Festival Golo Koe 2026 opens in Labuan Bajo to promote sustainable tourism

Indonesian Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana officially opened the 2026 Golo Koe Festival in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara. The event, which runs until August 15, 2026, is recognized as one of the Top 10 Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) national flagship events.

The festival aims to promote sustainable tourism by integrating the faith, traditions, and culture of the Manggarai people into the visitor experience. Minister Wardhana emphasized that tourism development in Labuan Bajo must allow local communities to remain the primary actors in defining and presenting their own cultural identity to the world.

Reflecting on previous years, the festival has demonstrated significant economic impact. In 2025, the event attracted over 45,000 tourists, involved 173 MSMEs, 883 artists, and 1,473 workers, generating an economic turnover of approximately Rp2.82 billion. This year’s theme is ‘Communal Pilgrimage in Synergistic Fellowship to Maintain the Integrity of Creation’.