Indonesia leverages international concerts to drive tourism growth amid 17 million visitor target
Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana announced continued government support for international music events through the Event by Indonesia programme, aimed at attracting foreign visitors and stimulating economic activity across multiple sectors as the country pursues ambitious tourism targets.
Indonesia leverages international concerts to drive tourism growth amid 17 million visitor target
Indonesia's Tourism Ministry has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting international concerts and major events as a core strategy to accelerate tourist arrivals and generate economic impact across the archipelago. Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana announced the initiative at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, highlighting the government's Event by Indonesia programme as a key mechanism for strengthening the country's event ecosystem.
The ministry's strategy comes as Indonesia pursues an ambitious target of attracting 17 million international tourist arrivals in 2026, representing an 11 percent year-on-year growth. The tourism sector has shown strong momentum, recording 7.45 million international arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 5.71 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The first quarter alone reached 3.44 million arrivals, the highest first-quarter figure since 2020.
"We run Event by Indonesia to strengthen the ecosystem for events while generating broader impacts for tourism and the public," Wardhana stated.
She emphasized that the government aims to leverage event hosting to attract tourists, empower micro, small, and medium enterprises, create employment opportunities, and generate added economic value.
The Event by Indonesia programme, launched as a digital platform on July 16, 2025, serves as a centralized hub for event information across seven categories: Music, Creative, Culinary, Sports & Wellness, Arts & Culture, Carnival, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). The platform builds on the programme's success in 2025, when it attracted 12.20 million visitors nationwide, supported more than 20,800 MSMEs, generated employment for over 250,000 workers, and created an estimated economic impact of Rp23.76 trillion (approximately US$1.4 billion).
Event portfolio expands in 2026
From January to July 2026, the government contributed to organizing 105 events, Wardhana reported, including 18 national events, 10 international events, and 61 activities listed in the Karisma Event Nusantara calendar. The ministry also supported 14 agendas within the MICE sector and two local events.
These events benefited roughly 11,000 MSMEs and more than 184,000 art workers and community members, attracting over 6.47 million visitors and creating Rp1.09 trillion (around US$56 million) in economic impact, according to official data cited by the minister. An impact study of 17 national and 8 international events held in the first half of 2026 recorded over 614,000 attendees and estimated direct turnover of IDR 661.15 billion (approximately US$37 million).
For the second half of 2026, the Tourism Ministry is supporting 45 national and 94 international events, including major concerts by BTS, The Weeknd, and My Chemical Romance, as well as festivals like We The Fest and Djakarta Warehouse Project. These events are expected to draw more than 1.2 million visitors.
International concerts as economic catalyst
Wardhana particularly highlighted the "YE Live in Jakarta 2026" concert scheduled for October 24 as an example of how international music events can showcase Indonesia's diverse tourist attractions. The artist Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, will perform at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, marking his first-ever concert in Indonesia and his only Southeast Asian tour stop in 2026. The venue has capacity for up to 77,000 attendees.
"International music concerts provide more than entertainment. They can also stimulate the economy from tourism," Wardhana said.
She noted that hosting such concerts catalyzes the national economy on a broad scale by attracting foreign travelers who spend on tickets, accommodation, transportation, culinary experiences, and other goods or services.
The economic ripple effects extend beyond tourism. International concerts open opportunities for Indonesia's 27.4 million creative workers across various creative economy subsectors, serving as platforms for jobs, collaboration, knowledge transfer, and connecting local products with broader markets.
The MICE sector alone contributed approximately US$1.2 billion to Indonesia's economy in 2023, with major convention centers like Jakarta Convention Center and Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center collectively hosting over 800 events that year.
Broader tourism development framework
The Event by Indonesia initiative represents one of five flagship programmes the Tourism Ministry is implementing in 2026, alongside tourism safety, quality tourism, tourism villages, and Tourism 5.0. The comprehensive approach reflects the government's strategy to develop sustainable and inclusive tourism infrastructure across Indonesia's more than 6,200 tourism villages spread throughout the country.
"We continue to encourage collaboration between the government, organisers, industry players, and stakeholders to strengthen Indonesia's image as a destination of quality international events," Wardhana stated, expressing confidence that Indonesia possesses the resources and capabilities to offer world-class event experiences to international visitors.