Cultural Festivals in Indonesia that You Shouldn’t Miss

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika–that’s Indonesia. Various traditions and cultures exist in Indonesia and knowing them all may be a bit difficult. For this reason, cultural festivals can be an appropriate learning medium. A window so that we can peek into the richness of Indonesian traditions from Sabang to Merauke.

1. Erau Kertanegara Festival in Tenggarong

Listen to the history and culture of the Kutai Kingdom in East Kalimantan which is performed at the Erau Kartanegara Festival. This cultural festival in Indonesia aims to preserve the cultural heritage of the Kutai Sultanate and is held in the middle of the year (June – July) every two years in Tenggarong City.

The Erau Kertanegara Festival features a variety of attractions and activities. You can see a series of Dayak traditional ceremonies, such as nyagahatan to mark the planting and harvest seasons. Apart from that, there are performances of typical Kutai dances, such as the Jepen dance and Ganjur dance and traditional agility games (such as spinning tops).

2. Baliem Valley Festival in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is not only famous for its stunning natural beauty, but also for its very rich culture. If you want to learn more about the rich traditions and customs of Raja Amat, try visiting the Baliem Valley Festival. At this Indonesian Cultural Festival you will witness firsthand the traditions of war between the Dani, Lani and Yali tribes complete with rituals, music and dances to warm them up before they enter the battlefield.

Starting from the splendor of the costumes and the unique culture, these are the most interesting things about this Indonesian Cultural Festival. The Baliem Valley Festival is held for three days in August every year and you can check the schedule on the official Baliem Valley Festival website.

3. Stone Lombat Festival in Nias

Another cultural festival in Indonesia that is inspired by war culture is the Stone Jumping Festival in Nias. This district in North Sumatra has a tradition that will make you both amazed and excited: jumping over a rock more than 2.1 meters high and 40 cm thick!

According to history, each tribe built high defensive forts to prevent enemy attacks, and it was the Nias tribe who had the solution: learning to jump over rocks (fahombo) to conquer their opponents. Now this ritual is also performed to symbolize the youth’s transition to adulthood. Interested in seeing the excitement of this new jumping tradition in Nias? The Rock Jumping Festival (Ya’ahowu Festival) is held every November.

4. Archipelago Batik Week in Pekalongan

One of Indonesia’s relatively new fdi cultural festivals is the Nusantara Batik Week in Pekalongan, Central Java. This city has long been popular as a batik city famous for its jlamprang and cement motifs as its mainstay batik motifs.

Aiming to preserve the heritage of Indonesian batik art (especially written and stamped batik), the Nusantara Batik Week, which is held every October, features exhibitions, workshops, talk shows, and even fashion shows.

5. Sekaten Festival in Yogyakarta

If England has a royal family, Indonesia has the Yogyakarta Palace with all the royal customs and manners that are still maintained to this day. One of them is the ritual procession of seven mountains of natural products accompanied by the music of gejog lemung.

The Grebeg Maulud ritual is the closing of the Sekaten Festival which is held at the end of the fasting month to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and the gunungan is an expression of gratitude for the abundance of agricultural produce. Uniquely, after the procession is over, people will take the contents of the mountain in cash because they believe it will provide good fortune and follow us for more.