Bundaran HI Goes Dark Briefly Tonight for Environmental Awareness

A different sight greeted visitors to the heart of the capital this evening. The usually glittering Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI) area in Central Jakarta appeared much darker than normal. According to monitoring by detikcom at the location on Saturday (13/6/2026), streetlights around the Bundaran HI began to be turned off at approximately 8:30 PM WIB. The blackout was conducted to commemorate Environment Day. Not only were the streetlights extinguished, but the iconic Selamat Datang Monument, normally bathed in bright light, was barely visible in the darkness. Several billboards and video screens surrounding the roundabout were also temporarily deactivated. The area, typically colourful with light from surrounding buildings, appeared more subdued. The moment was seized upon by several visitors to the Bundaran HI viewing platform for selfies, resulting in images with an unusually dark backdrop. One visitor, Purwanto, admitted he was initially confused as he was unaware of the coordinated blackout. He only sensed the dimmer atmosphere at the location. “I didn’t know there was a blackout in this area. It’s also my first time here, so it felt somewhat normal. But yes, the atmosphere did feel rather dark,” said Purwanto. Echoing Purwanto, two other visitors, Heni (21) and Pika (23), also noticed the visual difference at Bundaran HI that night. Pika realised the area had lost the light that usually emanated from the billboards and monument lamps. “Yes, usually it’s very bright here, but now it’s dark,” Pika said. Heni added that she had previously read about this environmental action, though she did not remember the exact timing. Both expressed support for the energy-saving initiative. For them, turning off the lights for 60 minutes is a small step that does not significantly disrupt public activities, despite posing a slight challenge for those wanting to take photos. “I support it if the goal is to save energy. One hour doesn’t really disrupt activities, in my opinion. It’s just that the photos turn out a bit less good because it’s dark, hehehe,” concluded Pika with a laugh. Despite the streetlights being off, traffic flow around the Bundaran HI was observed to be smooth. Vehicles relied solely on their own headlights. The blackout was scheduled to last for 60 minutes, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM WIB. This action is part of a routine energy-saving effort by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government as a form of environmental awareness. The blackout was implemented across all buildings and facilities owned by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, except for health service facilities such as hospitals, community health centres, and clinics. Several private buildings, commercial buildings, shopping centres, restaurants, hotels, and apartments also participated in the activity. The blackout also covered protocol roads and arterial roads in Jakarta, including Jalan Sudirman (from Dukuh Atas to the Sampoerna Strategic building), Jalan MH Thamrin, the Medan Merdeka area including the north side in front of the Presidential Palace, Jalan Gerbang Pemuda to Jalan Asia Afrika, the courtyard of the DKI Jakarta City Hall, and the Central Jakarta Mayor’s Office. In North Jakarta, the blackout included Jalan Yos Sudarso and the North Jakarta Mayor’s Office complex. In East Jakarta, it covered Jalan Dr. Sumarno, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan, and the East Jakarta Mayor’s Office complex. In West Jakarta, Jalan Daan Mogot, Jalan Kembangan Raya in front of the West Jakarta Mayor’s Office, and the mayor’s office complex were affected. In South Jakarta, the blackout included Jalan Prapanca Raya, Jalan Gerbang Pemuda to Jalan Asia Afrika, Jalan Sudirman from the Sampoerna Strategic building to the Pemuda Statue, the South Jakarta Mayor’s Office building, and Jalan HR Rasuna Said. In addition to roads and government buildings, several symbols of the capital city were also darkened for one hour, including the DKI Jakarta City Hall building, the National Monument (Monas), the Arjuna Wiwaha Statue, the Bundaran HI, the Pemuda Statue, the Pahlawan Statue, and the Jenderal Sudirman Statue.