Located on the northwest of Java Island, Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia. For decades Jakarta has seen many kings, clans ruling over it and every time the change of dynasty influenced the culture of Jakarta. Owing to such various religious and cultural influences Jakarta Festivals are one of the most varied in the entire world. Different ethnicity in Jakarta comes with its unique set of festivals. The three biggest festivals in Jakarta are as follows:

International Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta

Jazz is a music form which was originated in US and is a blend of African-American music styles. Jazz holds a special place in Jakarta and the city shows its passion for this music form by organizing an international Jazz festival for three days in March every year. Peter F. Gontha initiated this festival and it is held at the Convention Center in Jakarta. Aside from Jazz music, this festival also showcases other type of music like Pop, Latin, Electro, Rock and many other forms. The whole festival is dedicated to raise funds for social welfare. Even the international artists who take part in this festival help in raising funds. There is a competition called “Jazz icon search”, which gives young budding Jazz artists a platform to prove themselves. From 2006 onwards this festival holds an exhibition of music and audio products which prove to be a great crowd-puller.

Jakarta International Film Festival

In the late nineties almost all the south East Asian countries were holding international film festivals. Singapore International Film Festival was already renowned all across the globe. Shanty Harmayn and Natacha Devillers started Jakarta International Film Festval (JIFFEST) in November 1999. In the inaugural year itself around 65 films from various countries were screened in 9 days and it attracted around 18000 spectators. Now after completion of its 10 th anniversary, it is known all over the world for its huge and diverse set of movies that are screened during the festival. In recent years more than 200 movies are screened from over more than 30 countries. It is now the biggest film festival in south east Asia.

Jakarta Kite Festival

Kite Festival in Jakarta is held in the month of July for 2 days. Kite flying is considered as a very sacred thing in most parts of Indonesia. The Kite Festival invites enthusiastic kite fliers from all over the world and during the festival days kites of different colours and sizes can be seen flying all over the sky. It is a great sight and a good moment to capture in your camera.