Most travel guides will tell you Tamu Besar Kota Belud happens in November. This year, they are wrong by three weeks.
Sabah's oldest big market runs from 10 to 18 October 2026, with the official opening on 17 October, according to Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick as reported by Jesselton Times. Organisers are expecting around 50,000 visitors.
At the centre of it are the Bajau horsemen of Kota Belud — the riders who gave Sabah one of its best-known nicknames. Here is what to know before you go, or before you see the photos flood your feed.
Tamu Besar Kota Belud 2026: dates and what is new
A tamu is a Sabah open-air market. The regular one in Kota Belud runs weekly; the Tamu Besar ("big tamu") is the annual version, part market, part festival, part homecoming. For how tamu work across the state, see our explainer on why Sabah's tamu is a calendar, not a tourist market.
The 2026 details announced so far:
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10–18 October 2026 |
| Official opening | 17 October, by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sabah, with the Chief Minister attending |
| Expected crowd | Around 50,000 visitors |
| Competitions | Buffalo and cattle races on the Kota Belud field |
| New this year | A Kinabalu Geopark tamu with Sabah Parks, held a week earlier |
| Communities featured | Bajau, Iranun, Dusun and others |
Local products the organisers highlighted include Kota Belud's parang (machetes) and fresh vegetables.
The buffalo races deserve a mention of their own. According to the organisers, the buffalo and cattle races are held on the Kota Belud field, separate from the main market grounds, so plan your day around both sites. The Iranun and Dusun communities of the district also bring their own cultural performances, which is a useful reminder that Kota Belud is not a single-community town. The Bajau riders are the headline; the tamu belongs to everyone who trades there. Exact programme times had not been published at the time of writing, so check the district's official channels before booking flights.
7 things to know about the Bajau horsemen
1. "Cowboys of the East" refers to the West Coast Bajau
Sabah has two very different communities that share the Bajau name. The West Coast Bajau (sometimes called Bajau Darat or Sama) are settled, land-based communities around Kota Belud, Tuaran and Papar, known for rice farming and horses. The Bajau Laut of Semporna, on the east coast, are the sea-going communities known for boats and stilt villages.
The horsemen belong to the first group. Mixing the two up is the most common mistake visitors make.
2. Kota Belud is the heartland
Kota Belud sits about 75 km north of Kota Kinabalu, on the coastal plain below Mount Kinabalu. It is the district most closely tied to Bajau horsemanship, and the reason the Tamu Besar is where the riders gather in numbers.
If you are flying in from the peninsula, our guide to what West Malaysians get wrong about Sabah and Sarawak entry is worth a read first.
3. The horses are closer to ponies
The horses ridden at the tamu are small, sturdy animals rather than tall racehorses. That is not a downgrade — they suit the coastal lowlands and the short, showy runs of the parade.
4. The horse is dressed as carefully as the rider
According to a Sabah Tourism Board post, horsemen at the Tamu Besar decorate their horses or ponies in colourful gear. The saddle, called a sila-sila, is traditionally made of buffalo hide, with a thick cloth placed underneath. Bells, tassels and woven fabric complete the look.
5. The rider's outfit is bright on purpose
For the parade, horsemen typically wear a bright satin or brocade baju with a sarong or trousers, a silver-decorated belt and a destar — a folded ceremonial head covering. Yellow, green, red and gold dominate. Bajau women's ceremonial dress is often paired with a silver headpiece known as the sarempak.
The effect, when several dozen riders line up in a field, is the photo you have probably already seen.
6. It is a community event first, a show second
The Tamu Besar is not staged for tourists. Families from across the district come to trade, meet, compete in the buffalo races and catch up. The market side sells produce, livestock, crafts and textiles alongside food.
West Coast Bajau communities are Muslim, and the tamu brings together Muslim, Christian and other communities from around Kota Belud. Dress modestly, ask before photographing people up close, and treat the parade ground like someone's village square — because it is.
7. The riders are getting harder to find
The horse tradition is increasingly ceremonial. The Star, reporting on the community in February 2026, described the gathering of Bajau horsemen at the Tamu Besar as an increasingly rare sight, with many young people from the area leaving for work in bigger cities.
That is the quiet story behind the parade. Keeping horses is expensive and time-consuming, and fewer households do it for everyday use. The Tamu Besar is one of the few moments each year when the tradition is visible at full scale.
How to get to Kota Belud for the Tamu Besar
Kota Belud is roughly a 1.5-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu along the coastal road. Minibuses run from the Inanam terminal in KK, but festival days get crowded, so many visitors drive or join a day tour.
Three practical notes:
- Go early. Parade and competition events tend to start in the morning, before the midday heat.
- Bring cash. Many tamu stalls are small traders.
- Check the date twice. Plenty of websites still list November. For 2026, it is 10–18 October.
Sabah's other big cultural calendar moments, Kaamatan and Gawai, are covered in our guide to Kaamatan and Gawai Dayak traditions.
FAQ
When is Tamu Besar Kota Belud 2026?
It runs from 10 to 18 October 2026, with the official opening on 17 October, according to the Sabah state government announcement reported in September 2026.
Why are the Bajau called the Cowboys of the East?
The nickname comes from the West Coast Bajau's long tradition of horse riding around Kota Belud, unusual in a region where most communities travelled on foot or by boat.
Are the Bajau horsemen and the Bajau Laut the same people?
They share a name and related languages but are distinct communities. The horsemen are West Coast Bajau from districts like Kota Belud. The Bajau Laut are sea-going communities based around Semporna on Sabah's east coast.
How far is Kota Belud from Kota Kinabalu?
About 75 km north, or roughly 1.5 hours by road.
Is there a tamu in Kota Belud outside the Tamu Besar?
Yes. Kota Belud holds a regular weekly tamu. The Tamu Besar is the larger annual event with the horse parade and competitions.
