Indonesian Umbrella Festival 2025: Catra Panji Brings Colorful Umbrellas to Balekambang, Solo’s Historic Green Space
Source: LPM Campus
LPM CAMPUS – The city of Surakarta is once again holding a national arts and culture celebration through Solo Menari 2025, which is combined with the Indonesian Umbrella Festival (FESPIN). Heru Mataya, Director of the Indonesian Umbrella Festival, said that Fespin is an annual festival that has been held since 2014, combining various elements of art with the traditions of the archipelago’s umbrellas, while strengthening Solo’s position as an international city of culture.
The 2025 Indonesian Umbrella Festival will be held on September 5-7, 2025, at Balekambang Park, Solo City. Balekambang Park was chosen as the location because it offers the coolness of a shaded green open space, a long historical heritage, and a strong cultural atmosphere. The large trees in the park area are decorated with hundreds of colorful umbrellas, creating an artistic panorama that captivates the eye and provides a photogenic backdrop for visitors. With these characteristics, Balekambang serves as the ideal stage for weaving together traditional art, modern innovation, and the vibrant enthusiasm of the community. For three days, this cultural city is filled with brightly colored umbrellas, transforming the city’s corners into a massive canvas brimming with joy, as if the festival never ends.
Source: LPM Campus
The 2025 Indonesian Umbrella Festival (Fespin) carries the theme “Catra Panji,” which presents a visual and artistic elaboration of the Panji story in traditional and creative umbrella works. This also marks eight years of collaboration between Fespin and the Sankamphaeng Culture Center, Thailand, which is known for regularly holding a similar event called the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival in the Land of the White Elephant. The festival is enlivened by contributions from the community, including traditional umbrella craftsmen, creative communities, traditional art preservationists, photographers, fashion designers, and various cultural artists.
This year’s Indonesian Umbrella Festival is not only a space for appreciating art and culture, but also presents an educational dimension. One of its programs is the launch of the book Catra Panji: Cerita Panji dan Dongeng Nusantara (Catra Panji: Stories of Panji and Folktales of the Archipelago), which is the fourth publication in the Umbrella Festival series. The book compiles the works of 40 writers from various regions in Indonesia, each of whom reinterprets the story of Panji from the perspective of science and the cultural characteristics of their region. The launch is expected to familiarize the public with Catra Panji and foster a deeper appreciation of Indonesian culture.
One of the visitors, Bintang, a student, said he was enthusiastic about this year’s Fespin event. He came to enjoy the atmosphere of Balekambang Park and watch various performances. “I came here to see the umbrellas on display and enjoy the performances. I have been following this event since last year, and coincidentally, I was also a volunteer last year. In my opinion, this year’s event feels more lively,” said Bintang.
Source: LPM Campus
The Indonesian Umbrella Festival is a gathering place for traditional umbrella makers, artists, and cross-disciplinary communities. They collaborate to present innovations that are relevant to the times, while also making this festival a tourist attraction with a touch of novelty. Beyond celebrating art and culture, the festival opens up broader opportunities for cultural artists and local communities, particularly in the development of traditional craft industries and creative umbrella design. With national and international exposure, the Indonesian Umbrella Festival is seen as a strategic platform to strengthen the creative ecosystem while supporting quality and sustainable tourism.
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Writer: Bella DianaPuspitasari (Physiotherapy’24)
Editor: Naufal Ahmad Alfian (Communication Science’22)
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