Regatta Lepa-Lepa

Regatta Lepa-Lepa

During each year's Regatta Lepa-Lepa the mose happening location are the two main attraction spots of the celebration –
1) The Seafest Hotel pier where the traditional boats were docked
2) The Semporna town padang, where a concert stage and some traditional houses were built.

The Regatta Lepa has been celebrated every year since 1994 to commemorate the Bajau tradition of building these splendid boats.
First held in 1994 as a district-level event before being upgraded into Sabah state festival in 2003.
Regatta Lepa is now an Malaysia national event in water festival.
The Bajau seafarers' proud maritime heritage came alive in this annual festival of Regatta LEPA, featuring their LRPA boats, with participants dancing at the helm of their boats, decorated in full color.
The event attracted thousands each year.

In East Coast of Sabah, "lepa" means "boat" - the traditional houseboat of the seagoing Bajau Laut. Lepa cultural legacy is inherited by Bajau people from many many generations ago. The existence of Lepa boat is believed to originate from the Bajau fishing community. Generations ago, the Lepa-Lepa were created solely as a mode of transportation for the Bajau. Communication was close to none for the people at that time as they could barely travel and knew not of modern amenities. They led a humble existence, living to survive. The sea was the provider of their food and the sole bridge to neighboring islands.
This three-day cultural festival Regatta Lepa held annually in Semporna is a celebration of the lepa lifestyle, which nowadays has been replaced by village dwelling and engine-driven houseboats.
Both village dwelling and engine-driven houseboats are social developments that began in the 1950s. However, the lepa has remained a cultural symbol, so much so that in the mid-1990s, local politicians came up with the idea of a cultural event revolving around the boat as the emblem of a way of life.
Organized by the Semporna Pejabat Daerah (Semporna District Office) and well in tune with Sabah State’s official policy, the Regatta Lepa soon became an event with a political dimension to it. 
The Regatta Lepa festival opens with the arrival of various boats from different villages, headed by the village leader known as OT.
On that day, these beautiful LEPA boats dot the dock of Semporna side by side shimmering in all their glory.

The highlight of the Regatta Lepa includes a competition of the most beautiful Lepa-Lepa based on the boat's decoration, local ethnic music and traditional dances performed on board.

The night embraces colorful cultural dances performed by the Bajau.