The Festival Kali Maro IV in Merauke, Papua Selatan (South Papua), has grown from a community initiative into a recognised cultural event that brings together history, indigenous traditions, local businesses and environmental awareness. Held from October 1 to 5, 2026, in the Yonggo area of Kampung Urumb, Semangga District, the fourth edition is also part of Indonesia’s Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) 2026 programme.
At the centre of the festival is a simple idea with a much wider meaning: the Kali Maro is not merely a river flowing through Merauke. For communities living around it, the river is closely connected to livelihoods, history, culture and everyday life.
That message has become increasingly important as the festival expands. Organisers and local authorities are seeking to ensure that the growing attention does not turn the event into simply another tourism attraction but instead strengthens the relationship between communities, their cultural heritage, local economic opportunities and the natural environment.
From a Community Initiative to a National Event
The story of the Festival Kali Maro began in 2022, when Pastor Andreas Fanumbi of the Wendu Vicariate initiated the idea of creating a cultural event centred around the Kali Maro area.
Community participation gradually built the first editions. The initiative later developed through the involvement of the Kali Maro Bangkit Foundation and the Harmoni Alam Papuana association, alongside local communities living around the river and coastal areas.
The festival has since been held annually from October 1 to 5. What began as a community-based initiative has now reached a new stage after being selected as one of the 125 events included in the Ministry of Tourism’s Karisma Event Nusantara 2026 programme.
For the organisers, the recognition is more than an award. It represents an opportunity to introduce the cultural identity of Papua Selatan to a wider Indonesian audience while creating a stronger economic platform for communities.
Raden Wisnu Sindhutrisno, Assistant Deputy for Event Strategy at the Ministry of Tourism, officially opened the fourth edition on October 1. The opening was marked by the beating of the tifa or kandara and the presentation of the KEN 2026 certificate to the Kali Maro Bangkit Foundation.
The ceremony brought together representatives of the Papua Selatan provincial government, Merauke Regency administration, religious and traditional leaders, local communities and other stakeholders.
A Festival Built Around History and Identity
Remembering the Story of Merauke
The organisers have deliberately placed history alongside entertainment and tourism.
One of the festival’s objectives is to help younger generations understand the history of Merauke, including the encounter between the Malind people and Dutch missionaries that became part of the region’s historical development.
For organisers, remembering this history is important because cultural identity is not simply preserved through ceremonies. It is also transmitted through stories, community participation and opportunities for younger people to understand the experiences of previous generations.
The opening programme reflected that approach. Visitors were welcomed through a traditional Malind dance before a historical presentation about the origins and story of Merauke was presented. Cultural performances involving different communities then followed.
Traditional elements of Malind culture were also incorporated into the ceremony, including Sagu Sep and daun anggin.
Jossefine Iriani Kewamijai, one of the festival organisers and director of the Kali Maro Bangkit Foundation, explained that Sagu Sep is a traditional food of the Malind people, while daun anggin carries the meaning of an offering.
The two traditions have become recurring features of the Festival Kali Maro opening ceremony.
Their presence gives the event a cultural foundation while allowing visitors to experience traditions that might otherwise remain unfamiliar outside their communities.
The River As the Centre of Community Life
The strongest message emerging from the festival is the importance of the Kali Maro itself.
Speaking during the opening, Merauke Deputy Regent Fauzun Nihayah described the river as something much more significant than a channel through which water flows.
“Kali Maro does not only flow with water but also flows with life for the people around it,” she said.
The statement captures the broader philosophy behind the festival. The river is linked to the communities that live along its banks, their economic activities and their cultural memory.
The festival therefore carries an implicit environmental message: maintaining the river means protecting part of the foundation on which community life depends.
That makes environmental care an important complement to cultural preservation. A cultural festival centred on a river cannot separate the story of local heritage from the condition of the natural environment that supports it.
The 2026 event has consequently encouraged the public to view the Kali Maro as a shared asset that needs to be maintained rather than treated simply as scenery for a tourism event.
For communities around Merauke, protecting the river means protecting a living connection between nature, people and culture.
Eighty MSMEs Bring the Local Economy into the Festival
From Local Ingredients to Marketable Products
Economic empowerment is another major pillar of Festival Kali Maro IV.
The organisers recorded 80 micro, small and medium enterprises, or MSMEs (UMKM), participating in the event. Participants came not only from Merauke but also from Mappi, Asmat and Boven Digoel.
The organisers placed particular attention on the participation of Indigenous Papuans, or Orang Asli Papua. At the same time, the festival remained open to people from different ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the organisers’ emphasis on social inclusion and coexistence.
The products displayed at the festival demonstrate how local resources can become sources of household income.
Visitors could find banana chips, cassava chips, sago products, virgin coconut oil, salted fish, noken, key chains, locally made jewellery and other handicrafts.
For many small producers, the festival offers something that conventional cultural events cannot always provide: direct contact with potential customers.
That opportunity can be particularly important for businesses that are still developing their markets.
Valeria’s Coconut Business
One example is Valeria Muti Gebse, a 26-year-old resident of Kampung Urum.
Valeria has started turning coconuts from her garden into virgin coconut oil and snacks under the brand name Mayo Iwak.
Her production process is relatively simple. She uses mature, dried coconuts, grates them and extracts the coconut milk before drying it until the oil separates.
Around 50 coconuts can produce approximately 10 bottles of VCO.
Her business is still young, and she learned the production process independently. The availability of raw materials around her home made the business possible without requiring her to purchase the main ingredient.
Her participation in Festival Kali Maro IV is therefore not simply about selling products for five days. It is also an opportunity to introduce a local product to a broader market.
Valeria hopes that Mayo Iwak can eventually reach shops and kiosks in Merauke.
Her experience illustrates the economic argument behind the festival: local communities already possess natural resources and traditional knowledge, but those resources can generate greater economic value when communities have opportunities to process, package and market them.
As Valeria put it, communities already have their food resources, including coconuts and bananas, and should be given greater opportunities to turn them into useful products.
A Platform for Indigenous Economic Participation
The festival’s cultural mission closely connects to the emphasis on UMKM.
Jossefine Iriani Kewamijai said the organisers were focusing on Indigenous Papuans as part of an effort to strengthen their economic position, while keeping the festival open to other Indonesian communities.
This approach reflects the character of Papua Selatan itself, where different ethnic and cultural communities live alongside one another.
The festival brings together local food, handicrafts, traditional performances and cultural displays in one space. In doing so, it creates an environment where cultural identity and economic activity can reinforce each other.
The involvement of Mappi, Asmat and Boven Digoel also gives the event a wider Papua Selatan dimension rather than limiting it to Merauke alone.
The result is a festival that functions as both a local celebration and a regional showcase.
Government Support and the Push for a Bigger Stage
The Papua Selatan provincial government has welcomed the festival as part of its responsibility to support cultural preservation across the province’s four regencies.
Paskalis Prayitno, Head of the Papua Selatan Education and Culture Agency, said the provincial government was committed to preserving cultural values and traditions throughout Papua Selatan.
He described Festival Kali Maro as a collaboration involving the Catholic Church, the provincial government, Merauke Regency, the Kali Maro Bangkit Foundation and the Marind community.
Paskalis also said the government wanted to support cultural initiatives in the other three regencies, noting that Papua Selatan has a range of cultural festivals that deserve opportunities to develop.
The KEN 2026 recognition has strengthened that ambition.
Festival organisers and provincial officials are now looking beyond simply maintaining the event. They want Festival Kali Maro to become more professional and eventually gain a stronger position among Indonesia’s national cultural and tourism events.
Paskalis said the provincial government hopes the festival can eventually enter the top 15 national events.
Jossefine expressed a similar ambition, saying she hoped the festival could move into the top 10 tourism destinations in the future.
Those targets represent a significant step from the festival’s beginnings in 2022.
Building a Shared Space in a Diverse Papua
The festival also carries a message about social cohesion.
Its 2026 theme is “Building Brotherhood, Peace and Joy in Merauke Regency and Papua Selatan Province.” The supporting theme combines the local values of Izakot Bekai and Izakot Kai, interpreted as one heart and one purpose, with Indonesia’s national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, or Unity in Diversity.
The festival chairman, Isayas Balagaize, stated that the theme aimed to strengthen harmony within the diverse population of Papua Selatan.
The festival programme includes traditional sports, cultural performances, a creative economy and UMKM exhibition, historical presentations and a cultural parade involving different ethnic associations living in Papua Selatan.
Organisers expected around 2,000 visitors and planned to involve almost 100 creative economy businesses from Merauke and other parts of Papua Selatan, while the separately recorded UMKM participant figure stood at 80.
This diversity is one of the event’s defining characteristics. Malind traditions remain at the centre, but the festival also provides space for Yei and Kanum cultural elements and participation from Mappi, Asmat and Boven Digoel.
Pastor Andreas Fanumbi envisions the festival as a platform for people to connect across cultural, religious, and social divides.
He has emphasised that diversity should not become a reason for hostility. Instead, he argues, different traditions and backgrounds can become a source of strength for a peaceful community.
From the Kali Maro to Indonesia
The growing recognition of Festival Kali Maro reflects a broader change taking place in Papua Selatan.
Local cultural events are increasingly being connected with economic development, tourism and community empowerment. The festival demonstrates how a cultural programme can provide a platform for small businesses while simultaneously preserving historical memories.
Its inclusion in the 125 KEN 2026 events gives Merauke an opportunity to introduce its cultural identity to audiences beyond Papua.
But the festival’s long-term value will not be measured only by visitor numbers or its position in tourism rankings.
Its deeper contribution may lie in whether it encourages younger generations to understand their history, helps local entrepreneurs develop sustainable businesses and strengthens public awareness that the river at the centre of the celebration must be cared for.
Conclusion
Festival Kali Maro IV has grown considerably since its first edition. What began as a community initiative in 2022 has developed into a recognised national event supported by local and provincial governments, the Ministry of Tourism, religious institutions, cultural organisations and communities.
Its significance lies in the way several priorities meet in one place.
There is history, represented through stories of Merauke’s past and the traditions of the Malind people. There is culture, expressed through dance, Sagu Sep, daun anggin, handicrafts and the participation of different communities. There is economic opportunity, represented by dozens of UMKM turning local resources such as sago, coconut, bananas, cassava and fish into products for consumers.
And there is the river.
The Kali Maro remains the thread connecting these elements. As Fauzun Nihayah observed, it does not merely carry water. It carries life.
That message gives Festival Kali Maro a relevance that goes beyond tourism. Preserving culture requires preserving the environment in which that culture has developed. Strengthening local businesses requires protecting the natural resources on which many of these businesses depend.
For Papua Selatan, the next challenge will be to ensure that the festival’s growing national profile brings lasting benefits to local communities while keeping its original character intact.
Maintaining that balance will allow Festival Kali Maro to grow while preserving the community spirit that birthed it. More importantly, it can remind a wider audience that in Merauke, the river, the culture and the local economy are not separate stories. They are parts of the same living landscape.
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