Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia on Saturday celebrated its 80th Independence Day with a large-scale cultural performance featuring more than 1,000 dancers at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.
The event included 1,054 performers from across the archipelago, showcasing traditional dances and martial arts as part of the August 17 celebrations.
"This is an epic collaboration. It is not just entertainment, but a window into the richness and uniqueness of our diverse cultures," Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said in a press statement.
Dancers included 200 from North Sulawesi, 200 from West Nusa Tenggara, 170 from Southeast Sulawesi, and 100 pencak silat performers, with an additional 384 participating in a special segment.
Renowned musicians such as Cakra Khan, Isyana Sarasvati, Endah Laras, Rossa, Ruth Sahanaya, and rock band Cokelat are set to perform alongside other local artists.
Wardhana said the ministry's support for the event reflects its broader commitment to preserving and promoting Indonesia's cultural heritage.
"We hope this celebration will deepen public appreciation for our artistic traditions and strengthen cultural tourism," she said, adding that arts and culture are "the soul of tourism", bringing identity and meaning to destinations.
Beyond the palace ceremony, festivities extend into central Jakarta, where the Pesta Rakyat (People's Festival) took over the National Monument area and the Sudirman-Thamrin Boulevard throughout the afternoon and evening.
President Prabowo Subianto led the Proclamation Ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, which included the reading of the Proclamation Text, a flag parade, the People's Festival, and the Independence Unity Carnival.
This year's Independence Day theme, "United and Sovereign, A Prosperous People, An Advanced Indonesia," underscores national unity as a foundation for future development.
