By Asia Samachar | Scotland |
Sri Dasmesh Pipe Band has continued its strong run on the international stage, reaching the Grade 4A final at the 2026 World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Malaysian band progressed through the qualifying round before finishing seventh in the final, missing sixth place by just one point. It was Sri Dasmesh’s fourth appearance at the championships — and the fourth time it has successfully qualified for a World Championship final.
The achievement carries added significance for the volunteer band, whose members travel thousands of kilometres from Malaysia while balancing training with school, university, careers and family commitments.
Sri Dasmesh made history in Glasgow in 2019 when it was crowned Grade 4B World Champion, becoming the first Asian pipe band to win a World Pipe Band Championship title. It subsequently moved into the more competitive Grade 4A category.
The band also marked another milestone on Aug 31, 2025, when it staged Malaysia’s first full-length bagpipe concert at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. Titled The Fortress of Dreams: A Sri Dasmesh Original, the Merdeka night performance showcased the award-winning band’s distinctive blend of traditional Scottish piping and its own musical identity at one of the country’s most prestigious concert venues.
The latest World Championship campaign came just a week after an emphatic victory at the Perth Highland Games, where Sri Dasmesh took first place overall after topping the piping, ensemble and drumming categories.
The band was also the only Asian representative competing at this year’s World Pipe Band Championships, carrying the Jalur Gemilang onto Glasgow Green during Malaysia’s Merdeka month.
“To achieve this placing at World Championship level is a source of immense pride, and it is a result we are proud to bring home to Malaysia in the month of Merdeka,” the band said.
Nearly four decades after its journey began in Malaysia, Sri Dasmesh continues to demonstrate that it can compete with leading pipe bands in the traditional heartland of the sport.
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