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View all search resultsNew Year’s festivities go on amid calls for solidarity with Sumatra
Most regions held joint prayers for the New Year’s Eve celebration for people affected by cyclone-induced floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra, but some still opted to set off fireworks in several locations across the country.
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A man sets off fireworks on Jan. 1, 2026, during New Year celebrations at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia limited New Year celebrations and banned official fireworks displays in solidarity with victims of recent catastrophic floods in Sumatra. (The Jakarta Post/Iqro Rinaldi)
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estivities celebrating New Year’s Eve went ahead in several cities across Indonesia, even as authorities appealed for restraint on fireworks and excessive celebrations amid hardships endured by people in northern Sumatra after floods and landslides claimed thousands of lives.
Disaster mitigation and recovery efforts are still ongoing in Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra after the three provinces were hit by cyclone-induced floods and landslides in late November. The government is focusing on assisting 378,000 displaced people and rebuilding damaged villages, roads and houses.
Other regions showed solidarity by restraining New Year festivities on Wednesday.
In Jakarta, the city administration urged residents to mark New Year’s Eve modestly. The city also canceled a plan for a fireworks show but still held music concerts and drone light shows at several locations including Hotel Indonesia traffic circle (Bundaran HI), Lapangan Banteng Park and Sarinah in Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta.
The Jakarta administration also held a joint prayer and raised Rp 3.6 billion (US$215,367) in donations for Sumatra disaster victims.
“This is a contribution from the people of Jakarta, and we extend our deepest appreciation for the solidarity shown,” Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung said at the event in Bundaran HI on Wednesday, as quoted in a statement from the city administration.
He added the money would be supplemented with 10 percent of Taman Impian Jaya Ancol’s revenue on the last day of 2025, while praising the public’s positive response to a more subdued New Year’s celebration in the city.
