Prambanan Jazz Festival 2026 Celebrate the Joy, a Melting Pot of Music, Culture, and World Heritage that Drives Tourism and the Creative Economy
Prambanan Temple Tourism Park will once again be the stage for the annual music event, the Prambanan Jazz Festival (PJF) 2026. Celebrate the Joy. This music festival, now in its 12th year, continues to grow as a leading national tourism event, bringing together music, culture, and world heritage in one memorable experience.
Prambanan Jazz Festival founder Anas Syahrul Alimi said the theme Celebrate the Joy was chosen because the festival is not just a place to enjoy concerts, but also a space that brings joy to everyone.
"This year, we're carrying the theme 'Celebrate the Joy,' which means celebrating joy. A festival should be fun; everyone should be able to have fun. We're positioning Prambanan Jazz as a home to return to," said Anas at the Prambanan Jazz Festival press conference at Agastya Field, Prambanan Temple Tourism Park, Sleman, Yogyakarta, on Thursday (July 2, 2026).
During its 12 years of operation, the Prambanan Jazz Festival has consistently strived to maintain a balance between presenting popular musicians while maintaining the jazz identity as the festival's core spirit.
"This festival continues to evolve with the times without losing its identity. Together with our music curators, we present various programs such as Playing Jazz"This festival provides a space for musicians across genres to explore jazz with their own unique approach. This year, approximately 63 percent of the performers have a strong connection to jazz, maintaining the festival's identity," explained Anas.
Prambanan Jazz Festival Music Curator, Shadu Rasidi, added that this year's festival curation is designed to present even stronger musical quality while ensuring the festival's long-term sustainability.
"We believe a festival should have a strong identity and be able to continuously evolve. Therefore, we continually seek a balance between artistic quality and sustainability so that each year we have the opportunity to further strengthen the jazz element within the Prambanan Jazz Festival," said Shadu.
As one of the biggest music festivals in Indonesia, the Prambanan Jazz Festival also supports the strengthening of the national tourism sector by holding international scale events that are able to attract tourist visits, extend the length of stay of tourists (length of stay), while simultaneously driving the economy of the community around the destination.
InJourney Destination Management Commercial Director, Gistang Panutur, said that organizing quality events is an important part of strengthening the competitiveness of Indonesian tourist destinations. "We see that music tourism and Sports Tourism "These are two sectors that hold significant appeal for both domestic and international tourists. Therefore, we continue to support the Prambanan Jazz Festival, which is now in its 12th year and continues to show positive growth. Last year, the festival attracted around 76 visitors over the three days, and we are optimistic that this year's numbers will continue to grow," he said.
According to Gistang, the impact of holding the festival is not only felt by destination managers and event organizers, but also provides real benefits to the community.
"Events like the Prambanan Jazz Festival have a positive impact on the tourism sector, hospitality, transportation, creative economy, and MSMEs in the surrounding area. Running for three days, this festival can be a driving force for the local economy," he explained.
Through the 2026 Prambanan Jazz Festival, InJourney Destination Management, together with all stakeholders, hopes that the Prambanan Temple Tourism Park area will continue to develop as a world-class cultural destination capable of providing a safe, comfortable, and memorable tourism experience, as well as providing extensive economic benefits for the surrounding community without neglecting the principle of preserving cultural heritage.
