Jakarta, Indonesia – After the COVID-19 pandemic froze all of global gatherings, Indonesia's event sector is starting to risen again. International conferences in Jakarta and cultural festivals in Yogyakarta are rapidly returning, with locals and tourists eagerly attending events that were previously postponed or canceled.
This revival supports economic growth and highlights Indonesia's tenacity. Events are helping local economies and tourism with increased enthusiasm and tight safety protocols, reflecting the nation's renewed strength and following the patterns of global recovery.
Indonesia has become a sought-after destination for international performers that eager to reconnect with their fans. The Hammersonic Festival for example, held at Ancol Carnaval in Jakarta on March 18–19, 2023, marked the return of Southeast Asia's largest rock festival after several pandemic-related delays, featuring bands like Slipknot, Trivium, and Watain. Other international acts, such as Deep Purple, Westlife, Kings of Convenience, and Blackpink, have also recently performed in Indonesia.
Domestic musician are also used this momentum as well. Legendary band Dewa 19 held a concert tour culminating in a finale at Jakarta International Stadium, drawing over 80,000 attendees. Sheila on 7 attracted more than 20,000 fans, and soloist Raisa drew tens of thousands to her performances.
Music concerts have become some kind of staple in modern life and a popular escape from daily routines. With tickets consistently sell out, with pre-sale tickets available online within minutes. This trend shows how much Idonesian citizens behavior supports economic resilience, emphasizing that continued spending on tickets would leads to economic stability.
While some concerts have steep ticket prices, even for the middle class such as Blackpink tickets ranging from IDR 1.35 million to IDR 3.8 million and Hammersonic Festival tickets for two days, including tax, reaching IDR 2.65 million the demand remains high.
This continuity event will helps revitalize Indonesia's Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, especially the concert sector. As the event industry recovers, event organizers will resume operations, rehiring crew members who were unemployed due to the pandemic. This resurgence will help reduce unemployment rates.
Easier Licensing Process
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno has expressed confidence that music concerts featuring both international and local artists will significantly impact Indonesia's tourism sector. According to Antara, Sandiaga highlighted the growing market for music concerts in Indonesia, fueled by an expanding middle class. This demographic shift is making Indonesia an attractive destination for major concerts, stimulating foreign and domestic tourism.
The government intends to accelerate the licensing procedures for creative economy activities, such as music, cinema, cultural arts, and sports, in order to take advantage on this momentum. The motivation behind this program, that intends to strengthen domestic stability in the face of global economic concerns in 2024, is the anticipated economic recover.
"As of today, because we are starting and will later review each evaluation period, we are motivated to grant permits in accordance with the guidelines [permits are issued within a period of] 14 days and 21 days," said Sandiaga during the "Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno" media meeting in Jakarta on Monday, June 24, 2024.
