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Jakarta Post

Why you should welcome 2017 in these Indonesian cities

Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, December 31, 2016

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Why you should welcome 2017 in these Indonesian cities Cities outside Jakarta also have year-end celebrations worth attending. (Shutterstock/File)

T

he whole archipelago is set to welcome 2017 and in several cities throughout Indonesia, celebrations are being prepared. Here is our list of seven Indonesian cities with their own New Year's Eve activities and why you should consider going to at least one of them.

Bandung

Those who are in Bandung may consider visiting one of the city's renowned streets, Jl. Asia Afrika, as it becomes the heart of New Year’s Eve events in the city. “There will be the New Year festival on Jl. Asia Afrika. It’s like car-free-night, but it is combined with more religious events such as istighosah (mass prayer) and the festival of Bandung citizens,” Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil told kompas.com. There will also be performances showcasing Bandung’s traditional and modern culture. Hungry? Worry not, as food trucks will be there to indulge visitors with a diverse array of culinary options. The street will be closed during the event.

Boyolali

Boyolali regency in Central Java will feature five entertainment shows and 17 other shows at the district level. The highlights will be the performance from legendary Indonesian band Godbless and the fireworks at Alun-alun Kidul Kemiri. The Godbless concert will be accompanied by local artists, such as Lotus, the winner of Boyolali Rock Festival 2016, Sintink, Waladalah and Tari Garuda Jaya, according to Antara news agency.

Bali

Nusa Dua, Sanur, Ubud and Kuta are still the top destinations for year-end celebrations in Bali. The events consist of music performances, live DJs, fireworks, stand-up comedy shows and much more. DestinAsian reports that Indonesian-born singer Anggun will hold a special performance at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua at the Festive Gala Dinner event. Guests can join the countdown and watch fireworks before moving to an after party at Nikki Beach Bali. Prices start at Rp 3,000,000 per person. Contact +62 361 849 2888 for more information.

(Read also: Great venues to spend New Year’s Eve)

Pekanbaru

Several hotels in Pekanbaru offer year-end events, including The Premiere hotel, according to tribunnews.com. Presenting a “Jungle Night Fever”-themed event, guests are expected to wear casual attire. Indonesian singer and former member of pop duo T2, Tiwi Sakuramoto, will entertain the guests, along with DJ Pradhya Paramitha, D’Plust Band, Glossy Dancer, Farrel Magician and The Premiere Crew. Further information can be obtained from +62 853 762 16360 or +62 761 789 1818.

Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta’s most happening street, Malioboro, will be the heart of the city's New Year celebrations. Those who want to watch Indonesian traditional wayang kulit (shadow puppet) shows can visit the front area of the Yogyakarta Legislative Council (DPRD) office as it will be the venue of Pagelaran Wayang Kulit Spekta all night long. Titled Hastabratha, the shadow puppet play will feature Ki Gondo Suharno from Yogyakarta’s Art Institute as the puppet master.

Semarang

There will be 34 events in Semarang to welcome 2017. Various music performances will include dangdut, pop and rock as genres that will be performed by renowned local artists, such as Via Vallen, Roy Jenociah (ex-Boomerang member), the Power Slaves group and the Sera dangdut group. For those who are more into artsy performances, consider visiting the Festival Gong Tugu Muda from Semarang Art Council in Taman Menteri Supeno. Others wanting to watch shadow puppet performances can go to Taman Budaya Raden Saleh, starting from 8 p.m.

Surabaya

Although the Surabaya government officially canceled all year-end events in respect to natural disasters that happened in Indonesia throughout 2016, it doesn't mean travelers cannot enjoy their stay in this city. There will be a laser light game, mass praying, performances from hadrah artists and a nasi kotak feast in front of Surabaya's landmark near the governor's office. (asw)

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