Pesta Kampung’s fourth edition puts Manggarai music at the centre

Labuan Bajo — Videoge Arts and Society, a youth-led arts collective in Labuan Bajo, held the fourth edition of its Pesta Kampung cultural festival on 14–15 September 2026, centring local Manggarai music in a programme of performances, discussions, workshops and a showcase of Manggarai products along Jalan Kembang Sepatu in the Komodo subdistrict office area.

The organisers adopted the theme Rindo, a word from the Kempo dialect of Manggarai meaning “singing”, to foreground concerns that local musical traditions are being sidelined as Labuan Bajo’s tourism industry increasingly favours modern and electronic genres.

According to Videoge coordinator Aden Firman, the festival was framed as a way to explore local cultural potential while supporting community economic participation in the growth of high-end tourism, and to safeguard the cultural life of Labuan Bajo and surrounding areas.

From café stages to original songs

Programme manager Berry Unggas said the team’s concern was not a shortage of musicians but the limited space for distinctive regional music and original songwriting, noting that many bands play in cafés and entertainment venues without producing their own work.

In response, the 2026 edition curated local bands with original material and brought them together on Rindo Volume 1, a compilation album linked to the festival, although the report does not list the individual performers.

The programme also approached singing as an everyday Manggarai practice, not only a staged performance. Artists from Liang Dara, a tourism village in Mbeliling district around 20 kilometres east of Labuan Bajo, were scheduled to perform rindo alongside the traditional Caci dance.

The festival’s activities ran across the year rather than being limited to the September event. From January to March, the organisers held “Nyanyian Sebelum Pesta” (“Songs Before the Festival”), combining research, recording, experimentation and an open call for artists for the compilation album.

Videoge also facilitated production of the Semacam Radio podcast, which documents conversations on art, youth and the city and is described by Aden Firman as one of the initiatives developed alongside Pesta Kampung.

From April to August, a programme titled “Musik dalam Kota” (“Music in the City”) included workshops and work on a book recording two decades of music in Labuan Bajo. The 14–15 September programme featured the book launch, thematic discussions and workshops involving young professionals, artists, musicians and cultural figures from Labuan Bajo and several other parts of Indonesia.

Programme facts

• Festival dates: 14–15 September 2026
• Edition: fourth, following earlier festivals held since 2022
• Main location: Jalan Kembang Sepatu, Komodo subdistrict office area
• Featured local programme: Rindo Volume 1, Caci dance and Manggarai singing

A forum on culture, markets and responsibility

Discussions on the first day explored how artists and communities can work within cultural and commercial systems while maintaining their direction, including a session titled “Third Spaces; Activism, Communities and Industry” facilitated by musician Upi, also known as Tuan Tigabelas, together with Aden Firman and Manggarai rapper Iwan-Soulroots from Ruteng.

Another panel examined how markets might be built for Flores and its creative work, featuring musician Cholil Mahmud of Efek Rumah Kaca, cultural worker Muhammad Hilmi of Whiteboard Journal and textile advocate Ney Dinan of Rumah Tenun Baku Peduli, with journalist Adriani Miming of Floresa moderating.

Further discussions looked at the city as a performance space and at festivals’ responsibilities as cultural ecosystems. Speakers included Ugoran Prasad of Majelis Lidah Berduri, events organiser Ady Mbuik of Pegiat Event Flores and NTT, Festi Maria of the Golo Koe Festival Committee, Abdul Masli of Atropos Indonesia, environmental advocate Sergina Loncle of IKLIM and Gregorius Afioma of Sunspirit for Justice and Peace.

Environmental practice was integrated into the organisers’ model. Berry Unggas said visitors and some speakers were asked not to bring plastic water bottles, and that Videoge partnered with Yayasan Lentera, a foundation campaigning on waste management, and volunteers from the Ecotourism Study Programme at Politeknik El Bajo.

Organisers describe the combination of music, research, education, local products and environmental measures as a way to connect villages, the city, communities and industry, and to build a sustainable cultural ecosystem. They also position Pesta Kampung as a long-term effort to document and archive the development of music in Labuan Bajo through annual festival cycles and related initiatives.

Sources

• Floresa.co
• LinkedIn profile of Aden Firman
• UGM thesis repository – Pemajuan Kebudayaan Melalui Pemberdayaan Komunitas Seni