Golo Koe Festival in Labuan Bajo showcases faith, culture, and unity

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2 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said the Golo Koe Festival showcases the blend of faith, tradition, and the everyday life of the Manggarai people in an inclusive setting.

“Tourists can gain a deeper and more authentic experience of Labuan Bajo, while the local community remains the key player in determining how its identity is introduced to the world,” she said in an official statement on Tuesday.

Speaking at the festival’s opening at the Waterfront City area in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on Monday (Aug 10), the minister said the Golo Koe Festival demonstrates that tourism does not always depend on major attractions, but can also grow from the spiritual, cultural, and humanitarian values rooted in local communities.

With the theme “Maria Assumpta Nusantara,” the Golo Koe Festival combines religious processions, cultural attractions, MSME exhibitions, and various local art performances into a single celebration that reflects the richness of local traditions and the community’s spirit of togetherness.

The event features a wide array of activities, including performances of arts and culture, creative economy and local culinary exhibitions, environmental education and tree-planting initiatives, and Caci dance performances at a cultural carnival, the Grand Maria Assumpta Nusantara Procession, and a Eucharistic celebration.

This year’s Golo Koe Festival targets 50,000 visitors, with an expected economic impact exceeding that of previous years.

Widiyanti noted that the Golo Koe Festival has been included among the Top 10 events of the Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN), reaffirming its status as one of Indonesia’s premier tourism events.

Beyond showcasing local culture, the festival is also expected to drive the local economy.

In 2025, the festival attracted more than 45,000 tourists, involved 173 MSMEs and 883 artists, created 1,473 job opportunities, and generated an economic turnover of Rp2.82 billion (around US$154 thousand).

Widiyanti also expressed appreciation to the Labuan Bajo Diocese, the Ruteng Diocese, the West Manggarai District Government, and all parties involved in building the Golo Koe Festival into a high-quality collaborative platform, establishing it as one of Indonesia’s flagship events.

Labuan Bajo Bishop Maksimus Regus said that the festival serves not only as a tourism promotion initiative but also as a shared commitment to ensuring the sustainability of tourism in Labuan Bajo.

“We want the rapidly growing tourism sector to also have a constructive impact on the local community,” he said.