Not Just Indonesians: Palace Reveals US to Saudi Citizens Join Ticket War for 81st Independence Day Ceremony

Public enthusiasm for attending the series of ceremonies for the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, appears to be very high. On the first day of the invitation ticket war, which opened on Wednesday, 5 August 2026, a total of 128,331 people registered from 36 provinces in Indonesia and 14 countries.

“Alhamdulillah, the public’s enthusiasm is extraordinary. On the first day yesterday, 128,331 people participated in the ticket war, spread across 36 provinces, and there were even participants from abroad, including the United States, Australia, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, France, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia,” said Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi in a written statement on Thursday, 6 August 2026.

Prasetyo expressed his appreciation to all members of the public who participated in the scramble for invitations. The high level of public interest, according to him, reflects a spirit of nationalism and enthusiasm to witness firsthand the Ceremony for the 81st Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

“Thank you to all the people who have registered to take part in the ticket war for the 81st Independence Day Ceremony at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta,” he said.

Along with the high number of registrants, the Minister of State Secretary apologised to those who have not yet managed to secure an invitation. However, the public need not worry as the government will reopen the ticket war on Thursday, 6 August 2026.

“We apologise to those who did not get the opportunity to obtain an invitation yesterday. Today, 6 August 2026 at 10.00 WIB, the ticket war will be reopened. So the public need not worry, there is still a chance to try again,” said Minister Pras.

Prasetyo also urged the public to continue monitoring official information regarding the implementation of the ticket war and to follow all established provisions so that the registration process can proceed in an orderly and smooth manner.