Octopus Festival: Kaur's Tourism Magnet Once Again Attracts Visitors

Bengkulu. KOMPAS.com - The Kaur Regency, in Bengkulu Province, is hosting the Octopus Festival from Friday 22 May 2026 to Saturday 23 May 2026. The 2026 Octopus Festival is combined with the 23rd anniversary celebrations of Kaur Regency. In 2026, the Octopus Festival carries the theme ‘Sambal Langat Gurita Kaur untuk Nusantara’. The Octopus Festival is held annually as an effort to boost the economy of fishermen and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the region. ‘The Octopus Festival is an effort to push the earnings of fishermen and SMEs so they continue to innovate, thereby increasing the economic value of octopus,’ said Gusril. He stressed that the Octopus Festival is, in essence, a symbol of the local government’s commitment to fishermen and SME stakeholders. The regent wants octopus catches not only to end up in traditional markets but also to meet the needs of the culinary industry, restaurants and modern hotel and hospitality services, and to satisfy international market demand. The Octopus Festival programme includes events such as an octopus-inspired cooking competition, SME exhibitions, cultural performance, and a communal meal for the public with octopus as the main dish. In addition to making octopus a flagship product, the government is also taking conservation steps in collaboration with NGO initiatives. ‘There are initiatives from NGO partners such as Yayasan Akar to conserve octopus by establishing certain marine areas with restrictions on octopus fishing during specific periods, then caught jointly by fishermen,’ concluded Gusril. Roberto Miko, a city resident, said the Octopus Festival is an annual moment he always attends for a visit to Kaur Regency.