TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsA new rhythm for Indonesian theater
The curtain rises on Festival Musikal Indonesia 2025 from Nov. 14 to 16, spotlighting emerging voices and reimagined folklore at Jakarta’s Taman Ismail Marzuki.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Behind the scenes: Rikat Parikesit (back, right) speaks about Waktunya Main’s musical Kakek dan Perahu Kuning (Grandfather and the yellow boat) during a press conference on Oct. 22 at Galeri Indonesia Kaya in Jakarta, ahead of the upcoming Festival Musikal Indonesia 2025. Joining him were fellow representatives of musical troupes that will perform at the festival in November. (JP/Sylviana Hamdani)
L
ong associated with the glittering stages of Broadway and London’s West End, musicals are now finding their own rhythm in Indonesia. In recent years, a new generation of local troupes has emerged, eager to tell Indonesian stories through music, dance and drama.
This November, some of the best will take the stage at Festival Musikal Indonesia (FMI) 2025, held at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in Central Jakarta, from Nov. 14 to 16.
Launched in 2022 by the EKI Foundation and Indonesia Kaya, the festival was created from a shared belief that musical theater can be a vital force for cultural expression.
“Musicals are a powerful medium to express Indonesia’s culture and identity,” said Billy Gamaliel, program manager of Indonesia Kaya, during a press conference at Galeri Indonesia Kaya in Jakarta on Oct. 22. “By combining music, dance, dialogue and visual art, musicals offer storytelling that resonates deeply with younger audiences. Because the form is multidisciplinary, it also helps drive the creative economy and create new job opportunities.”
After three years at Ciputra Artpreneur, this year’s festival moves to TIM, Central Jakarta’s long-celebrated artistic hub. “TIM has always been a home for the arts,” Billy said. “It has a strong artistic soul, and we want to integrate that spirit into FMI while giving the festival a fresh atmosphere.”
Three venues within TIM, Teater Besar, Teater Kecil and Teater Wahyu Sihombing, will host performances throughout the festival. The 1,200-seat Teater Besar will stage the headliners, while the smaller theaters spotlight emerging groups. Each space promises immersive lighting, evocative sets and music that reflect Indonesia’s cultural tones.
Fresh voices
