New Year’s Eve in Jakarta this time feels different. Quieter on the surface, heavier in meaning. As 2026 approaches, Jakarta has chosen reflection over spectacle, without losing the warmth of togetherness that usually fills the night.
Jakarta will not light up the sky with fireworks to welcome the new year. The decision was taken as a gesture of empathy for communities affected by disasters in several regions. Still, the capital will not fall silent. Entertainment remains. Just expressed in a different way.
Deputy Governor Rano Karno confirmed that eight stages will be set up across the city for the 2026 New Year celebration. The performance areas stretch from FX Sudirman and the Gelora Bung Karno complex all the way to Kota Tua, creating a long corridor of activities for residents.
“We are building eight stages, starting from GBK and FX all the way to Kota Tua. Now, d’Masiv will be where, other friends will be where. Basically, if you need that information, please join during the GR (dress rehearsal),” Rano Karno said at PAM Jaya Corporate Learning, Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, on Sunday (December 28, 2025).
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Fireworks, which usually mark the midnight countdown, will be replaced with a collective interfaith prayer. The city government sees this as a more meaningful way to welcome the new year, given the circumstances faced by many regions.
“We inform the people of Jakarta that this year, we will not celebrate the 2026 new year with fireworks. But it does not reduce our sense of happiness. We will have drones. Quite a lot of drones, quite large, with transitions,” he said.
The Jakarta administration will also hold dress rehearsals on December 30 and 31, ahead of New Year’s Eve. The rehearsals will run from morning until night, with specific time adjustments to accommodate nearby hotels and surrounding activities.
“Let me just inform you, on the 30th and 31st we will hold GR (dress rehearsals). I will be on the field from morning until night. On the 30th, the GR will run from morning until 10:00 p.m., because hotels around the area hope that after 10 there are no activities. That means the GR will be held over two days, from morning until afternoon,” Rano explained.
For 2026, Jakarta carries the theme “Jakarta for Indonesia.” The theme reflects solidarity with all regions affected by disasters toward the end of the year. Initially, the theme was more region-specific, but reality demanded a broader message.
“I have to clarify, our New Year theme today is ‘Jakarta for Indonesia.’ At first, we had the theme ‘Jakarta for Sumatra,’ but it turns out disasters also occurred outside Sumatra,” Rano said.
Donations collected so far will be increased during the New Year celebrations. All proceeds from the stages will be directed to disaster recovery efforts, especially for post-disaster conditions, which the government considers the most challenging phase.
“That means the 197 million in donations we have today, and later what we add at the end of the New Year, from all our stages, can be directly donated. Indonesia needs it. Because the hardest thing faced by our brothers and sisters is the post-disaster period,” he said.
Rano also revealed that several regions have formally requested assistance from the Jakarta administration. He addressed public questions about why the governor or deputy governor did not visit disaster sites in Sumatra.
“Ladies and gentlemen, there is no intention of arrogance on our part, but several regencies and cities have sent letters requesting assistance from the Jakarta administration. We help. It’s just that we do not visit there,” he said.
He added that the decision was made to avoid creating additional burdens for local governments.
“I also spoke with the Governor. ‘Governor, please go to Sumatra if you want.’ ‘Brother, let us just help from afar.’ Because sometimes when we are present in the middle of the community, it actually makes the local government busy with our presence,” he continued.
This year’s New Year celebration, he emphasized, will be carried out in a spirit of concern and reflection. Alongside entertainment and drone shows, Jakarta will hold interfaith prayers in central areas of the city.
“So that means, ladies and gentlemen, we will celebrate the New Year tomorrow, but with a sense of concern. No fireworks, but we must still pray. Therefore, we will hold interfaith prayers in the heart of Jakarta,” he said.
To support the event, the Jakarta administration will implement a car free night on December 31, 2025. Traffic along the Sudirman–Thamrin corridor will be closed during the celebration.
“There will be a car free night. Closure of traffic flow or vehicle traffic heading toward Jalan Sudirman–Thamrin,” said Metro Jaya Police Traffic Operations Head, Commissioner Robby Hefados, at Ragunan Wildlife Park on Saturday (December 27).
The car free night will take effect from Wednesday night, December 31, 2025, through the early hours of Thursday, January 1, 2026. Police have prepared traffic engineering measures to anticipate congestion around the area.
This 2026 New Year in Jakarta may look different. Fewer sparks in the sky. More meaning on the ground.
