Isen Mulang Cultural Festival 2026 Officially Opens, Featuring Diverse Activities and Entertainment
The Governor of Central Kalimantan, Agustiar Sabran, officially opened the Isen Mulang Cultural Festival (FBIM), Kalteng Expo, and the 2026 Cultural Carnival at Bundaran Besar, Palangka Raya, on Sunday (17/05/2026). The event is being held to celebrate the 69th anniversary of Central Kalimantan Province and serves as a platform to promote regional culture, tourism, and flagship local products.
In his address, Governor Agustiar Sabran emphasised that public service remains the regional government’s priority, even amidst current budget efficiency measures. “Despite the current conditions of budget efficiency, public service is our priority. We are actually improving the quality of education, health, infrastructure, sports, culture, arts, and other strategic sectors,” said Agustiar.
He noted that the 2026 Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) for Central Kalimantan has decreased compared to the previous year. However, the government continues to strive to maximise budget usage to ensure it is well-targeted and provides direct benefits to the community. The Chairman of the Dayak Customary Council (DAD) of Central Kalimantan remarked that this year’s FBIM and Kalteng Expo serve as an example of how an event can be held grandly without requiring a massive budget. “To entertain the public, it is not necessary to spend billions of rupiah, yet it can be more festive than in previous years,” he stated.
He also called upon the public to maintain unity and uphold the ‘Huma Betang’ spirit in daily life, asserting that Central Kalimantan represents the future of Indonesia. Furthermore, Governor Agustiar Sabran reminded the younger generation not to forget regional culture and history as part of the national identity.
The 2026 Isen Mulang Cultural Festival is scheduled to run for seven days, from 17 to 23 May 2026, across various locations in Palangka Raya, featuring cultural performances, traditional competitions, and public entertainment. The festival’s agenda includes cultural carnivals, creative dance parades, traditional culinary showcases, videography, and the selection of Jagau and Nyai Kalteng 2026. Additionally, the public can witness various traditional sports and games such as sepak sawut, balogo, besei kambe, mangaruhi, and manyipet, alongside off-road activities.
Beyond cultural performances, FBIM 2026 will feature appearances by national music groups Tipe-X and singer Melly Lee. The presence of these national musicians is expected to increase enthusiasm among locals and tourists visiting Palangka Raya during the festival. The Central Kalimantan Provincial Government hopes that regional culture will remain widely recognised and serve as a tourism attraction that impacts the local economy, particularly for MSMEs and the local tourism sector.