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View all search resultsMedan cancels New Year’s Eve celebrations after public backlash
Head of the Medan Tourism Agency, Odi Aggia Batubara, said the proposed event, known as the Year-End Festival, sparked criticism from residents who viewed it as insensitive to the thousands of people still affected by the recent disasters.
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People rest inside a warehouse on Dec. 7, 2025, being used as a temporary shelter following flash floods in Batang Toru, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
T
he Medan city administration in North Sumatra has canceled its planned New Year’s Eve celebrations following public backlash, as the region continues to recover from widespread flooding and landslides.
Head of the Medan Tourism Agency, Odi Aggia Batubara, said the proposed event, known as the Year-End Festival, sparked criticism from residents who viewed it as insensitive to the thousands of people still affected by the recent disasters.
“After considering public input and the condition of disaster survivors, we decided to cancel the event,” Batubara said.
Odi said the city administration would replace the New Year celebrations with more subdued and reflective activities, including fundraising initiatives for residents affected by the disasters.
“The concept will shift to mass prayers in the morning and a nighttime vigil featuring videos on the disasters, mitigation efforts and environmental awareness,” he said. “The program will end no later than 8:30 p.m., with no fireworks or musical or dance performances.”
Read also: Hundreds isolated as another flash flood hits West Sumatra
Initially, the Medan city administration had planned to hold a public New Year’s Eve festival featuring concerts by popular Indonesian singers. The event was set to culminate in a fireworks display and was estimated to cost the city around Rp 1.2 billion.
