Golo Koe Festival Draws Tens of Thousands of Tourists to Labuan Bajo

RRI.CO.ID, Labuan Bajo – The annual Golo Koe Festival, which blends local traditions with religious processions, is once again being held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, from August 10 to 15, 2026. The festival is included in the "Top 10 Karisma Event Nusantara" list, one of Indonesia's flagship national tourism programs.

The event was officially opened by Indonesia's Minister of Tourism, Widiyanti Putri Wardhana, at the Waterfront City area in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on Monday, August 10, 2026. She described the festival as an example of tourism driven by the local community, rather than merely a spectacle for tourists.

The festival presents a fusion of Catholic religious rituals and the cultural heritage of the Manggarai people, the indigenous ethnic group of the Flores region. The highlight of the event is a procession featuring a statue of the Virgin Mary carried on a traditional phinisi boat, accompanied by thousands of participants wearing the region's distinctive traditional attire.

Last year, the festival successfully attracted over 45,000 domestic and international tourists within a week. This year, organizers aim to increase the number of visitors to 50,000, reflecting Labuan Bajo's growing popularity as a world-class tourist destination.

Beyond its cultural significance, the festival also significantly boosts the local economy. In 2025, the event generated approximately IDR 2.82 billion in economic activity, involving hundreds of small businesses and thousands of artists.

The large influx of foreign tourists also drives up hotel and accommodation occupancy rates in the Labuan Bajo area during the festival. The government hopes this trend will support the national target of attracting 16 to 17.6 million international tourists to Indonesia throughout 2026.

The Bishop of Labuan Bajo, Maksimus Regus, stated that the festival aims to maintain a balance between the growth of the tourism sector and the well-being of the local community. He hopes this event will continue to be a tourist attraction while also providing tangible benefits to the residents of Manggarai in the years to come.