Jakarta’s biggest music festival to go ahead despite deadly unrest in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) – Pestapora, one of Indonesia’s biggest urban music festivals, will go ahead in the capital this weekend despite violent unrest that has left at least 10 people dead across the country.

The three-day festival, scheduled for Sept. 5–7 at JIExpo Kemayoran in central Jakarta, is set to feature dozens of leading Indonesian musicians and bands. It is among the most anticipated cultural events on the city’s calendar, typically drawing tens of thousands of fans.

“Pestapora 2025 will still take place as planned, but we have adjusted the schedule to give audiences a safe and comfortable experience,” festival director Kiki Aulia Ucup said in a statement on Instagram.

This year’s edition will introduce a new “song swap” concept, pairing performers to cover each other’s most popular tracks — a move organizers hope will add to the festival’s signature atmosphere of collaboration and experimentation.

The decision to proceed with Pestapora is being seen as a signal that Jakarta remains stable enough for major public gatherings, even as Indonesia confronts mounting political unrest.

Since Aug. 25, demonstrations over lawmakers’ allowances have spiraled into riots in multiple cities, according to Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). At least 10 people — including students, motorcycle taxi drivers, and local officials — have been killed. Rights monitors allege that some of the deaths were caused by police action.

Jakarta police say more than 300 people have been arrested, including six accused of using social media to incite violence. Authorities also reported that 22 detainees tested positive for narcotics.

The unrest marks one of the most serious outbreaks of violence in Indonesia’s capital in recent years, raising questions about political accountability and police conduct.