BI Malang Bridges Tradition and Transactions with Qrisma Fest 2026
Malang (ANTARA) - The Malang Representative Office of Bank Indonesia (BI), together with various stakeholders, held Qrisma Fest 2026 Vol 1 to bridge tradition and transactions under the theme Gema Kadjoe Tangan in the Kayutangan heritage area.
In the event themed “From Tradition to Transactions”, BI Malang partnered with the Malang City Government, the Financial Services Authority (OJK), banking industry players, micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM), tourism communities, and the local community.
“The theme From Tradition to Transactions aligns with efforts to promote digital payment transformation and forms part of the celebrations for the 112th Anniversary of Malang City,” said the Head of the BI Malang Representative Office, Indra Kuspriyadi, in a statement in Malang, East Java, on Wednesday.
The opening of Qrisma Fest 2026 on Tuesday (5/5) was attended by Malang Mayor Wahyu Hidayat, Head of OJK Malang Farid Faletehan, banking leaders, heads of regional device organisations (OPD), and various community groups supporting the strengthening of the digital economic ecosystem in the city.
Indra stated that QRIS transactions in Malang City continue to grow, presenting significant potential for development. The growth of merchants in Malang shows a consistent upward trend. QRIS merchants in Malang account for 68 percent of all QRIS merchants across the seven BI Malang work areas.
Meanwhile, in terms of volume, they reach 73 percent of total QRIS transactions. This positions the first volume of Qrisma Fest, held in Malang, as the most accelerated city in promoting payment system digitalisation, while also serving as part of the 112th Anniversary of Malang City.
According to him, through Qrisma Fest, Malang City can preserve traditional values and heritage identity while remaining adaptive to digital technology developments, allowing digital transactions to grow alongside local culture.
This is the spirit carried by Qrisma Fest to encourage the public to advance from cash to digital transactions and become part of the digital economic transformation in Malang City.
Through Qrisma Fest 2026, the BI Malang Representative Office reaffirms its commitment to strengthening a trusted digital payment ecosystem while increasing public and business confidence in QRIS as a fast, easy, cheap, safe, and reliable payment instrument (Cemumuah).
The festival is not merely an entertainment event but also a platform for education to make the public wiser in digital transactions, as well as a means to open broader market access for local UMKM through the utilisation of non-cash payment systems.
Meanwhile, Malang Mayor Wahyu Hidayat stated that Malang City supports payment system digitalisation transformation without abandoning traditions.
Heritage areas from the colonial era, such as Kayutangan, remain the city’s identity, with many traditions flourishing in Kayutangan.
Furthermore, with the touch of Bank Indonesia, OJK, and banking institutions, this heritage area can transform and support digital payment systems, namely QRIS.
The use of QRIS is not only felt by UMKM and merchants but also by visitors and tourists coming to Malang City, especially the Kayutangan tourism area, to facilitate payment transactions.
Qrisma Fest runs from 2–8 May 2026, with a series of activities to strengthen digital payment transformation and highlight the tourism potential of Kayutangan Heritage, including the Malang Merchant QRIS Race involving 1,120 merchants in Malang City, the Kadjoe Tangan QRIS Race in the Kayutangan Heritage area supported by Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Mandiri, Bank Central Asia, and Bank Jatim.
In addition, there are workshops and socialisation on payment system digitalisation along with banking financing business matching for business actors, a clean environment competition to maintain and care for tourist attractions in the Kayutangan area, and an Amazing Race and Content Competition to support the promotion of Kayutangan Heritage tourism.
Bank Indonesia hopes that this pentahelix collaboration can expand and accelerate the massive use of QRIS in Malang City.
Close synergy among stakeholders is expected to drive trade activities, strengthen UMKM competitiveness, and support more inclusive and sustainable regional economic growth.
Qrisma Fest 2026 serves as proof that digital transformation does not have to abandon cultural roots. Instead, from traditional spaces like Kayutangan Heritage, Malang City demonstrates that the legacy of the past can walk hand in hand with the future of the digital economy.