Jakarta Falls Silent in Darkness as Lights Are Switched Off Simultaneously to Commemorate Earth Day

JAKARTA — Several streets and buildings in Jakarta suddenly went dark for one hour on Saturday (25/4/2026) night. The simultaneous blackout, which took place from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm WIB, was carried out to commemorate Earth Day, while also encouraging energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The blackout was implemented in five areas of DKI Jakarta. It not only targeted streets but also applied to government buildings and commercial structures such as shopping centres, hotels, restaurants, and apartments. “The lamp blackout activity aims to encourage energy conservation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase public awareness and participation in efforts to prevent and control environmental pollution,” said Dudi in a written statement. Nevertheless, healthcare facilities such as hospitals, community health centres, and clinics were exempted to ensure normal public services. Anang (30), a trader selling near the entrance to MRT Istora Mandiri, said he had only just learned about the lamp blackout activity for Earth Day commemorations. He said the sudden darkness in the area felt unusual. A row of buildings that are usually brightly lit suddenly turned off their lights simultaneously. “This seems to be the first time, that’s why it’s unusual to see the buildings suddenly go dark,” said Anang. He admitted that he initially thought there was a power outage because he was unaware of the simultaneous blackout agenda. “I’ve only just found out about Earth Day. I thought something had happened, because it’s never dark here,” he said. “I actually knew about Earth Day, but it’s just unusual. It’s actually strange because this is a protocol road. SCBD is usually bright,” he added. Ghiffari assessed that energy conservation efforts like this need to be designed with a more sustainable approach so that the impact can be more felt for the environment. “In my opinion, there must be a more certain and sustainable way if we want to carry out energy conservation,” he said.