KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Dr. Fadli Zon, officially opened the first-ever Festival Kebudayaan Nusantara or Nusantara Cultural Festival at the Central Government Core Area of the new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN) Friday, (30/5/2025). The event highlights the government’s commitment to making Nusantara not only a center of governance, but also a national hub for culture, diversity, and heritage.

In his opening remarks, Minister Fadli Zon emphasized that the development of IKN must be rooted in cultural values, as mandated by Law Number 5 of 2017 on the Advancement of Culture and Law Number 21 of 2023 on the National Capital. The festival opened with a traditional oral literature performance called Betore from the Paser ethnic group. The performance, which is usually presented during harvest celebrations, is officially recognized as one of Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage traditions.

This festival reflects the cultural richness of the archipelago, from performing arts and traditional crafts to culinary heritage and local expressions from across the country, said Dr. Fadli Zon. He also praised the initiative of IKN Authority Head Basuki Hadimuljono, calling the event a concrete step toward building a thriving cultural ecosystem in the new capital.

Carrying the theme Nusantara is Us, We are Nusantara, the festival brought together 32 cultural groups from provinces across Indonesia. Each group performed regional art presentations that showcased the nation’s vast cultural diversity. The festival also featured exhibitions by small businesses and creative cultural product displays from East Kalimantan.

Minister Fadli stressed the importance of ensuring that IKN becomes an inclusive space where artists and cultural communities from all over Indonesia can express and preserve their heritage. He said that in the face of globalization, cultural exchange is inevitable and must be managed wisely and proudly.

Under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian government aims to promote culture as a national soft power and strengthen the country’s identity through heritage. Let us transform Nusantara into not only a center of administration, but also a center of Indonesian civilization that radiates the light of diversity, wisdom, and culture to the world, he stated.

In his closing speech, the Minister expressed hope that the festival will grow into an annual event, eventually becoming a nationwide Cultural Carnival that brings even more communities together in IKN. He envisioned the new capital as a national center for cultural collaboration and celebration.

The Nusantara Cultural Festival marks an important step in establishing IKN not only as Indonesia’s political capital, but also as a living symbol of unity in diversity and a future center of global cultural appreciation.