Events in Indonesia

Southeast Asia's major literary event brings together writers and readers from around the world in a five-day celebration of writing – especially writing that touches on Bali.

This annual festival, based at Taman Wedhi Budaya arts centre, is an easy way to see a wide variety of traditional dance, music and crafts. The productions of the Ramayana and Mahabharata ballets are grand and...

Every year, costumed islanders from across Palau Karimunjawa congregate in the main town to celebrate Independence Day. Tiny tots dress up in police uniforms, beauty queens grace Ramayana-style chariots and young...

Running over two days at the Jakarta International Expo Centre, the largest annual festival of electronic dance music in Asia has around 90,000 attendees annually. Previous acts include Roger Sanchez, David...

Around June, the colourful Festival of Borobudur features Ramayana-style dance, folk-dancing competitions and handicraft exhibitions, while offering visitors the opportunity for white-water rafting and other...

A popular yoga, dance and music festival from the people behind the Yoga Barn, a local yoga hub. There are hundreds of workshops and concerts, plus a market and more.

Indonesia’s independence is celebrated; the parades in Jakarta are the biggest in the country.

On the 19th day of the 10th month in the Sasak calendar (generally February or March), hundreds of Sasaks gather on Pantai Seger for big ceremonies and feasts involving stick fighting, live bands and the odd,...

The wrath of Bromo is appeased during the annual Kasada festival, when Tenggerese Hindus come to Bromo to make peace with the mountain, and pray for health and good harvests. During this time, local daredevils...

An initiative to reduce pollution in Indonesia's capital and combat fossil fuel emissions has become a real community event. Five kilometres along Jakarta's main thoroughfares are closed to all private vehicles...

A West Sumatran cultural calendar highlight is Pesta Budaya Tabuik (derived from the Islamic festival of Tabut), which is held in Pariaman, 36km north of Padang. It takes place at the beginning of the month of...

Originally held in celebration of a sultan's coronation, the Erau (from the Kutai word eroh, meaning joyful, boisterous crowd) became a biannual, then annual, gathering to celebrate local Dayak culture and...

There are three Gerebeg festival that occur each year, featuring Java’s most colourful and grand processions. In traditional court dress, palace guards and retainers, not to mention large floats of decorated...

Around 15,000 people from more than 50 countries take to Jakarta's streets every October to run in four main events: the 42km race, the 21km half marathon, plus 10km and 5km runs. The route ticks off all of...

Held every October, Meti Kei festival celebrates a natural phenomenon where the tide recedes way off Kei Kecil for a few weeks a year, sometimes up to 5km or more offshore. The locals celebrate on Pasir Panjang...

These 'big drum' performances were originally performed before battles. Today, many villages in central Lombok have a gendang battery, some with up to 40 drummers, who perform at festivals and ceremonies. The...

The Buddha’s birth, his enlightenment and his reaching of nirvana are all celebrated on the full-moon day of Waisak. A great procession of saffron-robed monks travels from Mendut to Pawon and on to Borobudur,...

Held in late May, Malang Kembali celebrates ludruk, an old-time music-hall tradition that was very popular in Java in the last century. Jl Besar Ijen, home to many wonderful old Dutch villas, is closed to traffic...

This month-long festival honouring the gods and ancestors is held every Sasih Kalima (the fifth month on the Balinese calendar). A contest of perang pandan (traditional Balinese ritual combat using clubs made of...

The Banyuwangyi Festival is a two-month series of music, arts, culture and sporting events organised by the stellar tourist office, and is held on weekends in August and September. The Jazz Festival is one such...