Sabah is not known for producing many well-known media figures, but the few it has produced have made their mark. Noteworthy mentions include filmmaker Tony Francis Gitom, and their many high-placing contestants on local shows Malaysian Idol and Akademi Fantasia.Some films and shows filmed in Sabah include the first season of reality show Survivor, The Amazing Race, Eco-Challenge Borneo, Bat*21, and Sacred Planet. Sabah's first homegrown film was Orang Kita, starring Abu Bakar Ellah.

The main entertainment hub in Sabah is Kota Kinabalu. There are a few bars around the centre of KK, as it is known locally. Around the area known as BB Plaza, you can buy a bucket of beer in ice for a reasonable cost and enjoy it while sitting outside in the square.The square is the venue for all sorts of performances including local dance, fashion shows and live bands. If you are there for a few days you will surely see something going on.

If you want to shake your booty or sup a few late ones in the company of Sabah's young and beautiful, then head for The Beach, a big cavernous bar/disco on the waterfront. Inside there are huge screens for sport and pool tables. On Saturday nights, western DJs and dancers on podiums are the main attraction. For those who prefer to hear themselves think, you can bask in the evening warmth and neck a few cold ones on picnic tables outside with a sea view.

The waterfront also boasts a few new bars including the ubiquitous Irish bar, The Shamrock, where you can amuse yourself by seeing the blank expressions on the faces of the staff when you ask them what a shamrock is.

Sabah's first established newspaper was the New Sabah Times. The newspaper was founded by Donald Stephens, who later became the First Chief Minister of Sabah.