Festival Jelajah Maumere 2026 Blends Sikka Culture With Marine-Themed Tourism

Labuan Bajo — Festival Jelajah Maumere (FJM) 2026 is announced as a three-day coastal event in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, combining cultural performances, seafood and marine-themed activities around Maumere Bay. According to the national tourism portal Indonesia.travel, the festival is scheduled for 17–19 September 2026 and admission is free.

The Indonesia.travel listing describes the 2026 edition as carrying the theme “The Charm of Maumere Sea: Hope, Harmony, and Future,” positioning the bay and its marine landscape as the focus of the programme. The concept is framed as a meeting point between coastal culture, culinary experiences and conservation-oriented tourism.

In its published outline, the festival is set to feature a decorated-boat parade that uses Sikka ikat textiles, coastal cultural performances, environmental workshops, mangrove planting and coral-reef restoration activities. Visitors are also invited to enjoy Maumere Bay through snorkeling and to sample fresh local seafood associated with East Nusa Tenggara, presented as part of an authentic and educational marine-tourism experience.

Culture, seafood and the sea

The listing highlights Sikka’s ikat cloth as a visible element in the boat parade, connecting a textile tradition with a public coastal procession. Previous academic work on Festival Jelajah Maumere identifies the event as a platform for promoting tenun ikat and local cultural identity in Sikka Regency. By combining boat decoration, traditional performances and local culinary offerings, the 2026 concept aligns with earlier descriptions of the festival as a cultural showcase tied to tourism promotion.

Research on past editions of the festival notes that it has been used by Sikka’s tourism office as a media for cultural promotion and to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through stalls and creative-economy activities. Those studies describe increases in visitor numbers and SME revenues during Festival Jelajah Maumere, suggesting that a cultural-coastal format can contribute to local economic activity when implemented effectively.

Marine conservation activities

For 2026, the national tourism listing presents mangrove planting and coral-reef restoration as part of the announced programme. These activities are framed as ways for visitors, young people and local communities to engage with the marine environment while supporting the preservation of the sea and cultural heritage.

The available outline, however, does not specify numerical targets for mangrove planting or reef restoration, nor does it detail the methods, species or monitoring arrangements that will be used. Academic evaluations of earlier editions similarly emphasise the festival’s role in promotion and participation but do not publish technical data on conservation outcomes. Without those figures, the environmental actions remain described as programme components rather than documented restoration results.

Organisation and access

Indonesia.travel lists the location for Festival Jelajah Maumere 2026 as Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, with Maumere Bay as the main coastal setting. Separate coverage of the 2025 edition by regional media and local government indicates that past festivals have been centred on Lapangan Kota Baru in Maumere and organised by the Sikka Regency Tourism and Culture Office. While the 2026 listing does not name specific venues or confirm the organiser, the continuity of the event suggests a similar institutional role.

The tourism portal states that tickets for the 2026 festival are free of charge. It does not provide information on capacity, registration procedures, safety requirements for snorkeling, or detailed transport guidance to coastal sites. As of 20 September 2026, publicly available listings focus on the thematic and programme outline rather than publishing a post-event report, attendance data or verified conservation results for the 2026 edition.

Key event data

• Dates: 17–19 September 2026
• Location listed: Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, centred on Maumere Bay
• Admission: Free
• Announced activities: Decorated boat parade using Sikka ikat, coastal cultural performances, environmental workshops, mangrove planting and coral-reef restoration, snorkeling and seafood experiences

Festival evolution

Research and regional reporting on earlier editions show that Festival Jelajah Maumere has developed into a recurring tourism and cultural agenda for Sikka Regency. Studies of its effectiveness describe the festival as contributing to increased tourist visits, repeat interest and positive impacts on small businesses, supporting the regency’s strategy to promote culture-based tourism. The 2026 programme, as outlined in the national tourism listing, extends that positioning by explicitly pairing cultural attractions with marine-conservation themed activities in Maumere Bay.

Sources

• Indonesia.travel – Festival Jelajah Maumere (FJM) 2026, English version
• Jurnal Projemen UNIPA – Efektivitas Pelaksanaan Festival Jelajah Maumere (FJM) Sebagai Media Promosi Wini Ronan (G)
• Media Indonesia – Festival Jelajah Maumere III Siap Digelar, Dispar Sikka Revitalisasi Tradisi Bertani
• Arus Jurnal Sosial dan Humaniora (AJSH) – article referencing Festival Jelajah Maumere
• RRI Ende – Bupati Sikka Resmi Buka Festival Jelajah Maumere 2025
• Florespedia – Festival Jelajah Maumere Jadi Ajang Promosi Pangan Lokal dan UMKM
• Titian – Festival Jelajah Maumere (FJM) sebagai Media Promosi Tenun Ikat di Kabupaten Sikka Provinsi NTT
• Sikka Regency Government – FJM 2025, Bupati Sikka : Wini Ronan (g)
• Labuan Bajo Today – Festival Jelajah Maumere 2025 Siap Digelar
• GardaFlores – Festival Jelajah Maumere 2025 Resmi Dibuka, Diharap Bisa Tingkatkan Kesejahteraan Masyarakat