City to hold Jakarnaval for anniversary

The annual Jakarnaval will hit the streets on June 28 among many events planned to commemorate the city’s anniversary.

Jakarta Culture and Tourism Agency head Arie Budiman said the carnival would feature decorative cars and various participants, including bicycle communities, a horse troop from the police mobile brigade, as well as musical and theatrical groups.  

"We want to showcase the variety in Jakarta, which has become a cultural melting pot," Arie told reporters on Tuesday.

The 10th annual carnival would kick off at 3:30 p.m. and run to 6 p.m., traveling along a three-kilometer route starting in front of the city hall on Jl. Merdeka Selatan and heading to Jl. Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

The carnival will end at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, where a stage featuring a Betawi comedy will be erected in front of the Mandarin Hotel.

The carnival will coincide with a car-free day, which will make it easier to manage the traffic, Budi said.

"The car-free day time will be extended for the Jakarnaval, so we don't have to redirect traffic twice."