Why Al Falah Ploso Islamic Boarding School Was Chosen as Venue for NU's 2026 Munas-Konbes

The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) National Conference (Munas) and Grand Consultation (Konbes) to be held at Pondok Pesantren Al-Falah Ploso, Kediri, will discuss a number of strategic organisational agendas, including the location for the Muktamar on 1-5 August 2026. The Muktamar is NU’s highest forum, which will elect the Rais Aam and General Chairman of the PBNU Tanfidziyah for the upcoming term. “God willing, at this Munas Konbes, the Muktamar location will be decided,” said the Chairman of the NU Munas-Konbes Steering Committee, KH Ahmad Said Asrori, in a press release received on Saturday (20/6/2026). Kiai Said Asrori added that Pondok Pesantren Ploso was chosen as the venue because NU has an inseparable relationship with the pesantren tradition. “Why is the Munas Konbes at Pondok Pesantren Ploso? Because NU was born from pondok pesantren. NU and pesantren are something that cannot be separated. They are like two sides of the same coin. NU cannot leave pesantren, and pesantren cannot leave NU,” he stated. He quoted the fourth President of Indonesia, KH Abdurrahman Wahid, known as Gus Dur, who described pesantren as a ‘small NU’, while NU is a ‘large pesantren’. “So we agreed to hold the Munas Konbes at the Ploso pesantren. This boarding school has a long history of producing alumni across all regions of Indonesia,” he said. Meanwhile, the closing of the Munas and Konbes will be held in Bangkalan, Madura. According to Kiai Said Asrori, the choice of Bangkalan is based on the historical value of Nahdlatul Ulama’s founding. He mentioned the significant role of Syaikhona Kholil Bangkalan, who gave the signal to Hadratussyaikh KH Hasyim Asy’ari to establish the Nahdlatul Ulama association. “Why Bangkalan? Because there is a historical factor. It is to remind us and the younger generation so that the history is not severed,” he asserted.