Six Senses Laamu and the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) have announced the return of the Laamafaru Festival, Laamu Atoll’s largest marine conservation gathering, which will be held on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Hamad Bin Khaleefa Al Thani School in L. Gan. Returning after a three-year hiatus, the seventh edition of the festival will be held under the theme “Protecting Our Oceans Together,” bringing communities, conservation organisations, researchers, educators and visitors together for a full day dedicated to environmental awareness, creativity and collective responsibility.
The festival reflects the growing importance placed on protecting the Maldives’ marine environment while encouraging communities to take an active role in safeguarding the natural resources on which island life depends. Laamu Atoll is home to exceptionally valuable marine and coastal ecosystems, including coral reefs, extensive seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and diverse marine species. These ecosystems contribute directly to local livelihoods, food security, coastal protection and the natural resilience of island communities, while also forming an essential part of the Maldives’ globally renowned tourism offering.
Six Senses Laamu, located in the naturally rich Laamu Atoll, has developed a strong reputation for integrating high-end island hospitality with marine conservation, environmental education and community engagement. Surrounded by the Indian Ocean and some of the atoll’s important marine habitats, the resort provides guests with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty that has established the Maldives as one of the world’s leading island destinations. Its collaboration with the Maldives Underwater Initiative has also strengthened research, education and conservation programmes designed to increase understanding of the surrounding marine ecosystem and encourage its long-term protection.
The Laamafaru Festival has become an important extension of this conservation-focused approach by taking environmental awareness beyond the resort and directly into local communities. First launched in 2016 as the Laamu Turtle Festival, the initiative initially focused on sea turtle conservation before progressively broadening its scope to encompass coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove ecosystems and other important components of the atoll’s environment. Since its establishment, the festival has engaged more than 43,900 people through physical participation and digital awareness campaigns and has reached 12 schools across Laamu Atoll.
The 2026 edition will bring together participants from all 11 inhabited islands of Laamu Atoll, highlighting the festival’s role as an atoll-wide platform for conservation education and community cooperation. Organisers aim to create an inclusive environment in which children, young people, families, educators and community members can learn more about the ecosystems surrounding their islands and understand practical ways of contributing to their protection.
The festival programme will feature marine conservation exhibitions developed by the Maldives Underwater Initiative’s research team, presenting scientific information about Laamu’s marine environment in an accessible and engaging format. Educational games, interactive activities and presentations by environmental organisations will provide participants with opportunities to engage directly with scientists, conservation specialists and community advocates working to protect the atoll’s natural environment.
Creativity will also form an important part of the programme. The Moodhuge Vaahaka poster competition will invite participants to express stories and perspectives about the ocean through art, while the Trash to Treasure sculpture competition will encourage communities to demonstrate how discarded materials can be transformed into creative works. A photography competition open to Maldivians will provide another platform for participants to document and celebrate everyday Maldivian life through their own perspectives.
A live mural will be created throughout the festival by participants representing communities across Laamu Atoll. The evolving artwork will serve as a collective expression of the festival’s conservation message and the shared responsibility of communities to protect their marine environment. A reef rally featuring costumes created from recycled materials will also form part of the event, providing a colourful public expression of environmental awareness and highlighting the importance of reducing waste and protecting the oceans.
The festival will further celebrate the cultural identity of Laamu Atoll through traditional performances, including Boduberu and Laamu Sagaafee Hunaru. By combining environmental education with local culture and community participation, the programme is designed to demonstrate that conservation is closely connected with the heritage, livelihoods and future prosperity of island communities.
Maldivian competitive swimmer, educator and ocean advocate Aminath Zuna will attend the 2026 Laamafaru Festival as Guest of Honour. A number of conservation and civil society organisations will also participate, including the Maldives Ocean Plastic Alliance, Parley Maldives, Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme, Atoll Marine Centre, Miyaru, Spot On, Soneva Conservation and Sustainability Maldives (CSM), and the Maldives Heritage Society. Their participation is expected to broaden opportunities for knowledge-sharing and strengthen cooperation among organisations working across different areas of marine conservation and environmental protection.
Food and local vendor stalls will remain open throughout the festival, providing traditional Maldivian food, handmade crafts and community products from across the atoll. The participation of local vendors will add an important economic and community dimension to the event by providing opportunities for residents to showcase locally produced goods while visitors experience the culture and hospitality of Laamu.
The return of the Laamafaru Festival also complements the Maldives’ broader national emphasis on environmental sustainability and the protection of the country’s exceptional natural assets. As a nation whose economy, communities and international tourism reputation are deeply connected to the ocean, continued cooperation among the Government, tourism industry, conservation organisations, researchers and local communities remains important for ensuring that marine ecosystems are protected for future generations.
Through the combined efforts of Six Senses Laamu, the Maldives Underwater Initiative and communities throughout the atoll, the 2026 Laamafaru Festival is expected to strengthen environmental awareness while celebrating the people, culture and extraordinary marine environment of Laamu. Its return provides a positive platform for demonstrating how responsible tourism, scientific research, community participation and conservation education can work together to protect one of the Maldives’ most valuable natural resources the ocean.
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