Chairperson of the National Chinese New Year Committee, Irene Umar, said at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday that the 2026 Chinese New Year Festival will be a national celebration emphasizing shared responsibility.
Held alongside the holy month of Ramadan, the event highlights Indonesia’s harmony, inclusivity, and respect for diversity.
The inaugural Chinese New Year Festival will take place from February 17 to March 3, 2026, at Lapangan Banteng in Jakarta, under the tagline “Harmoni Nusantara.” As Chinese New Year coincides with Ramadan, the festival will provide a space for reflection and interaction among religious communities.
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Activities will include joint iftar gatherings and Tarawih prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque.
The festival will feature lantern events in several cities, culinary markets offering acculturated dishes, arts and creative products, an open-air museum showcasing the integration of Chinese culture in Indonesia, and the Nusantara Parade, which will include lion dances and performances by police, military personnel, and civil servants.
The highlight of the celebration will be the National Chinese New Year Festival, an open and inclusive event for the wider public, featuring national athletes performing silat and wushu.
“We will showcase how modernity and tradition merge, where different cultural traditions come together under the banner of Indonesia,” Umar said.
In addition to the main event in Jakarta, the 2026 Chinese New Year Festival will also be marked by national-scale activities in various cities, including Singkawang, Palembang, Solo, Semarang, Manado, Makassar, as well as Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bogor, Batam, and Pontianak.
These activities will highlight diverse regional expressions of Chinese New Year celebrations in the spirit of Indonesian harmony.
Umar added that the festival will also include social initiatives such as donations for disaster-affected areas, support for education, infrastructure development to strengthen local economies, protection of public facilities, and the distribution of basic food aid.
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Translator: Fitra Ashari, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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