JFC 2026 Draws Thousands of Tourists and Boosts Local MSMEs

The Jember Fashion Carnaval (JFC) 2026, held at Central Park Square in Jember Regency, East Java, from Friday to Sunday (24-26/7/2026), succeeded in attracting thousands of tourists. The exhibition, touted as the largest street fashion carnival in Asia, also generated an immediate economic multiplier effect for local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

As a flagship event listed in the Ministry of Tourism’s Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) calendar, the peak of JFC 2026 was packed with a sea of visitors. Thousands of spectators were treated to the colossal theatrical performance ‘Dewi Bumi’ as the opening act, followed by a fashion parade stretching 3.6 kilometres from the Central Park area to the PKPSO Kaliwates Sports Hall. Hundreds of talents from eight defiles voiced messages of environmental recovery and care for humanity and the earth through spectacular costume creations.

The Grand Carnival peak was attended by Minister of Tourism Widiyanti Putri Wardana, Jember Regent Muhammad Fawaid, Japanese Consul General in Surabaya Takonai Susumu, and East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak and his wife, as well as Puteri Indonesia 2026 Agnes Aditya Rahajeng.

JFC President Budi Setiawan expressed his appreciation for the extraordinary enthusiasm from the public and all parties involved. He stated that JFC 2026 proved that costume art and culture can be an effective medium for conveying a global message about environmental sustainability. ‘The presence of thousands of tourists from various regions and abroad is clear evidence that the creativity of the nation’s youth is the main magnet for regional tourism,’ Budi said in a press release in Jakarta on Monday (27/6/2026).

According to him, the economic impact of the 24th edition of the event was felt across all lines of the tourism and creative economy industries in Jember. Budi noted that hotel occupancy rates in Jember Regency recorded a sharp spike over the festival weekend. Furthermore, the MSME creative market and local culinary centres were also swarmed by visitors.