The Karisma Event Nusanta (KEN) 2023 is still running in many regions in Indonesia. From the total number of 110 events and festivals included in KEN 2023, only ten events are included in the category of Top KEN 2023. Interestingly, there will be four events under the Top KEN 2023 in the following months, July and August.

The four Top KEN 2023 events in July and August are expected to attract 8.5 million foreign tourists, 1.4 billion domestic tourist movements, and open 4.4 million new jobs in Indonesia.

The reason is that unique and authentic events attract tourists to a destination. Or we could say that destinations and tourist attractions in the form of events and festivals are a complete package that needs further development to achieve these goals.

Throughout July and August, at least there are four Top KEN 2023, which will be held in many regions, as follows:

Ubud Village Jazz Festival

Included in the Top 10 KEN 2023 category, the Ubud Village Jazz Festival (UVJF) offers a different experience of a jazz concert. The festival will be held on July 28-30, 2023, at the Sthala Ubud Portfolio Hotel by Marriott, Ubud, Bali.

Entering the 10th year of the Ubud Jazz Festival, it invites some of the best local and international jazz musicians, such as Pere Bujosa Trio (Spain), Henk Kraaijeveld Quintet (Netherlands), Kevin Hays Trio (United States), Etawa Jazz (Yogyakarta), and also Nadine Adrianna (Bandung).

As we commonly know, Ubud has been popularly recognized as a place to look for “serenity”.  By enjoying jazz music, Sobat Parekraf can also feel the quietness of Ubud. For example, we can visit Tegalalang, which is a popular scenery of paddy fields, or also visit Monkey Forest Ubud, which is only 20 minutes from the Sthala Hotel.

Photo: One of the parade participants at the Jember Fashion Carnaval (Shutterstock/Jhon Images)

Jember Fashion Carnaval

Another Top KEN 2023 event to be held in August is the Jember Fashion Carnaval (JFC). The carnival, which has become an annual event, will be held on August 4-6, 2023. The theme for this 21st JFC is "The Earth's Timelapse Journey".

This theme was chosen to illustrate the journey in creating the universe in 10 phases: Bigbang, Prehistoric, Empire, Religion, Invention, World War, Superstar, Upcycle, Metaverse, and Nusantara. In addition, JFC 2023 also adds a sub-theme called "JFC untuk Demokrasi". This theme will be raised to welcome the celebration of the Indonesian Political Year in the following year.

Jember Fashion Carnaval 2023 will create the longest catwalk in the world, which is 3.8 km (2.36 miles) long.  The route will start from Sudirman St, Kartini St, PB Sudirman St, Gajah Mada St, to Lippo Mall (finish line).

If Sobat Parekraf want to unwind after watching the best fashion parade at JFC 2023, we can stop briefly at Taman Botani Sukorambi. The location is not too far from the JFC finish point. At Sukorambi Botanical Garden, we can see the scenery of paddy fields, horse rides,a swimming pool, and also artificial lakes. The garden also has a beautiful atmosphere, making it a perfect place to unwind.

F8 Makassar

Another event that will be held in August is F8 Makassar. This event will be held on August 23-27, 2023, in Anjungan Pantai Losari, Makassar, South Sulawesi. Being one of the Top 10 KEN 2023, F8 Makassar will present art and cultural performances, as well as entertainment which will be divided into 8 categories.

Interestingly, all categories start with the letter “F,” namely, Fashion, Food, Fiction writers and Fonts, Fine Arts, Folks, Fusion Music, Flora and Fauna, and Film. Moreover, in F8 Makassar, there will be an icon with a phinisi ship, as well as Bugis and Toraja customary houses, which will be the backdrop of this festival.

Besides that, we can also visit other destinations around Losari Beach in Makassar, such as the Amirul Mukminin Mosque, which has become the first floating mosque in Southeast Asia, and the view of an amazing sunset. We can also visit Kayangan Island, which is only 3.5 kilometers away from Losari Beach. White sand beach and beautiful sunset are ready to welcome us to this island!

Samosir Music International 

Another top 10 KEN 2023 not to be missed is Samosir Music International. This event will be held on August 25-26, 2023, in Tuk Tuk Siadong, Samosir, North Sumatra. This annual event aims to promote the value of Samosir tourism and culture internationally.

Samosir Music International will feature local and international musicians, namely Vicky Sianipar and Band, Alsant Nababan, Candil, Tongam Sirait, local Samosir and Lake Toba musicians, Tommaso Primo (Italy), Stella Manfredi (Italy), Anna Buchegger (Austria), Hermann Delago Band (Austria), and Salam Musik (Malaysia). Uniquely, international musicians will also perform Batak songs!

Enjoying Batak songs enthusiastically will not be complete without wearing an authentic outfit of Batak people, namely, Ulos cloth. Before watching the series of music concerts, we can also stop by the Meat Tourism Village in Toba Samosir. This tourism village has been popularly known as a center for making Ulos clothes. So, it is suitable as an outfit to watch the concert, right?

So, don’t forget to mark your calendar to watch and see these events from Top 10 KEN 2023!

Photo: One of the performing arts in Samosir Music International (Shutterstock/Gyes Sidabutar)