Melbourne, 5 July 2025 – The golden era of the Sriwijaya Kingdom, once the largest maritime power in Southeast Asia from the 7th to 12th century and based in what is now Southern Sumatra, serves as the central theme for the upcoming Festival Indonesia (FI) 2025, to be held this 19 October in Melbourne. With the theme “Gemilang Sriwijaya” or “The Glory of Sriwijaya”, this flagship annual event aims to inspire more Australian tourists to explore Indonesia beyond Bali and discover the cultural and natural richness of Southern Sumatra. “Through this theme, we hope FI 2025 will not only celebrate Indonesia’s maritime heritage but also spark greater interest among Australians to visit South Sumatra,” said Dr. Celyanda Goeltom, Chairperson of Festival Indonesia.
According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in 2023, Indonesia ranked among the top travel destinations for Australians, with 1.47 million visits recorded, Bali remaining the most popular choice. In an effort to promote other equally captivating regions of Indonesia, the Indonesian diaspora in Melbourne, through Festival Indonesia Inc., in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Melbourne and the Sriwijaya Family Association in Victoria (IKSV), organizes Festival Indonesia as a platform to showcase Indonesia’s cultural and tourism potential, with a special focus on Southern Sumatra, to the Australian public.
Festival Indonesia (FI), set to take place in the heart of Melbourne at Argyle Square, stands as one of the most prominent and celebrated events among the Indonesian community in Australia. First held in 2005, FI has established itself as one of the largest outdoor festivals organized by the Indonesian diaspora in Melbourne, attracting an average of over 6,000 visitors annually.
Festival Indonesia (FI) will bring the vibrant spirit of an Indonesian traditional marketplace to life from morning until evening, featuring a wide array of cultural performances that showcase the richness of Indonesian arts and heritage. Visitors can enjoy attractions such as pencak silat martial arts, traditional dances from various regions, live cooking demonstrations of Indonesian cuisine, angklung and gamelan performances, as well as musical acts by local bands performing regional and Indonesia traditional campursari songs.
The festival will also host more than 30 food and trade stalls, offering a variety of authentic Indonesian dishes and beverages such as bakso, rendang, chicken satay, soto, es dawet, chicken noodles, fritters, and many more.
Over the years, FI has marked several milestones, including the achievement of a MURI (Indonesian World Records Museum) record in 2023 for the “Largest Tor Tor Dance Performance Outside of Indonesia,” which featured over 3,000 participants from both the Indonesian diaspora and local Melbourne residents. In 2024, the festival’s highlight was the performance of Nogei, a musician from Papua, and Presiden Tidore, a rapper from Maluku, whose appearance at the Indonesian Night event emphasized Indonesia’s rich cultural diversity on the international stage.
Beyond cultural showcases, FI also embraces a strategic approach through its Business Forum, which was reintroduced in 2023. This program forms part of a broader promotional effort under the theme of Trade, Tourism, and Investment (TTI), aiming to support the tangible implementation of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) by fostering concrete collaboration between business players from both nations.
The Festival Indonesia program extends beyond Argyle Square, encompassing a month-long series of events throughout October. These include the Business Forum on 16 October 2025 and Indonesian Night on 17 October 2025, which will highlight the economic, tourism, trade, and investment potential, particularly from Southern Sumatra (Sumbagsel), to Australian industry leaders and potential investors. Additionally, the FI Goes to School initiative, which began in June and continues through October, is reaching schools across Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, and Ballarat as part of an educational campaign to introduce Indonesian culture to younger Australian audiences.
