The 11th Papua Reggae Festival has turned Nabire into a meeting point for musicians, cultural practitioners and young people from across Papua, using reggae to celebrate local identity, promote peace and open new opportunities for creative expression. With 36 bands gathering on one stage and the event linked to a Museum Rekor Dunia Indonesia (MURI) record, the festival has become more than a two-day musical celebration. It has offered a public demonstration of how culture can bring communities together and give local talent a wider platform.
Held on October 16 and 17 at the former Nabire airport grounds, the festival carried the theme “Culture & Art.” Its programme placed particular emphasis on songs performed in regional languages and arranged in reggae rhythms, connecting a globally recognised musical style with the diverse cultural traditions of Papua. The event also drew attention to the role of local government, arts communities and small businesses in building a stronger creative sector in Papua Tengah.
From Months of Preparation to a Regional Gathering
Preparations Began in January
The festival was the result of months of organisation rather than a spontaneous gathering. According to committee chair Ema Kristina Dogomo, preparations began in January 2026 and included forming the organising committee, holding supporting activities, launching the event and conducting roadshows to build participation ahead of the main programme.
In the days before the festival, the organisers coordinated technical arrangements and the arrival of musicians travelling from different parts of Papua. A report published on October 13 said preparations had reached 85 per cent, with the committee concentrating on outstanding logistical requirements and coordination between teams.
The journey to Nabire was not equally straightforward for every participant. Ema noted that travel arrangements, flight availability and weather presented challenges for some groups travelling to the event. The eventual gathering of musicians from multiple areas therefore reflected not only their enthusiasm for reggae but also the coordination required to bring a regional cultural event together.
Thirty Six Bands from Four Provinces
The main festival brought together 36 reggae bands from four provinces across the wider land of Papua. Participants came from a range of locations, including Papua Pegunungan, Jayapura, Timika, Mappi, Boven Digoel, Dogiyai, Paniai, Deiyai, Nabire and Manokwari in West Papua. Ema specifically reported that 14 bands had come from Papua Pegunungan.
Their presence transformed the stage into a meeting place for musicians with different local backgrounds and experiences. Rather than limiting the programme to one sound or one community, the event created space for a broad range of performers to present their work before audiences in Nabire.
The gathering also carried significance for Papua Tengah, a relatively young province seeking to strengthen its public cultural profile. By hosting musicians from neighbouring areas, Nabire demonstrated its potential to serve as a regional venue for artistic collaboration and exchange.
Reggae Meets Regional Languages
One of the defining features of Papua Reggae Festival XI was its commitment to regional-language music. Each band was scheduled to perform three songs in local languages arranged in reggae style, according to Ema.
The concept gave performers an opportunity to use contemporary musical arrangements to carry languages and stories that might otherwise receive less attention in mainstream entertainment. The approach also challenged the idea that cultural preservation requires artistic traditions to remain unchanged. Instead, it demonstrated how modern performance can incorporate local languages while keeping them at the heart of the music.
For younger audiences, this fusion offers a familiar rhythm through which they can encounter regional languages and cultural references. For established musicians, it provides a platform to present their work to listeners from outside their own communities. The value lies not simply in performing songs, but in creating opportunities for cultural knowledge to travel between generations and across geographical boundaries.
Ema stated that the festival aimed to unite artists, foster creativity, and enhance the cultural identity of Indigenous Papuans. Her remarks reflected the organisers’ wider ambition: to make the event a place where music serves both as entertainment and as a means of expressing the experiences and identities of Papua’s people.
MURI Record Adds a Historic Dimension
The festival’s most prominent milestone was the participation of 36 bands in an effort associated with a Museum Rekor Dunia Indonesia record for the highest number of reggae songs performed on one stage.
Before the event, the organisers announced their intention to seek MURI recognition and invited representatives to assess the proposed record category. By October 16, local reporting described the performance as contributing to a MURI record, with the committee chair presenting it as a significant achievement for Papua’s reggae musicians.
Ema described the moment as an important chapter in the development of reggae in Papua and Indonesia. She also referred to the legacy of Black Brothers, the legendary group from Papua whose place in the history of Indonesian popular music remains a point of reference for local musicians.
The involvement of so many bands gave the record effort a collective character. Rather than celebrating a single performer, it highlighted the combined contribution of musicians from different locations. That distinction matters: the festival’s achievement was presented not only as a numerical milestone but also as evidence of the depth of musical talent spread across Papua.
The MURI dimension also gives organisers a potential platform for attracting broader attention to future editions. Recognition can help raise the profile of regional musicians, but the long-term value will depend on whether the exposure leads to new performances, collaborations, audiences and opportunities for emerging artists.
Governor Meki Nawipa Calls for Peace Through Music
Papua Tengah Governor Meki Nawipa officially opened the festival on Friday, October 16. In his remarks, he encouraged young Papuans to use reggae as a means of maintaining peace, strengthening brotherhood and developing their creative abilities.
Nawipa said, as ANTARA News Papua Tengah reported, “This music festival is not about who is the best, but about how we express and convey messages of peace and the lives of people in this land.”
The governor’s message placed the event beyond the boundaries of competition. Musical performances can bring people together around a shared experience, allowing differences in regional background and personal identity to coexist within a common public space. That does not mean a festival can resolve every social challenge, but it can provide a constructive setting in which solidarity and peaceful expression are visible and celebrated.
Nawipa also described music and football as important parts of life for Indigenous Papuans, noting that both can connect people from different backgrounds. He said the provincial government was prepared to host future editions on a larger scale if other regional governments were unable to continue the event.
To encourage performers, Nawipa announced personal awards of Rp50 million for first place, Rp30 million for second place and Rp20 million for third place. He also expressed hope that the festival would generate economic opportunities for local musicians, artists and small businesses while introducing the cultural potential of Papua Tengah to wider audiences.
Police and Arts Communities Emphasise Unity
Public calls for music to serve as a unifying force also reflected the festival’s message of peaceful participation. Reports about the event highlighted the role of Papua Tengah police leadership in encouraging young people to use music constructively and to build relationships across communities.
That emphasis is significant because public cultural events rely on cooperation among organisers, performers, authorities, traders and audiences. A safe and welcoming environment allows musicians to concentrate on their work and enables families and visitors to take part in the celebration.
The festival committee also urged participants and visitors to maintain security and order throughout the event. Such appeals reinforced the organisers’ stated ambition to make the festival a shared cultural space rather than simply a stage for individual performances.
Teddy Pekey, head of the Rasta Kribo Papua community, similarly stressed the importance of communities as places where people can develop solidarity and contribute positively to their surroundings. His message reflected a broader role for arts organisations: beyond staging concerts, they can help connect people, nurture young talent and encourage constructive community activity.
Preserving Papua’s Cultural Memory
The programme also extended beyond live music. During the festival, a biography of the late Papuan cultural figure Arnold Ap was launched under the title Arnold Ap: Sang Legendaris Membius. The publication was presented as part of an effort to introduce his life and cultural contribution to younger generations.
The inclusion of a literary work alongside reggae performances created a link between contemporary artistic expression and the preservation of cultural memory. Music can communicate emotion and experience through performance, while biographies and other written records help preserve the stories of artists whose work has shaped the region’s cultural history.
Together, these elements suggest that cultural preservation extends beyond merely safeguarding objects or repeating established forms. It also involves recording the lives of influential figures, giving artists space to reinterpret traditions and ensuring that younger people have access to the stories that inform their cultural identity.
Senior Papuan musician Enis Kogoya, the vocalist of Wiwa Band, was also scheduled to perform on October 17. A singer, songwriter and producer, Kogoya has been associated with music that reflects Papuan life, culture and identity. His participation brought the experience of an established artist to a programme that also welcomed bands from different communities and generations.
From the Stage to the Creative Economy
For Papua Tengah, the festival also offered a practical opportunity to connect cultural activity with local economic development. Organisers included spaces for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with local Papuan entrepreneurs selling products to festival visitors.
Ema said the festival was intended to support more than music, pointing to creative activities that include culinary businesses, literature, dance and other forms of cultural production. The aim was to make the gathering a place where artists could develop networks, introduce their work and explore economic opportunities.
This matters because the economic impact of a festival can extend beyond ticket sales or the duration of a performance. Local vendors may benefit from increased visitor traffic, while musicians can gain exposure, meet potential collaborators and build audiences for future work. Cultural events can also help destinations establish a recognisable identity that encourages future visits.
However, these benefits are not automatic. Their scale depends on how many people attend, how much they spend locally, whether small businesses can access the event and whether performers gain opportunities after the festival ends. Organisers and local authorities must assess participation, support local entrepreneurs, and build partnerships that endure beyond the dismantling of the stage to achieve a sustained impact.
Nawipa’s announcement of prize money and his commitment to keeping the festival in Papua Tengah if necessary provided further signs of official support. The challenge now is to convert that support into continuity: regular programming, better promotion, opportunities for young musicians and a stronger connection between cultural events and local enterprise.
A Platform for the Next Generation
The festival aimed its broader message at young people. Ema encouraged Papuan youth to develop their talents, pursue positive activities and have confidence in their ability to create work that can compete beyond their immediate communities.
For emerging musicians, a regional festival offers an important step between informal practice and wider public recognition. Sharing a stage with established performers can help young artists learn from one another, build confidence and understand the professional demands of live performance.
The event also offers a way to present Papua to audiences through culture and creativity. International coverage of the region often focuses on political, security and development issues. Music festivals cannot replace reporting on those subjects, but they can show another dimension of community life: people creating art, preserving language, building businesses and working together around a shared interest.
That wider representation is valuable when it remains grounded in facts and avoids presenting a single event as a complete picture of the region. The festival is one example of cultural initiative and public collaboration, not a substitute for the broader social and economic work required to support communities across Papua.
Conclusion
Papua Reggae Festival XI gave Nabire two days in which music, language, cultural memory and public participation converged. The festival became a significant event for the local arts community due to the gathering of 36 bands from four provinces, the focus on regional-language songs, the tribute to Arnold Ap, and the MURI record milestone.
Governor Meki Nawipa’s call for peace through music added a public message to the performances, while the participation of local businesses pointed to the potential economic value of cultural events. The next measure of success will be whether these connections endure: whether musicians find new stages, young people continue developing their skills, local languages remain part of contemporary art and small enterprises gain lasting opportunities.
For Papua Tengah, the festival offers a model worth developing. With consistent support from government, cultural organisations, businesses and communities, reggae can remain more than a sound on a stage. It can be a living expression of identity, a meeting point for different communities and a practical platform for creativity, peaceful engagement and economic participation.
In Nabire, the central message was clear: many voices can share one stage, and cultural pride can grow alongside a commitment to unity and peace.
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