Jakartans may be robbed of three major music festivals before the end of the year, a music association said, as organizers say they’re facing permit snags.
The Association of Indonesian Music Promoters (APMI) said yesterday that they’re dedicating their efforts towards ensuring that major festivals obtain the appropriate permits from the police. APMI, representing festival organizers, is concerned by a rumor that law enforcement is getting tough on events that attract mass gatherings until the end of 2022.
“If all events are prohibited in 2022, we will lose three major festivals, namely Soundrenaline, HITC (Head in the Clouds), and DWP (Djakarta Warehouse Project). That wouldn’t be great for us,” APMI Secretary General Emil Mahyudin said.
Emil added that the three events’ possible cancelation is of particular concern due to the economic value they could bring for the country.
The authorities have not issued any statements confirming the rumor. It must be noted, however, that after the Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster that killed 135 people, police have been more proactive about preventing similar crowd disasters.
Last weekend, police ended the three-day Berdendang Bergoyang music festival on its second day, after promoters allegedly sold more tickets than the venue could hold.
Soundrenaline, headlined by Weezer, is scheduled for Nov. 26-27 at Allianz Ecopark Ancol. Head in the Clouds, featuring hometown heroes Rich Brian and NIKI, is scheduled for Dec. 3-4 at Community Park in PIK 2. Djakarta Warehouse Project, headlined by Armin van Buuren, is scheduled for Dec. 9-11 at JIExpo Kemayoran.
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