Golo Curu Festival 2026 Officially Launched, Where Faith, Culture, and Tourism Meet in the Heart of Flores
BUKIT Golo Curu is once again preparing to become a meeting point for thousands of pilgrims, tourists and local communities. The launch of the Golo Curu Maria Ratu Rosari Festival 2026, held at Natas Labar, Ruteng, on Thursday (9 July), marks the beginning of the journey towards one of the largest religious tourism events on the island of Flores.
For the Manggarai people, the Golo Curu Festival is far more than an annual event. It serves as a space where the Catholic faith, local culture and a commitment to caring for nature — long the identity of Flores — converge.
Its recognition as part of the Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) 2026 further cemented the festival’s position as a national event with a distinctive character.
Together with the Lamaholot Festival in Lembata and the Golo Koe Maria Assumpta Nusantara Festival in West Manggarai, the festival represents the face of East Nusa Tenggara tourism, rooted in cultural and spiritual wealth.
The Chairman of the Golo Curu Festival 2026 Committee, Theodosius Yosefus Nono, said the festival was born from the Ruteng Diocese’s aspiration to deliver pastoral care that touches people’s lives in their entirety.
According to him, the religious, cultural and ecological richness of Golo Curu is a gift that must be cared for collectively through a celebration that benefits both the faithful and the wider community.
“The festival journey will begin with a pilgrimage of the statue of Mary Queen of the Rosary to parishes across the Southern Region of the Ruteng Deanery from 16–30 September 2026. This pilgrimage symbolises a journey of hope as well as an invitation to build brotherhood amid community life,” Yosefus explained.
The highlight of the Golo Curu Festival will take place on 2–7 October 2026, featuring Mass, prayer, pilgrimage, cultural performances, MSME promotion, the creative economy, environmental education, and various activities connecting spiritual values with community development.
A pastoral message from the Bishop of Ruteng, read by the Episcopal Vicar of Ruteng, RD Dionisius Osharjo, emphasised that the Golo Curu Festival has a wide-ranging impact — not only strengthening the spiritual life of the faithful but also driving the social, cultural, tourism and creative economy sectors.
Meanwhile, the Acting Chief Executive of the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority (BPOLBF), Andhy MT Marpaung, regarded the Golo Curu Festival as an example of how tourism can grow from the roots of community culture and faith.
In his view, collaboration between the Church, government, communities, MSME players and the wider public is a vital asset for delivering tourism that is sustainable, high-quality and delivers direct economic benefits.
“It is hoped that the Golo Curu Maria Ratu Rosari Festival 2026 will further strengthen Flores’s image as Indonesia’s Catholic religious tourism destination, whilst offering an experience that blends spirituality, culture and natural beauty in one complete journey,” said Andhy.