Village Head Clarifies Prambanan Fireworks Uproar: It Was a Prewedding Shoot for Prabowo's Personal Secretary

The loud explosions from fireworks near the Prambanan Temple complex in Klaten, Central Java, have been identified as part of a pre-wedding photoshoot for Rizky Irmansyah, the Private Secretary to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto.

Residents of Tlogo Village, Prambanan, experienced the commotion mid-week. The Head of Tlogo Village, Raksono, confirmed the nature of the event on Friday night, noting that while the pre-wedding activity had obtained the necessary permits, he did not anticipate such an intense fireworks display.

“I also did not realise there would be such large fireworks lasting for two minutes,” Raksono stated. He clarified that the fireworks were launched outside the Prambanan Temple complex, specifically on a vacant plot of land south of Mandala Wisata.

Separately, the General Manager of Prambanan & Ratu Boko, Leonardus Adityo Nugroho, confirmed that the fireworks were not detonated within the operational area or Zone 2 of the temple. He stated that the activity was coordinated with local villagers and had received permits from the relevant authorities, ensuring no violations occurred within the TWC (PT Taman Wisata Candi) management area.

Previously, residents near the Prambanan complex were startled by repeated loud explosions and bright lights in the sky on Wednesday night. The Chief of Prambanan Police, AKP Nyoto, confirmed that the activity was a sanctioned pre-wedding photoshoot monitored by authorities, though he did not disclose the identities of the couple involved.

Local residents reported significant distress. Utomo, a resident, mentioned that the booms were so loud they caused windows to vibrate, initially leading him to believe it was something other than fireworks. Another resident, Yati, noted that while the event might have been mentioned in community groups, the lack of specific timing caused panic, particularly for young children and those with health concerns.

As of this report, there has been no official statement from the organisers or Rizky Irmansyah’s representatives. It was previously reported that Rizky and his partner, Chika Yenalovi, recently visited the private residence of Indonesia’s seventh President, Joko Widodo, in Solo to invite him to serve as a witness at their wedding, which is scheduled to take place in Jakarta this August.