Labuan Bajo Music Event Channels Fee to Quake Relief

Labuan Bajo — Half of singer Wizz Baker's performance fee at Picnic Over the Hill Vol. 5 was allocated to people affected by the Flores earthquake, according to RRI and Tribun Kupang.

The arrangement linked a tourism event in Labuan Bajo with relief for communities still recovering from the disaster. It also gave visitors a clear account of how part of the event's entertainment spending would support local recovery.

A concert with a relief component

RRI reported that the Badan Pelaksana Otorita Labuan Bajo Flores, or BPOLBF, held the fifth edition of Picnic Over the Hill at Parapuar on September 19. The event had initially been planned for August 22 but was postponed after the earthquake.

According to RRI, BPOLBF said 50 percent of Wizz Baker's fee would be donated to earthquake survivors. Tribun Kupang separately reported the same allocation. RRI said the assistance would be channelled through the Diocese of Labuan Bajo to affected communities within the diocese's service area.

The symbolic handover was planned while the singer performed the song Hilang, RRI reported. The relief commitment was one part of an event that BPOLBF also described as supporting the recovery of tourism confidence after the emergency period.

Tourism recovery and local businesses

RRI said the event involved 17 micro, small and medium enterprises. Stall rental was set at Rp150,000 (about US$10) to encourage participation from local businesses, including enterprises supported by BPOLBF and other operators that joined the event.

Central Indonesian Time (WITA), 187 tickets had been sold, according to the same report. Regular tickets cost Rp60,000 (about US$4), while student tickets were priced at Rp30,000 (about US$2).

Those figures show that the programme combined a public performance, opportunities for local traders and a defined contribution to disaster relief. The event's timing also reflected the area's gradual return to normal activity after the earthquake.

What visitors should know

The fee allocation was specifically tied to this performance and should not be read as a general levy on tourism events. Travellers should continue to check current transport and destination information from official agencies because recovery conditions can vary across Flores.

For Labuan Bajo, the event offered a practical model for combining destination promotion with support for nearby communities. Its contribution was stated in advance and assigned to a named local channel, giving residents and visitors a concrete way to understand the relief element.

Sources

• RRI Ende — Picnic Over the Hill supports tourism recovery and quake relief
• Tribun Kupang — half of Wizz Baker's fee donated for NTT quake victims