Tribes in the Jayawijaya region, such as the Dani, Lani, and Yali, will showcase their talents again in the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival. This year, the organizing committee promises surprises.
In 2025, the festival themed “My Culture, My Identity from Jayawijaya for the World” will be centered in Usilimo District, Jayawijaya Regency, Papua Mountains, from August 7-9, 2025. Still in the same series, a cultural carnival will be held in Wamena, the capital of Jayawijaya, on August 11, 2025.
This 33rd event will showcase cultural and traditional attractions. The 2025 Baliem Valley Cultural Festival is part of the 110 Karisma Event Nusantara 2025 series from the Ministry of Tourism.
“Tourists will be welcomed warmly.” We want to create an atmosphere of tranquility and family spirit. “Everyone should rejoice,” said Acting Head of the Jayawijaya Sports and Youth Office, Yaiper Gombo, when contacted from Jayapura, Papua, Tuesday (15/7/2025).
Yaiper said that the vibrant festival will be enlivened by various cultural and traditional performances from local communities in 40 districts. Some of them include folk dances from Asotipo and Asolokobal. Additionally, there are also war attractions from the local communities of Kurulu and Siepkosi.
As part of this festival, it will also showcase the rich arts from the mountainous regions of Papua. There will be stone-burning attractions, piglet races, traditional pikon musical performances, and various traditional games, such as puradan and sikoko.
Julio Faot, a member of the organizing committee for the 2025 Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, said that in addition to various traditional attractions that have been held before, there will be something new in this year’s festival.
“We also have a surprise for this year’s festival,” he said.
In the Kompas archives, this festival, held since 1988, is regularly conducted every August, leading up to Indonesia’s Independence Day. Initially, this festival only featured a single performance, namely a war attraction.
Since 1995, the festival has continued to evolve. At the festival held in 2019, for example, the Indonesian World Record Museum recorded the largest noken or bark cloth bag. The height of the noken reached 30 meters.
“This year, we are ready to welcome guests.” In addition to hotels, we have also coordinated with the locals to welcome tourists who want to rent and stay with them in honai houses,” he said.
Chairman of the Indonesian Tour Guides Association (HPI) Papua, Nicky Mehue, said that the Papua cultural festival always attracts tourists. Tourists, especially international visitors, are interested in the arts and traditions of the tribes in Papua that have been preserved through generations. “The hope is that this festival can also boost the local economy,” he said.
Nicky explained that he and several tour guides in Papua have been receiving bookings for visit packages to Papua this year since last year. The mountainous regions of Papua are always a target, especially for foreign tourists.
Chairman of the Indonesian Tour Guides Association (HPI) Papua, Nicky Mehue, stated that the Papuan cultural festival always attracts tourists. Tourists, especially international visitors, are drawn to the arts and traditions of the Papuan tribes that have been preserved through generations. “The hope is that this festival can also boost the local economy,” he said.
Nicky stated that he and several tour guides in Papua have received bookings for visit packages to Papua this year since last year. The mountainous regions of Papua are always a target, especially for foreign tourists.
The Central Statistics Agency recorded that in 2024, the movement of domestic tourists in six provinces in Papua amounted to 1.2 million trips. As of May 2025, the movement of domestic tourists reached 580,626 trips.
“Papua’s culture, especially the mountainous regions that are still well-preserved, is always sought after by tourists. The hope is that the implementation of festivals in the Papua region should be interconnected with one another,” said Nicky.
The Acting Head of the Youth Sports, Tourism, and Creative Economy Office of Highland Papua, Timotius Matuan, hopes that the implementation of the festival can be lively and smooth. Moreover, during August 2025, there will be several other festivals in Highland Papua.
On August 5-6, 2025, for example, there will be a cultural festival in Lanny Jaya Regency. Following the Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, the 12 Tribes Cultural Festival will continue in Yahukimo Regency on August 11-12, 2025.
“We hope that the series of festivals can be enjoyed by all tourists. Thus, the organization in the following years can continue and improve,” said Timotius.
West Papua Now 