Police Withdraw Recommendation for Andrea Bocelli Concert Permit
Magelang Police have withdrawn their recommendation for a permit for Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli’s concert at Borobudur Temple in Magelang Regency, Central Java, scheduled for 31 October 2026.
“There was an application for a permit for the event, but as of today we have withdrawn it,” Magelang Deputy Police Chief AKBP Bim Rekoaji said on Tuesday (13 October).
Bim made the statement during a meeting at the Borobudur Tourism Park (TWB) office with several people opposing the concert. He did not disclose the grounds for withdrawing the recommendation.
PT TWB Commercial Group Head AY Suhartanto also attended the meeting. He said the company would coordinate with its headquarters and await instructions on the concert’s future.
“We will coordinate and await guidance from headquarters on whether the concert will go ahead. To be frank, we will escalate what the deputy police chief has said,” Suhartanto said.
Earlier, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) called for Bocelli’s concert to be cancelled, alleging that he was pro-Israel. The council had previously also called for the cancellation of a concert by Israel Houghton on similar grounds.
MUI Foreign Relations Chair Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim said the government must consistently reject any events involving figures who support Zionism.
“Once again, I want to stress that Andrea Bocelli’s planned concert must be cancelled to uphold our commitment to humanity,” Sudarnoto said, quoted by the official website mui.or.id on Saturday (10 October).
Bocelli’s concerts were planned for Borobudur Temple on 31 October and Jakarta on 3 November.
Sudarnoto said Indonesia had historically and constitutionally stood firmly against all forms of colonialism and oppression of the Palestinian people.
He pointed to Bocelli’s reported participation in a fundraiser for the Israeli military (IDF) in Los Angeles in 2010. Bocelli also performed in Tel Aviv in 2022.
MUI considers this record unacceptable, Sudarnoto said. He also expressed regret over alleged support for the planned visit from relevant ministries, including the Tourism Ministry and the Ministry of Culture and Creative Economy.
Sudarnoto argued that economic gains from bringing a figure he described as pro-Zionist to Indonesia would run counter to the country’s commitment to ending colonialism.
“Do not give a platform to anyone who has helped fund the killing of civilians in Gaza and Palestine,” he said.
Before the dispute over Bocelli, the government had said it would not issue a visa to Israeli musician Israel Houghton if he applied to enter Indonesia.
Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko said Houghton’s activities and track record indicating support for Israel had attracted the government’s attention. He said that position was considered inconsistent with Indonesia’s official stance on Palestine.
“On that basis, Israel Houghton has been placed on the Immigration Subject of Interest (SOI) list. With this status, if he applies for a visa to enter Indonesia, his application will not be issued,” he said.
Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the decision to refuse entry was made after inter-agency coordination.
The agencies involved included the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, the Foreign Ministry, the Culture Ministry and the Indonesian National Police.
“After coordinating and considering domestic security and the Indonesian Government’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle, we believe that any event that could likely be used to undermine that struggle will not be permitted to take place in Indonesia,” Yusril said at his office in Jakarta on Monday (5 October).