Jakarta, 22 February, 2026 – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy / Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency Irene Umar officially opened the Imlek Festival 2577 – Harmoni Imlek Nusantara 2026 at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta. The festival serves as a space to celebrate diversity while also acting as a strategic step in cultural diplomacy to showcase the richness of the archipelago and strengthen the position of Indonesian talents on the global stage.
The Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, opened the Imlek Festival 2577 – Harmoni Imlek Nusantara 2026 at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta, Sunday (2/22/2026).
In her remarks, the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy emphasized that the festival is not only an annual cultural agenda, but also functions as a platform for creative diplomacy that demonstrates Indonesia’s readiness to play an active role in the global creative industry.
“We want to convey that Indonesia is already present on the world stage. Indonesian talents are not only recognized domestically, but also excel on the global stage and stand as hosts in their own country. That is the message we want to deliver,” said the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy while opening the National Chinese New Year Festival, Sunday (2/22).
She explained that Harmoni Imlek Nusantara presents various collaborative programs that reflect Indonesia’s openness to cross-country cooperation. One of them is Indonesia Wave x K-Pop, which brings together Indonesian and Korean talents on a single creative stage as a tangible form of cultural diplomacy based on the creative economy.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
The festival is also designed to deliver direct impact to the community. Various MSMEs across creative economy subsectors are involved, ranging from culinary, fashion, crafts, and traditional textiles (wastra), to local creative products from different regions. This momentum also stimulates community economic activities during the month of Ramadan while reinforcing the creative economy as the new engine of growth.
In addition, the festival also provides public services in the form of national priority programs such as free health check-ups and blood donation activities. These initiatives reflect the presence of the state in ensuring that every cultural celebration takes place in a safe, orderly, and comfortable environment for all members of society.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
Chief of Presidential Staff Muhammad Qodari expressed his appreciation for the implementation of Harmoni Imlek Nusantara, which is considered increasingly inclusive and widespread.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy and all the organizers of Harmoni Imlek Nusantara. This year, the Chinese New Year celebration feels far more evenly distributed, not only in Jakarta but also across various regencies and cities. This shows that Chinese New Year has become an integral part of Indonesian society,” he said.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Veronica Tan emphasized that the festival reflects Indonesia’s diversity as a national strength.
“Indonesia is built on diversity, not uniformity. When Chinese New Year and Ramadan coexist, with mutual respect and support, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika truly comes to life. Differences are not a weakness, but a strength of the nation that we must preserve together,” she said.
Veronica Tan added that spaces for interaction such as Harmoni Imlek Nusantara are important to strengthen unity, social cohesion, and national competitiveness.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
Through the series of Harmoni Imlek Nusantara 2026, including the National Chinese New Year Festival held from February 22 to March 3, 2026 at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta, the Ministry of Creative Economy reaffirms its commitment to positioning the creative economy as a driver of cultural diplomacy, a pillar of national identity, and a value-added sector that delivers tangible impact to society, in line with the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
