Jakarta, 28 February, 2026 — Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency Irene Umar officially opened the Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade 2026 at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta. The parade marked the culmination of the National Lunar New Year Festival series held from February 22 to March 1, 2026, and served as a cross-cultural gathering space reflecting the spirit of unity and diversity in Indonesia.
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar officially inaugurated the Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade 2026 at Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta, on Saturday (28/02/2026).
Deputy Minister Irene emphasized that the implementation of the Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade, which coincided with the month of Ramadan, reflects the nation’s values of unity and inclusivity through cross-hexahelix collaboration involving the government, communities, the private sector, religious leaders, and the public.
“Indonesia is the most inclusive country because diversity is not merely something we speak of, but something we demonstrate and experience every day. This Lunar New Year celebration does not belong to one group alone, but to all Indonesians, regardless of ethnic, religious, or racial backgrounds,” said Deputy Minister Irene while opening the Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Doc. Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
The Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade featured a cultural procession blending Chinese and Nusantara traditions, including mounted police and policewomen, decorated floats and art troupes, dragon and lion dances, marching bands, Koko Cici Jakarta, Bedug Yudha Asri, wushu and pencak silat performances, jaran kepang, and ondel-ondel.
The parade commenced with a long march from the Gereja Katedral Jakarta area to Lapangan Banteng and was symbolically opened through the striking of a bedug by representatives from various sectors. Various regions, including Pontianak, Surakarta, Medan, and Semarang, actively participated in the parade, presenting Chinese cultural performances collaboratively blended with local Nusantara traditions along the parade route.
Doc. Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
Deputy Minister Irene, as Chair of the National Lunar New Year Festival, added that the selection of the parade area located between the Masjid Istiqlal and the Gereja Katedral Jakarta serves as a strong symbol of harmony and tolerance, while also reaffirming that diversity is the fundamental foundation of national life in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology as well as Vice Chair of the National Lunar New Year Festival Stella Christie highlighted the importance of cultural spaces as a means of public education to understand the history of diversity and cross-cultural contributions in the journey of the Indonesian nation.
Doc. Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
“The identity of the Indonesian nation has been collectively shaped through a long process of acculturation. Many cultural elements we recognize today were born from the encounter of various cultures, including the contributions of the Chinese-Indonesian community in history, language, cuisine, and even the national struggle,” said Stella Christie.
Through the Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade 2026, the government reaffirms its commitment to positioning cultural celebrations not only as a unifying platform and a means of strengthening the values of diversity, but also as an ecosystem that drives the growth of a creative economy grounded in collaboration, mutual cooperation, and diversity.
Doc. Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
Also in attendance at the Nusantara Lunar New Year Parade 2026 were several government officials and national figures, including Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Deputy Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Veronica Tan, Governor of North Maluku Sherly Tjoanda, Mayor of Semarang Agustina Wilujeng Pramestuti, and Chair of the National Lunar New Year Festival Organizing Committee Jago Anggara.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
