The seventh edition of Laamu’s marine conservation festival will bring residents from all 11 inhabited islands together in Gan on 5 September 2026
The Laamafaru Festival returns to Laamu Atoll on 5 September 2026 with conservation exhibitions, competitions, cultural performances and community activities.
- The Laamafaru Festival returns on 5 September 2026 at Hamad Bin Khaleefa Al Thani School in Gan after a three-year hiatus.
- The seventh edition will bring participants from all 11 inhabited islands of Laamu Atoll together under the theme “Protecting Our Oceans Together”.
- Programming spans marine science exhibitions, conservation games, art and recycling competitions, a reef rally, cultural performances and local vendor stalls.
- Maldivian swimmer, educator and ocean advocate Aminath Zuna will attend as Guest of Honor alongside a range of conservation organisations.
(NEWS) GAN, Laamu Atoll, Maldives, 2026-Sep-02 — /Travel PR News/ — Laamafaru Festival, Laamu Atoll’s largest community marine conservation event, is returning on 5 September 2026 after a three-year hiatus, bringing together residents, scientists, conservation groups and visitors for a day built around the idea that protecting the ocean is a shared local responsibility.
The seventh edition will take place at Hamad Bin Khaleefa Al Thani School in Gan under the theme Protecting Our Oceans Together. According to the official festival announcement published by Visit Maldives, participants from all 11 inhabited islands of Laamu are expected to join a programme combining marine education, creative competitions, community activities and traditional culture.
The event is organised by Six Senses Laamu and the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), whose conservation work in the atoll spans research, education and community outreach. Six Senses describes MUI as a collaboration between its marine biologists and the Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation and Olive Ridley Project, working to protect Laamu’s natural resources and make marine science accessible to guests and local communities through initiatives including the Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu.
Laamafaru’s roots go back to 2016, when the event began as the Laamu Turtle Festival. Its scope has since expanded beyond sea turtles to include coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangrove forests, reflecting a broader view of how interconnected ecosystems support fisheries, food security, coastal resilience and livelihoods across the atoll. Organisers say the festival has engaged more than 43,900 people through physical attendance and digital campaigns over its history and has reached 12 schools across Laamu.
This year’s programme is designed to make marine science approachable for a broad audience. MUI researchers will present conservation exhibitions focused on the ecosystems surrounding Laamu, while educational games, hands-on activities and presentations from environmental organisations will give visitors opportunities to interact directly with scientists, campaigners and community advocates.
Creative participation is another major part of the festival. The Moodhuge Vaahaka poster competition invites entrants to interpret ocean stories through art, while a Trash to Treasure sculpture contest challenges communities to turn discarded material into creative work. A photography competition open to Maldivians will focus on everyday island life, and a live mural will develop throughout the day as participants from across Laamu add their contributions.
A reef rally featuring costumes made from recycled materials will bring the conservation message into the streets, while Boduberu and Laamu Sagaafee Hunaru performances will anchor the programme in local culture. Food stalls and community vendors will also offer traditional dishes, crafts and locally made products from across the atoll.
Aminath Zuna, a Maldivian competitive swimmer, educator and ocean advocate, will join the festival as Guest of Honor. Participating conservation organisations include the Maldives Ocean Plastic Alliance, Parley Maldives, Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme, Atoll Marine Centre, Miyaru, Spot On, Soneva Conservation and Sustainability Maldives and the Maldives Heritage Society.
The return of Laamafaru also comes against a wider conservation backdrop in Laamu. The atoll was designated a Mission Blue Hope Spot in recognition of the ecological, economic and cultural importance of its reefs, seagrass meadows and mangroves, as well as local efforts to protect them. Six Senses’ current sustainability reporting shows that MUI continues to conduct scientific surveys, monitor marine megafauna and involve thousands of community members in conservation activity each year.
For travellers, the festival offers a window into a side of the Maldives that goes beyond the familiar resort-and-lagoon image. Its emphasis on schools, island communities, traditional performance and locally led marine protection places the focus on the people who live alongside these ecosystems and on the practical work required to keep them healthy.
