023 tickets
The ticket prices for the festival were announced on 13 August 2023.
All tickets are for two days pass only and cannot be split.
Tickets cover six zones and are bundled for two days as seen below.
- VIP zone for two days: RM1,288
- VIP zone one day pass: RM831 (either day; sold only on 31 August 2023))
- CAT-1 for two days: RM888
- CAT-1 for one day: RM660 (either day; sold only on 31 August 2023)
- CAT-2 for two days: RM788
- CAT-3 for two days: RM688
- CAT-4 for two days: RM588
- CAT-5 for two days: RM488
Seating for each category will be as follows.
Security and safety reasons were then cited for a sudden seating plan was changed with two weeks left to the festival.
The changes saw several zones getting upgrades and were closer to the stage.
However, the organizers then decided to change and finalized the seating plan to a new one which can seen below on 18 September 2023.
Due to the changes, the organizers also promised freebies to concert goers.
An individual can only buy a maximum of 4 tickets per email address.
Each category will have a separate hour to purchase their tickets with those interested in VIP tickets able to buy their first.
The time frame to purchase the tickets can be seen below.
Tickets can only be bought online through the official Borneo Sonic Music Festival website. The festival organizers have warned about scams and ask fans to only buy the tickets from the official site.
Payment for the tickets can be done using FPX bank transfer, Grab Pay-later and credit card.
Once you are able to buy a ticket, you should be receiving an email detailing when you can collect the physical ticket/wristband which will be used during the festival.
BSMF 2023 wristband
Aside from being the physical ticket to enter the grounds of the festival, the Borneo Sonic wristband will also act as an e-wallet and cannot be removed during the whole two days of the festival.
Lost, removed or damaged wristbands will cause you to lose access into the festival and you will need to pay full price to regain access.
Borneo Sonic 2023 venue & getting there
The festival will be held at Stadium Sarawak, a 40,000 seater stadium which is about 20 minutes by car from Kuching City. The stadium had been used for major tournaments in the past including the 2007 FIFA Football Youth World Cup, and SUKMA.
The stadium is not connected by any scheduled public transportation. This means you will need to use ride hailing services or rent a car or bike if you wish to go to the venue.
The organizers on 23 September 2023 announced a shuttle bus service to the venue from Plaza Merdeka.
The shuttle bus service to Stadium Sarawak will begin at 1PM and end at 3PM, with the return trip scheduled from 12AM to 1AM.
The layout of the venue is seen below.
Where to stay for Borneo Sonic 2023
If you are planning to come to the BSMF 2023, hotels in the middle of the city are the best options.
This is because the organizers of the BSMF 2023 is expected to follow what has been practiced during the hugely popular Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) by providing bus service to and from the venue.
That said, based on past experience of shuttle service to the RWMF, the hotels below come recommended as they will likely offer minimal walking to the shuttle bus stops.
- Harbour View Hotel
- Hilton Kuching
- John’s Place, Kuching, Sarawak
- Abell Hotel
- Abell Residence
- Astana Wing – Riverside Majestic Hotel Kuching
- Grand Margherita Hotel
- Harbour View Hotel
- Hilton Kuching
- Imperial Riverbank Hotel Kuching
- John’s Place, Kuching, Sarawak
- Pullman Kuching
- Riverside Majestic Hotel
- The Ranee Boutique Suites
- The Waterfront Hotel Kuching
- Tune Hotel – Waterfront Kuching
If you do not want to use my recommendations above and prefer to book hotels by yourself, make sure they are located in the city centre.
Note that there is no hotels nearby Stadium Sarawak, and even nearby accommodation (homestay) will probably require you to walk about 10-20 minutes to the stadium.
Avoid any beach hotels because they will be far from the venue and transportation may be difficult.
More on Borneo Music Festival (BSMF)
If you need more details on the Borneo Music Festival (BSMF) 2023, feel free to check out any of the links below.
- READ more about BSMF
- BUY dress for concerts
- BUY KPOP concert items
- BOOK a hotel in Kuching
- VISIT official website of BSMF
This page will also be updated from time to time when new information is obtained.
