January
• Gerebeg, Yogyakarta
January kicks off the year in style, with crowds of people in traditional costumes parading alongside colourful floats draped in garlands of flowers to the sound of gamelan music. A wonderful spectacle to introduce visitors to the vibrant diversity of Indonesia. If you missed it the first time around, don’t despair - Gerebeg is held three times a year, in January, April and November.
February
• Chinese New Year, 7th February
• Sumba Pasola Festival, February/March
• Nyale, Lombok, February/March
The beginning of the dry season is a great time to visit Indonesia. In addition to more temperate weather, visitors can enjoy the sight of Pasola Festival, an ancient war ritual held in West Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, involving two groups of horsemen throwing spears at each other. Re-enacted each year, the practice links back to old rituals related to human sacrifice. Elsewhere, on the 19th day of the Sasak calendar (usually February/March), locals gather in their hundreds on the beaches of Kuta in Lombok, light fires and compete in poetry slams called pantun. This is all part of the annual Nyale festival. On the following day, colourful boats packed with boisterous boys and girls embark on the annual harvest for the Nyale fish, considered to be an aphrodisiac and a bellwether for good times in the year ahead.
March
• Bali Spirit Festival
• Nyepi, Bali
• Legu Gam Festival, Ternate
• Java Jazz Music Festival
• Indonesia Fashion Week
• Putrajaya Hot Air Balloons Fiesta
March is bursting with music, theater, fashion and festivities all over Indonesia. The best in international jazz and soul music comes to Jakarta for Java Jazz, whilst Bali plays host to several spiritual celebrations, including Nyepi, when the whole island takes a vow of silence and the order of the day is blissful serenity and contemplation. If extroversion is more to your taste, you can strut your stuff and marvel at the designs on show during Indonesia Fashion Week.
April
• The Archipelago Culinary Festival
In April, The Archipelago Culinary Festival offers a feast of culinary treasures. The festival features some 65 booths representing culinary diversity from 24 of Indonesia’s provinces, each giving a taste of the regions’ distinct and unique flavours. There is a coffee booth that showcases Indonesia’s popular and exclusive coffee varieties, including the world-famous Kopi Luwak. Among the popular traditional culinary dishes are Rendang from West Sumatra, Yogyakarta’s popular Gudeg or jackfruit stew, Ketupat Kandangan from West Sumatra, Jakarta’s favourite snack Kerak Telor, Rabeg Sapi from Banten Province, and a whole lot more. A real treat for foodies and travellers with taste.
May
• International Musi Triboatton Boat Race, Palembang
• Vesak Day (Buddha’s Birthday), 22nd May
• Tour de Flores Bike Race, 18th-23rd May
May is all about body and mind. A good time to blow out the cobwebs and get some exercise (or at least spectate). The International Musi Triboatton Boat Race pitches communities against each other in fierce competition for the fastest and best-decorated boats. A sort of centuries old a roller derby regatta, this is a feast for the eyes. If that doesn’t quite float your boat, why not saddle up for the Tour de Flores, where cyclists and spectators alike will be treated to ten days of spectacular views, folk festivals and community projects on this stunning island. Back in Java, why not visit Borodudur for Vesak day? The oldest Buddhist monument in the world seems like the perfect place to celebrate the birth of Buddha, where devotees gather and the colossal ancient monument stirs into life.
June
• Bali Arts Festival
• Bull Racing Festival in Negara, Bali
• Danau Sentani, Papua
Featuring spectacular traditional dances, tribal crafts, boat races and music, Danau Sentani is a big highlight in the calendar near the northern city of Sentani in Papua. June is also the beginning of peak tourist season for Bali, but there’s plenty going on to keep you off the beaten track.
July
• Idul Fitri (Eid Festival)
• Bali Kite Festival
• Krakatau Festival, Lampung (July-Oct)
• Solo Batik Carnival , 22nd-24th July
• Tana Toraja funeral celebrations
In July, the fasting month of Ramadan comes to an end, along with the working year for most of Indonesia, so roads and resorts fill up fast for one crazy week of congestion as workers flee the cities for their annual holiday. This is a tricky time to travel in Indonesia, as tickets sell out fast and beaches can resemble Jakarta traffic. That being said, if you check your dates in advance you can avoid the crush. There’s still plenty going on in June to help you beat the crowds, and if you can’t beat them, join them! Karakatau is bursting into life in July with outlandish carnival costumes, traditional masks and surfing contests. The country’s best batik designers are out in force in Solo for a fashion carnival, whilst even more colourful creations flutter into the skies above Bali for the Bali Kite Festival.
August
• Dieng Culture Festival, 5th-7th August
• Nias International Surf Competition, 6th-8th August
• Tomohon International Flower Festival, Manado, 8th-12th August
• Indonesian Independence Day, 17th August
• Erau International Folk & art Festival, Kalimantan
Opening the month of August in spectacular fashion, the Dieng Culture Festival in central Java is held annually and presents an eclectic mix of the art and culture from the region. Visitors can witness a traditional Wayung puppet show, along with a fireworks fiesta and hundreds of fire lanterns released into the skies over this community above the clouds. August 17th is a great time to be in Indonesia, as this is the country’s independence day. All over Indonesia, villages and cities will be draped in the country’s colours of red and white, and there are some fantastic games to be seen on streets everywhere to mark the celebrations. Check out Panjat Pinang, in which groups of men pile into human pyramids to clamber up greasy poles for prizes. There’s also kerupuk eating competitions, parades, football matches and Balap Belut, which involves kids racing to pack as many eels into a bottle as they can manage, like a slimy egg and wriggly spoon race. Don’t forget to pack some red and white clothes and get involved!
September
• Idul Adha (Eid al-Adha), 12th September
• Galungan (7th September) & Kuningan (17th September)*
September is a time for spirituality and a feast for the soul. Cows and goats across Indonesia are sacrificed for the Eid al-Adha celebrations, traditionally waving pilgrims off on Haji to Mecca. Galungan is a great time to visit Bali. The gods come down to earth for ten days and the villages and temples become a blur of parades, ceremonies and culinary delights. Colourful bamboo poles called penjor are put up on streets all over Bali, and there’s a limitless supply of tasty local treats. 10 days of indulgence are finished off with the Kuningan festival - a colourful offering to the Hindu god Wisnu involving all the best traditional song and dance Bali has to offer.
*dates for Galungan and Kuningan are determined by the wuku calendar, so are different every year. The above dates are for 2016. Next year they will be held in April and November.
October
• Islamic New Year, 2nd October
• Ubud Readers and Writers Festival, 26th-30th October
• Madura Bull Races
Karapan Sapi is the highlight of the year for residents of Madura, an island just off Java, where islanders prepare all year for this full-throttle bull race. Jockey and bull will hurtle at breakneck speed towards glory and bragging rights, along with enough prize money to make studs and celebrities out of both of them for the rest of the year.
November
• Jakarta International Film Festival
Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) is currently the biggest international film festival in South East Asia. Averaging between 50,000 - 60,000 attendees every year, the festival is held for 10 days every December and showcases the best new talent in emerging Asian cinema. There’s a wide range of workshops, screenings, interviews and awards as the city comes to life and glitters with the light of stars from the silver screen.
December
• Djakarta Warehouse Project
• Christmas
• New Year’s Eve
Having cemented itself as the largest, most exciting electronic dance music festival in the region over the past 8 years, Indonesia’s Djakarta Warehouse Project will be dropping its beats on the nation’s capital once more from 9th-10th December. Last year’s record-breaking, sold out event welcomed a dazzling array of DJs and electronic acts to the heart of Southeast Asia, and this year’s DWP looks set to raise the bar even higher. The perfect way to finish 2016 with a bang.
January
• Gerebeg, Yogyakarta
January kicks off the year in style, with crowds of people in traditional costumes parading alongside colourful floats draped in garlands of flowers to the sound of gamelan music. A wonderful spectacle to introduce visitors to the vibrant diversity of Indonesia. If you missed it the first time around, don’t despair - Gerebeg is held three times a year, in January, April and November.
February
• Chinese New Year, 7th February
• Sumba Pasola Festival, February/March
• Nyale, Lombok, February/March
The beginning of the dry season is a great time to visit Indonesia. In addition to more temperate weather, visitors can enjoy the sight of Pasola Festival, an ancient war ritual held in West Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, involving two groups of horsemen throwing spears at each other. Re-enacted each year, the practice links back to old rituals related to human sacrifice. Elsewhere, on the 19th day of the Sasak calendar (usually February/March), locals gather in their hundreds on the beaches of Kuta in Lombok, light fires and compete in poetry slams called pantun. This is all part of the annual Nyale festival. On the following day, colourful boats packed with boisterous boys and girls embark on the annual harvest for the Nyale fish, considered to be an aphrodisiac and a bellwether for good times in the year ahead.
March
• Bali Spirit Festival
• Nyepi, Bali
• Legu Gam Festival, Ternate
• Java Jazz Music Festival
• Indonesia Fashion Week
• Putrajaya Hot Air Balloons Fiesta
March is bursting with music, theater, fashion and festivities all over Indonesia. The best in international jazz and soul music comes to Jakarta for Java Jazz, whilst Bali plays host to several spiritual celebrations, including Nyepi, when the whole island takes a vow of silence and the order of the day is blissful serenity and contemplation. If extroversion is more to your taste, you can strut your stuff and marvel at the designs on show during Indonesia Fashion Week.
April
• The Archipelago Culinary Festival
In April, The Archipelago Culinary Festival offers a feast of culinary treasures. The festival features some 65 booths representing culinary diversity from 24 of Indonesia’s provinces, each giving a taste of the regions’ distinct and unique flavours. There is a coffee booth that showcases Indonesia’s popular and exclusive coffee varieties, including the world-famous Kopi Luwak. Among the popular traditional culinary dishes are Rendang from West Sumatra, Yogyakarta’s popular Gudeg or jackfruit stew, Ketupat Kandangan from West Sumatra, Jakarta’s favourite snack Kerak Telor, Rabeg Sapi from Banten Province, and a whole lot more. A real treat for foodies and travellers with taste.
May
• International Musi Triboatton Boat Race, Palembang
• Vesak Day (Buddha’s Birthday), 22nd May
• Tour de Flores Bike Race, 18th-23rd May
May is all about body and mind. A good time to blow out the cobwebs and get some exercise (or at least spectate). The International Musi Triboatton Boat Race pitches communities against each other in fierce competition for the fastest and best-decorated boats. A sort of centuries old a roller derby regatta, this is a feast for the eyes. If that doesn’t quite float your boat, why not saddle up for the Tour de Flores, where cyclists and spectators alike will be treated to ten days of spectacular views, folk festivals and community projects on this stunning island. Back in Java, why not visit Borodudur for Vesak day? The oldest Buddhist monument in the world seems like the perfect place to celebrate the birth of Buddha, where devotees gather and the colossal ancient monument stirs into life.
June
• Bali Arts Festival
• Bull Racing Festival in Negara, Bali
• Danau Sentani, Papua
Featuring spectacular traditional dances, tribal crafts, boat races and music, Danau Sentani is a big highlight in the calendar near the northern city of Sentani in Papua. June is also the beginning of peak tourist season for Bali, but there’s plenty going on to keep you off the beaten track.
July
• Idul Fitri (Eid Festival)
• Bali Kite Festival
• Krakatau Festival, Lampung (July-Oct)
• Solo Batik Carnival , 22nd-24th July
• Tana Toraja funeral celebrations
In July, the fasting month of Ramadan comes to an end, along with the working year for most of Indonesia, so roads and resorts fill up fast for one crazy week of congestion as workers flee the cities for their annual holiday. This is a tricky time to travel in Indonesia, as tickets sell out fast and beaches can resemble Jakarta traffic. That being said, if you check your dates in advance you can avoid the crush. There’s still plenty going on in June to help you beat the crowds, and if you can’t beat them, join them! Karakatau is bursting into life in July with outlandish carnival costumes, traditional masks and surfing contests. The country’s best batik designers are out in force in Solo for a fashion carnival, whilst even more colourful creations flutter into the skies above Bali for the Bali Kite Festival.
August
• Dieng Culture Festival, 5th-7th August
• Nias International Surf Competition, 6th-8th August
• Tomohon International Flower Festival, Manado, 8th-12th August
• Indonesian Independence Day, 17th August
• Erau International Folk & art Festival, Kalimantan
Opening the month of August in spectacular fashion, the Dieng Culture Festival in central Java is held annually and presents an eclectic mix of the art and culture from the region. Visitors can witness a traditional Wayung puppet show, along with a fireworks fiesta and hundreds of fire lanterns released into the skies over this community above the clouds. August 17th is a great time to be in Indonesia, as this is the country’s independence day. All over Indonesia, villages and cities will be draped in the country’s colours of red and white, and there are some fantastic games to be seen on streets everywhere to mark the celebrations. Check out Panjat Pinang, in which groups of men pile into human pyramids to clamber up greasy poles for prizes. There’s also kerupuk eating competitions, parades, football matches and Balap Belut, which involves kids racing to pack as many eels into a bottle as they can manage, like a slimy egg and wriggly spoon race. Don’t forget to pack some red and white clothes and get involved!
September
• Idul Adha (Eid al-Adha), 12th September
• Galungan (7th September) & Kuningan (17th September)*
September is a time for spirituality and a feast for the soul. Cows and goats across Indonesia are sacrificed for the Eid al-Adha celebrations, traditionally waving pilgrims off on Haji to Mecca. Galungan is a great time to visit Bali. The gods come down to earth for ten days and the villages and temples become a blur of parades, ceremonies and culinary delights. Colourful bamboo poles called penjor are put up on streets all over Bali, and there’s a limitless supply of tasty local treats. 10 days of indulgence are finished off with the Kuningan festival - a colourful offering to the Hindu god Wisnu involving all the best traditional song and dance Bali has to offer.
*dates for Galungan and Kuningan are determined by the wuku calendar, so are different every year. The above dates are for 2016. Next year they will be held in April and November.
October
• Islamic New Year, 2nd October
• Ubud Readers and Writers Festival, 26th-30th October
• Madura Bull Races
Karapan Sapi is the highlight of the year for residents of Madura, an island just off Java, where islanders prepare all year for this full-throttle bull race. Jockey and bull will hurtle at breakneck speed towards glory and bragging rights, along with enough prize money to make studs and celebrities out of both of them for the rest of the year.
November
• Jakarta International Film Festival
Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) is currently the biggest international film festival in South East Asia. Averaging between 50,000 - 60,000 attendees every year, the festival is held for 10 days every December and showcases the best new talent in emerging Asian cinema. There’s a wide range of workshops, screenings, interviews and awards as the city comes to life and glitters with the light of stars from the silver screen.
December
• Djakarta Warehouse Project
• Christmas
• New Year’s Eve
Having cemented itself as the largest, most exciting electronic dance music festival in the region over the past 8 years, Indonesia’s Djakarta Warehouse Project will be dropping its beats on the nation’s capital once more from 9th-10th December. Last year’s record-breaking, sold out event welcomed a dazzling array of DJs and electronic acts to the heart of Southeast Asia, and this year’s DWP looks set to raise the bar even higher. The perfect way to finish 2016 with a bang.
