House Member Supports Banyumas Lengger Bicara for Inclusion in 2027 National Event
Member of Commission VII of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Siti Mukaromah, has expressed support for efforts to establish Banyumas Lengger Bicara as a national cultural tourism agenda through the 2027 Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN). She assessed that the event is capable of strengthening cultural identity while driving the tourism and creative economy sectors.
Speaking after attending the Banyumas Lengger Bicara 2026 performance themed ‘Gemah Ripah Loh Jinawi’ at the Menara Teratai area in Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Friday evening, she stated that culture is a manifestation of the human heart’s voice, which is then internalised in life and expressed through dance and various other art forms. ‘Culture builds civilisation and becomes a source of national pride,’ she said.
She welcomed the annual Banyumas Lengger Bicara event. According to her, culture can be collaborated with ecosystem-based tourism development, in line with the spirit of Law Number 18 of 2025 on Tourism. ‘Therefore, I support the efforts of the Banyumas Regency Government and the organisers to make Banyumas Lengger Bicara one of the cultural tourism agendas included in the 2027 Karisma Event Nusantara,’ she stated. ‘We are confident this can become an agenda not only for Banyumas but also a national agenda, so that more tourists will come to Banyumas.’
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Banyumas Lengger Bicara 2026 Committee, R. Satria Setyanugraha, expressed optimism that all KEN requirements can be fulfilled, ranging from three consecutive years of implementation, strengthening cultural aspects, benefits for the creative economy and MSMEs, to environmental management. ‘God willing, we are optimistic that next year it can be included in KEN, with just a few refinements needed on several indicators,’ he said.
Banyumas Lengger Bicara 2026 featured the dance performance ‘Sastra Jiwangga’ by Rianto, performed by the Lengger maestro himself, while the main event was the ‘Senandung Tanah Makmur’ performance, consisting of dances accompanied by a Javanese orchestra. The event also included the presentation of an award to Peang Penjol, a legendary comedy group from Banyumas. During the activity, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon presented an award to Suliyah, Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Lestari Moerdijat presented an award to the family of the late Rusmadi (Peang), and Banyumas Regent Sadewo Tri Lastiono presented an award to the family of the late Sadikun (Penjol).