‘Everybody can swing’: Sibu’s giant itut returns for BCF 2026

SIBU (Aug 29): Standing 50 feet tall and towering over Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang Phase 1, Sibu’s iconic ‘itut’ is ready to swing into action ahead of the Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) 2026.

The traditional giant Melanau swing will undergo a trial run tomorrow (Aug 30) before opening to the public during the festival, with safety remaining the top priority, said itut liaison officer Freddie Chua.

“This year, the Itut is 50 feet in height, compared to 65 feet last year.

“This year’s Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) Itut slogan is ‘Everybody can swing’,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted.

Chua said SMC had appointed the Kampung Nangka Melanau Welfare Association to manage the itut, which has become one of the festival’s popular attractions.

He said the logs used to construct this year’s giant swing were sourced from Kampung Banyok.

The itut will be open to the public from 7pm to 10pm throughout BCF 2026, which runs from Sept 3 to 12.

Chua said participants would be pulled on the giant swing by designated crew members, with the entire operation closely supervised as part of the safety measures.

“Members of the public will be pulled on the giant swing by the designated crew.

“As part of the stringent safety measures, the operation will be supervised by the crew throughout the activity to ensure the safety of participants,” he said.

The itut is no stranger to the spotlight, having helped SMC secure a place in the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) during last year’s BCF for the highest number of visitors swinging on the traditional attraction.

A total of 2,288 people took a turn on the itut, exceeding the original target of 2,000 participants.

With this year’s slogan promising that ‘Everybody can swing’, the giant Melanau swing is once again poised to be one of the main draws at BCF 2026.