The Tourism and Creative Economy Sub-agency of East Jakarta will stage an entertainment show and humanitarian fundraising drive at the Jakarta International Velodrome in Rawamangun on New Year’s Eve. The event is framed under the theme Jakarta Global City: From Jakarta for Indonesia, Embracing Diversity and Nurturing Hope, positioning the celebration as both festivity and civic duty. It is designed not merely as a countdown party, but as a public platform to channel solidarity toward disaster-hit regions in Sumatra, Aceh, and beyond. In this editorial telling, the year-end ritual is repurposed into an act of collective compassion.
Head of the Sub-agency, Yayang Kustiawan, said the program would combine entertainment, joint prayers, and donation collection in one integrated stage. He explained that the main stage in the Velodrome parking area would feature musicians and singers such as former Kerispatih frontman Badai, Septi KDI, Jakarta Koplo, Artefact Band, Gondal-Gandul Band, and Orkes Trotoar. His remarks underline the attempt to blend popular culture with humanitarian intent, ensuring that charity is woven into the night’s excitement rather than treated as an afterthought. This approach reframes entertainment as a vehicle for social responsibility.
Activities will begin at 10 a.m. with free medical services, low-cost staple redemption, bazaars, and children’s colouring competitions, before the main performances run from 3 p.m. until midnight. The schedule signals that the celebration is not a single spectacle but a full-day community gathering. By stretching the event across diverse activities, the organisers aim to reach families, youth, and the wider public in one civic space. The Velodrome thus becomes a temporary town square for shared reflection and giving.
For donations, visitors will be able to scan QRIS codes in cooperation with Bank Jakarta and the East Jakarta chapter of the National Zakat Agency, known as Baznas Bazis. The codes will be displayed on LED screens and banners across the venue to maximise participation. This digital fundraising method symbolises how modern tools can accelerate public generosity. In closing, the New Year celebration is cast not as an escape from hardship, but as Jakarta’s statement that joy and empathy can, and should, be expressed in the same breath.
Alexander Jason – Redaksi
