Solo Introduces Jawa Wellness Through Suaraga Festival
The Solo City Government is actively moving to introduce the Jawa Wellness concept as a new direction for branding tourism and the creative economy in the city, a heritage site of Islamic Mataram. One of the initiatives is the Suaraga Festival.
Solo Mayor Respati Ardi, while opening the Suaraga event at Taman Balekambang on Saturday (4/7/2026), stated that the public not only enjoys art and cultural performances but also a wellness experience. “This is a Jawa Wellness concept, a blend of a healthy lifestyle and creativity. It is a new space to introduce Solo as a city that combines Javanese culture, creativity, and a healthy lifestyle,” Respati asserted.
Throughout Saturday, the Balekambang atmosphere was filled with wellness activities, including yoga with Anjasmara, pilates, physical fitness exercises, sound healing, beksan or traditional Javanese dance, laras wening, and various culture-based creative activities. The large number of visitors and travellers proved that the Jawa Wellness concept has a strong appeal. Travellers or tourists came specifically to enjoy the Suaraga atmosphere at Balekambang.
“On the first day at Balekambang, the enthusiasm was already very visible. Earlier, there were tourists, residents of Jakarta, who were willing to come to Solo to enjoy the SUARAGA event,” he added.
He continued that Jawa Wellness will become one of Solo City’s new strengths in building culture-based tourism. This concept utilises the richness of Javanese tradition, performing arts, youth creativity, urban green spaces, and healthy living practices that are increasingly in demand by the public. He is optimistic that Solo has strong capital to develop this concept. Besides being known as a cultural city, Solo also has historic public spaces like Taman Balekambang, a vibrant arts ecosystem, growing creative actors, and local MSMEs that can become part of the tourism experience.
Through the Suaraga event, the local economy is further boosted by the increasing number of MSMEs. Their presence is a vital part of the festival, not just as a complement, but as a driver of the creative economy that directly engages with visitors. Adding to the vibrancy, the festival series also includes various workshops, ranging from Racik Candra, tea tasting, creative journaling, to primbon reading.
Deputy Minister of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Helvi Moraza encouraged MSME entrepreneurs to utilise Indonesia’s natural wealth to develop wellness products.