Home Affairs Minister Opens 2026 Fulan Fehan Festival, Showcasing Friendship Dance Between Indonesia and Timor-Leste

Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian opened the fourth Fulan Fehan Festival in Dirun Village, Lamaknen District, Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday (27/6/2026). The opening was marked by the striking of a tihar, a traditional musical instrument typical of Belu. The minister admitted he was captivated by the festival, which featured a colossal dance themed around friendship between Indonesia and Timor-Leste set against the expanse of the Fulan Fehan savanna. ‘By expressing gratitude to God Almighty, and saying Bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby officially declare the fourth Fulan Fehan Festival of 2026 open,’ he said. The minister noted this was his first experience witnessing the Fulan Fehan Festival. He remarked that he had often seen colossal performances in various regions with man-made stage backdrops, such as in stadiums in Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya. In contrast, the Fulan Fehan Festival utilises the natural landscape as its performance stage. ‘In a place not built by humans. In this beautiful, hilly savanna grassland, surrounded by the beautiful Mount Lakaan and beautiful air, not man-made, but by God Almighty,’ he explained. He stated that this natural beauty is a gift from God for the people of Belu, East Nusa Tenggara, and Indonesia. The Fulan Fehan Festival also showcased distinctive dances from four tribes united under the theme ‘Dance for Friendship’. According to him, this theme aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s message that friendship is far more valuable than hostility. ‘One thousand friends are not enough. One enemy is already too many. Four tribes joined as one, dancing together, becoming friends, a good friendship,’ he expressed. The minister added that the presence of participants and guests from Timor-Leste and Australia further strengthened the spirit of cross-border friendship built through art and culture. He believes this festival serves as a space to strengthen Indonesia’s relations with neighbouring countries. ‘Through this festival, I am proud to be a part of it and to witness, a historical witness in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara, with its art and culture. Both the weaving that is thousands of years old, the diverse dances, the different languages, yet all remain within the single frame of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia,’ he concluded.