Maestro Summit 2026 Unites Muslim Artists and Cultural Figures to Strengthen Da'wah and Unity

Hundreds of religious figures, cultural leaders, artists, writers, academics, and da’wah activists from across Indonesia gathered for the Maestro Summit (the 2nd National Gathering of Muslim Artists and Cultural Figures). The event was held in conjunction with the Pre-Congress of the VIII Indonesian Muslim Congress and the National Coordination Meeting of the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) Institute for Islamic Arts, Culture, and Civilisation (LSBPI).

Taking place on 18-19 July 2026 at the Daar El-Qolam Modern Islamic Boarding School in Gintung, Banten, the forum adopted the theme ‘A New Direction for Indonesian Culture: Islamic Culture as a Force for Da’wah, the Root of Unity, and National Progress.’

The summit served as a platform to bring together ulama, artists, cultural figures, writers, academics, and pesantren communities to strengthen the role of art and culture as a medium for da’wah and national character building, while also reinforcing national unity amidst the strong currents of cultural globalisation.

Chairman of the MUI’s LSBPI, Habiburrahman El Shirazy, stated that the Maestro Summit is one of five major agendas organised by the institute. According to him, the forum provides a space to discuss various cultural issues developing within society. ‘We will discuss everyday life and culture that greatly influence us and must be filtered,’ said El Shirazy.