Ancol to Host Jakalcer Fest, Reviving Pasar Seni

Jakarta (ANTARA) - PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Tbk management will hold the Jakalcer Festival from 19 to 28 June 2026, an arts, music, and cultural festival designed as a space of expression for artists, creative communities, and the public to revive Pasar Seni.

“We hope Jakalcer Fest will be a momentum to bring Pasar Seni in Ancol back to life as it once was and become a gathering place for all artists to create,” said PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Commissioner Lies Hartono, known as Cak Lontong, in Jakarta on Friday.

According to him, the presence of Jakalcer Festival not only enlivens the 499th anniversary of Jakarta but also supports the city’s steps towards becoming a global city as it enters its fifth century.

He said that despite becoming a global city, Jakarta must maintain its identity, culture, sculptors, carvers, painters, and other artists.

“Going forward, Pasar Seni will develop into a creative hub that is relevant for today’s generation, a space for new ideas in supporting Jakarta as a global city,” Lies said.

Meanwhile, PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Director Eddy Prastiyo stated that the bustle of Pasar Seni had declined after the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts are ongoing to bring back art practitioners and creative communities to the area.

“We realise that since COVID, the art market has been the last part to be renewed, and to bring back the crowds requires various components, including Ancol management, the Jakarta provincial government, the Pasar Seni community, and artists from outside the market,” he said.

According to him, Jakalcer Festival will be the first edition and will continue in the coming years to enliven Pasar Seni.

“Pasar Seni is different from other recreational units in Ancol because it requires the involvement of many parties to bring it back to life,” he said.

Meanwhile, Head of the North Jakarta Culture Sub-agency Dya Perwita Kusuma said that North Jakarta is the mother of Jakarta and that artists were born from North Jakarta.

“Let us bring back artists from here, from Pasar Seni, for Indonesia and the world,” Dya said.

According to her, Pasar Seni is a collective memory of the city and it is time to revive it together.

“Let us enliven Pasar Seni again, and the North Jakarta city administration is ready to contribute to encouraging this,” she said.