RRI.CO.ID, Bintuhan - The annual Kaur Octopus Festival (Festival Gurita Kaur) has officially returned for its 2026 season, solidifying its position as one of Sumatra's most anticipated culinary and cultural tourism events. Spearheaded by the Regency Administration of Kaur in Bengkulu Province, this yearly celebration leverages the region's abundant octopus harvests to drive coastal economic growth, empower local micro-businesses, and showcase southwestern Sumatran arts.

First launched in 2018, the festival has grown from a local coastal promotion into a nationally recognized hallmark event. Its prestige is backed by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, which formally inducted the Kaur Octopus Festival into the prestigious Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) registry for the 2023–2024 period, marking it as an asset of national tourism caliber.

The festival’s rise to fame is closely tied to its record-breaking culinary feats, which have been formally certified by the Museum Rekor-Dunia Indonesia (MURI). During its 2018 inaugural year, the festival made history by earning its first MURI record for grilling and serving 6,011 octopus satay skewers simultaneously, successfully putting Kaur on the Indonesian culinary map.

The community then smashed its own milestone in 2022 by mobilizing dozens of culinary stalls across various Kaur Subdistricts to prepare a massive spread of 10,500 octopus satay skewers, firmly cementing its status as Bengkulu's premier seafood festival.

As the event grew, local chefs introduced broader culinary innovations. During the 2024 iteration, the festival expanded beyond satay to introduce creative dishes like tumpeng gurita (octopus-infused ceremonial rice cones) alongside thousands of servings of savory octopus meatballs.

For the current 2026 edition, the festival is running under the official theme: Sambal Langat Gurita Kaur untuk Nusantara (Kaur Octopus Sambal Langat for the Archipelago). The strategic focus this year is to introduce and popularize Sambal Langat, a highly distinct, traditional chili paste native to Kaur Regency, to a broader domestic and international audience through creative octopus pairings.

Beyond the food stalls, the festival functions as a comprehensive cultural fair and creative economy engine. The event features an active lineup of activities designed to preserve local heritage and stimulate small businesses, kicking off with cross-district MSME (UMKM) trade exhibitions that showcase local artisanal products.

Visitors can also engage with interactive octopus cooking competitions and live culinary demonstrations led by regional chefs. Furthermore, the festival fosters youth participation through traditional regional song and dance competitions showcasing authentic Kaur culture, all while anchoring the celebratory atmosphere with vibrant, live ethnic performing arts showcases.

Through this mix of gastronomy, traditional arts, and community participation, the Kaur Octopus Festival continues to demonstrate how a local marine commodity can be transformed into a powerful driver for regional tourism and identity. (Naura Sofia/EN)