Jakarta to Host the World Angklung Festival 2025
Reported by Aldi Geri Lumban Tobing | Translated by
The Jakarta Culture Agency organized the World Angklung Festival (WAF) 2025 as the climax of the 15th World Angklung Day celebration. This event coincided with the moment Angklung was designated as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO on November 16, 2025.
We want to present an inclusive and relevant cultural experience
This festival, which carries the theme 'Symphony of Jakarta Heritage,' will reach its peak on November 23, 2025, in the historic area of Kota Tua Jakarta with various art performances, workshops, and cultural collaborations.
Jakarta Culture Agency Head, Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary said, this festival is a form of Jakarta's commitment to reviving the energy of cultural heritage in public spaces.
1,000 Seniors Playing Angklung Enliven Car Free DayHe conveyed that World Angklung Day is an important moment that affirms that the angklung is not just a musical instrument, but a symbol of harmony and the cultural identity of the nation.
"Through this event, we want to present an inclusive and relevant cultural experience for Jakarta residents and strengthen the position of angklung in the eyes of the world," he explained, Wednesday (11/19).
They invite the public to attend the peak event on November 23, 2025, which promises a full cultural experience such as concerts and performances by angklung orchestras both domestically and internationally. In addition, cultural collaborations are showcased, blending angklung with Betawi arts such as gambang kromong traditional betawi music, topeng dance, and Ondel-ondel giant effigies.
The Angklung Experience Booth will feature a live workshop on making and playing the angklung, guided by Saung Angklung Udjo (SAU), strengthening education and understanding of UNESCO heritage.
He added that the Culture Agency is fully committed to continuing to present programs that foster a love for culture, especially among the younger generation. Hopefully, this event could serve as a space for art appreciation, as well as encourage residents to take greater pride in Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
"Hopefully, there will also be full support from all media so that the message of WAF 2025, which is the harmonization of Indonesian culture on the world stage, can be conveyed widely. Let's celebrate our Cultural Heritage together," he hoped.
As information, the Culture Agency, together with strategic partners, successfully conducted simultaneous activations at several iconic locations in Jakarta on World Angklung Day, November 16.
This event features a Pop-Up Concert and a Mini Angklung Workshop that directly engage and involve residents in public spaces. Saung Angklung Udjo (SAU), as an institution dedicated to preserving the art and being a maestro of Indonesian Angklung, plays a vital role in the success of this activation.
The representative from Saung Angklung Udjo, Opik Taufiq Maulana, conveyed that the Pop-Up Concert initiative at Bundaran HI, Monas, and other Car Free Day (CFD) points on November 16 is proof that the angklung remains alive and relevant amidst the heartbeat of the metropolitan city.
"We bring the Angklung directly to the urban community, inviting them to pause for a moment, feel the authentic harmonious vibrations of the bamboo, and celebrate the Angklung's anniversary as a UNESCO Heritage," he closed.
