KOTA KINABALU: August 20, 2026 – The inaugural International Indigenous Cultural Ambassador (IICA) 2026 pageant will be held this Saturday, 22 August, at Sky Hotel in Kota Kinabalu, in conjunction with Borneo’s celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
The event is organised by the Borneo Heritage Foundation and the Borneo Dayak Forum. It brings together indigenous participants from Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei Darussalam and Kalimantan, Indonesia – making it the first international indigenous cultural pageant of its kind in Borneo, according to the organisers.
This year’s celebration, known locally as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Celebration—SHOAS, has the theme: “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Shaping Our Future and Defending Our Rights Through Borneo Dayak Unity and Solidarity.” The hosting of SHOAS rotates among participating Borneo regions, with Sabah taking its turn as host this year.
As part of the SHOAS programme, finalists from the three IICA categories – Miss IICA 2026, Mr IICA 2026 and Mrs IICA 2026 – will take part in the SHOAS Indigenous Cultural Parade on Saturday.
The pageant has three categories:
– Miss IICA 2026: for unmarried indigenous women aged 18 to 29.
– Mrs IICA 2026: for indigenous women aged 30 and above.
– Mr IICA 2026: for indigenous men aged 18 to 30.
Contestants will be judged on indigenous advocacy and community impact, knowledge of indigenous culture and heritage, communication and public speaking, cultural presentation and authenticity, as well as leadership, personality and ambassadorial qualities.
The IICA 2026 Grand Final will take place from 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm on 22 August at Sky Hotel, Kota Kinabalu. The organisers said that due to space limitations, attendance is by invitation only.
The event is expected to bring together participants, indigenous community representatives, cultural practitioners, invited guests and members of the public as part of the wider SHOAS celebration hosted by Sabah.
For enquiries, email iica.sabah@gmail.com. Updates can be followed on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/iica.borneo), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/iica.borneo) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@iica.borneo).
