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Festive celebrations in store for Jakarta
The capital city is set to celebrate its 492nd anniversary with a bang on Saturday with a series of events and activities in place for the celebration under the theme Wajah Baru Jakarta (The New Face of Jakarta)
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The capital city is set to celebrate its 492nd anniversary with a bang on Saturday with a series of events and activities in place for the celebration under the theme Wajah Baru Jakarta (The New Face of Jakarta).
The festive mood began on Friday with the authorities closing down Jl. MH Thamrin for several hours for a rehearsal. Parts of Jl. Sudirman, Jl. MH Thamrin and Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta will be closed for the main event on Saturday.
Multiple events will take place between Dukuh Atas and Sarinah Mall, where the main celebration, dubbed “The Jakarta Night Festival”, will center around the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.
The festival will be held from 3 p.m. until midnight, with people able to celebrate Jakarta’s evolution over the years.
Visitors can enjoy traditional dance and music performances by famous singers and bands, displays of traditional Jakarta clothing as well as videos near the main stage.
The videos will show Jakarta’s development in three parts: Jakarta Tempo Doeloe (Old Jakarta), Jakarta Membangun (Building Jakarta) and Wajah Baru Jakarta (The New Face of Jakarta).
Traffic rerouting has also been planned to ensure the event goes smoothly.
“The transportation agency has prepared traffic measures for the rehearsal and the main event on Saturday,” Jakarta Transportation Agency acting head Sigit Wijatmoko said on Friday, urging all motorists to follow the traffic adjustments and regulations.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan expressed hope that Jakarta’s anniversary could encourage all residents to contribute to the city’s development.
“One of the main messages is let’s be involved, let’s join together in building Jakarta together,” he told reporters on Friday.
Anies explained the theme, “The New Face of Jakarta”, was selected as it not only referred to the city’s physical appearance but also to hope for a change in the mindset of its people, such as using public transportation or walking instead of driving private vehicles.
Besides the live shows on Saturday, other events include the Live Mural for Jakarta Anniversary on Jl. Kendal in Central Jakarta, which has been held from June. 17 to 21, and a creative bazar at Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta, on Saturday and Sunday.
At Lapangan Banteng, visitors can buy a range of creative products, ranging from clothes to ceramics and also indulge in culinary treats from 60 sellers.
The celebrations will also extend beyond the center of Jakarta, all the way to Thousand Islands regency.
The Jakarta administration is organizing a concert dubbed the “Thousands Islands Indie Festival” on Tidung Island on Saturday. People can also enjoy a variety of snacks at a bazaar at the event that will run from 3:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The city administration is also planning to hold an art festival called “Jakarnaval” on June 30 that will feature a parade of decorated floats and vehicles as well as musical acts.
The final event to top off the city’s anniversary will be the 2019 Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest) 2019, the first international photo festival held in Indonesia. The festival will run June 25 to July 9.
The event, held under the theme “identity”, will take place at Ismail Marzuki Park, Central Jakarta, as well as other public spaces around Jakarta.
The festival will feature 13 programs consisting of exhibitions, workshops, urban photography tours, performances, a bazaar, panel discussions, artist talks, public lectures, portfolio reviews, projection nights and will conclude with an awards ceremony.
Despite all of these festivities being planned, what really makes the city come alive is its people, and their various aspirations for the future of Jakarta.
Kyle Fletcher 24, an expat working in media and marketing, commended the various improvements that had taken place in the city.
“I like the direction Jakarta is headed in, with various efforts to create more public spaces such as parks and the advancements in infrastructure and public transportation,” said Fletcher, who has lived in Pluit, North Jakarta, for the past few years.
He added that with the new MRT, LRT and the city administration’s efforts to ease traffic congestion, he believed Jakarta was on the way to becoming a more livable city for everyone.
Arifin, 26, an inventory controller at a private company, also expressed hope for the city on its anniversary.
“Hopefully Jakarta will become cleaner, safer and more comfortable to live in. We have the MRT now, it would be a pity if it was not taken advantage of.” Arifin said. (tru)
