The Difficulty Of Holding Music Festivals In Indonesia Without Involving Many Sponsors

JAKARTA - The existence of sponsors in music events has been in the spotlight in recent days. The lighter is the refusal of several musicians to appear at the 2025 Party because PT Freeport Indonesia is one of the sponsors who supports the event.

Many performers resigned because they felt they had values that were contrary to Freeport. In response, the organizers also cut off cooperation with the company based in Papua.

Although the Partypora has been completed, the impact and discussion of the existence of sponsors who support music events continues. David Karto as Director of the Synchronize Fest Festival even mentioned that several management representing performers asked specific questions about who the sponsors were involved in.

Responding to the sponsorship polemic at the music event, David himself saw that the main problem in Indonesia was the difficulty for promoters to rely on revenue from ticket sales. This has an impact on the need for sponsorship support.

"If we can be honest a little, the showroom with a rupiah value has not been compared to a sustainable business," said David when met in Kemang, South Jakarta recently.

"That's why if we consider (the income from) tickets to 40 percent, it means that sponsors are still 60 percent," he continued. We hope tickets can be 70 percent.

Reflecting on the many major music events in the world, especially in the western world, said David, there were not too many sponsors present. However, the income earned from ticket sales is large.

'Imagine Glastonbury, if I'm not mistaken, it could be up to 1 million. Crazy huh,' said David.

"Yes, contextually, Indonesia is still rescalating and learning how to make a festival healthy or greener," he continued. But cooperation with anyone remains open, because the things that support it are definitely needed.

The reason, said David, is that a large music festival also requires large funds in its production.

Even though the festival is supported by spectators one hundred percent of the ticket (sales), my belief is not necessarily enough to cover production. Because of course there are other slices, too," he said.