Malang, August 22, 2026 – Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, emphasized the important role of communities in strengthening the creative economy ecosystem in regions. He made the statement while attending Festival Mbois 11, themed “Malang Menyala,” in Malang City, East Java.
Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, reviewed a series of activities at Festival Mbois 11, themed “Malang Menyala,” in Malang City, East Java, Saturday (22/8/2026).
“Festivals such as Mbois provide a space where ideas, talent, markets, and investment can come together, ensuring that creative works do not stop once the festival ends, but continue to be developed, protected through intellectual property (IP), and commercialized,” said Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky on Saturday (22/8).
According to the Minister, Malang’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City in the Media Arts field is not the finish line, but rather a starting point for continuously developing talent and the creative ecosystem.
“Malang needs to continue nurturing talent regeneration and ensuring that the Malang Creative Center (MCC) becomes a living ecosystem that generates creativity, entrepreneurship, employment opportunities, and economic impact for the community,” said the Minister of Creative Economy.
As a Creative Impact Platform, Festival Mbois 11 also strengthens networks among creative cities while serving as part of the Road to World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE).
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Based on Presidential Regulation No. 37 of 2026 on the 2026–2045 Creative Economy Masterplan (Rindekraf), the central and regional governments are collaborating to develop creative economy potential through various programs, ranging from strengthening research, education, financing, infrastructure, and marketing to incentives, intellectual property facilitation, and conservation.
During his visit, the Minister of Creative Economy reviewed several Festival Mbois 11 activities, including the Muraloka Exhibition on 100 Years of Gajayana Information, five potential local intellectual properties, a Media Art Exhibition featuring works by Visual Communication Design and Fine Arts academics, as well as the sportainment area and creative economy digitalization bus.
“Malang has exceptional talent and a remarkable creative ecosystem. The support from academics, the regional government, communities, and the media is also extraordinary. When combined with innovation, creativity, and technology, this potential can create added value, generate economic impact for the community, and open up employment opportunities,” said the Minister of Creative Economy.
Chairman of the Festival Mbois 11 Organizing Committee, Gedeon Soerja, said that the Minister’s presence demonstrated support for the development of the creative ecosystem in Malang City.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
“One of our greatest sources of pride is having the Minister of Creative Economy attend our event. Our exhibition also highlights the 21 creative economy subsectors, and we hope Festival Mbois 11 can serve as a platform for integration among communities and stakeholders to strengthen Malang’s position as a Living Media City,” said Gedeon.
Festival Mbois 11, initiated by Malang Creative Fusion (MCF), takes place from August 21–23, 2026. The event targets more than 20,000 visitors, 500 creative economy players, and 300 business-matching opportunities, with potential economic transaction value estimated at Rp50–150 billion.
The three-day festival features five main clusters: Sound of Malang Menyala, Made by Arema, Malang Sportainment, Malang Creative Connect, and Malang Media Art Experience.
The Minister of Creative Economy was accompanied by Minister’s Expert Staff for Research, Education and Institutional Relations Dian Permana Sari; Minister’s Special Staff for Strategic and Inter-Institutional Affairs Rian Firmansyah; Acting Head of General Bureau Indra Saputra Farhas; and Minister’s Expert Staff for Media Affairs Rocklin Aprilius Anderson.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
