Soekarno Coffee Festival 2025 synergizes heritage, vision of development

Blitar City in East Java Province showed the synergy between historical heritage and its vision of development by holding the Soekarno Coffee Festival 2025.

Mayor Syauqul "Mas Ibin" Muhibbin emphasized that the festival is a celebration of coffee and is also held in deep respect for the ideas of Bung Karno, the nickname of Indonesia's first president Sukarno.

"Soekarno Coffee Fest is a real manifestation that coffee is not just a drink, but [also] a symbol of the spirit of struggle and intellectualism," stated Mas Ibin when opening the event at the Blitar Mayor's Office yard on June 13, 2025.

The mayor emphasized that June is always synonymous with commemoration and appreciation for Bung Karno's services. He reminded that there are three important dates during the month, namely Pancasila Day on June 1, Bung Karno's birthday on June 6 as Bung Karno's Birthday, and the date of his passing on June 21.

Mas Ibin also expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders who had contributed to realizing the event, including the organizing committee, sponsors, to coffee business actors.

"We hope that this activity will not only be an entertainment, but also a discussion forum to hone critical thinking in order to build the city of Blitar in the future," he said.

Also present on that occasion was Blitar City Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTSP) Head Heru Eko Pramono, who added the perspective of economic development for the festival.

He explained that although this fourth edition of Soekarno Coffee Fest was shortened to three days, the excitement of the event remained optimal with the participation of around 40 stands attended by local and out-of-town business actors, including from Mojokerto City, East Java.

"This event is an important moment to grow and develop the potential of the coffee business. Our target is to encourage the growth of cafes in Blitar, which has now reached around 100 shops," said Heru.

Heru also noted increase in the price of Blitar coffee, which has now rose from Rp75,000 per kilogram (kg) to Rp100,000 per kilogram (kg). He explained that this positive trend is an indicator that the activity is able to provide a significant impact on the local economy.

The series of activities for the 2025 Soekarno Coffee Festival began from the morning of June 13, 2025, with the Pour Over Competition that challenged the creativity of participating baristas. Then, the music stage began to be enlivened by DJ Mike Clay alongside a Pleret Dance as a symbol of local acculturation.

The main highlight on the first day was the "Pemboekaaan Rakjat" ceremony. The night of the opening day closed with a latte art competition and music from groups that spans Kromatik to Classy Band.

The festival took an educational bent on June 14, 2025, with a talk show for school and college students that has "Getting to Know Investment Through the Coffee Business" as its theme. The talk show was followed by a live roasting and cupping demo that introduced the coffee-making process from bean to cup.

Afterwards was the NGOPI SAE program, a unique moment where cross-sector business actors sat together in a relaxed but meaningful chat. The main event of the day was an open lobby forum with Mas Ibin.

The festival's final day opened with "Morning Coffee with GEMAS", which brought warmth to the local community. A health talk show discussing the benefits of coffee filled the afternoon.

Following that session was performances on the music stage by Villa Band, Javaloca, and Electra Band. The closing of the festival was carried out with great enthusiasm through the collaboration of Electra Band and Pak Kepz.

Heru is optimistic that the approach of Soekarno Coffee Festival 2025 which highlights both the potential of Blitar coffee and fosters a collaborative creative economy ecosystem, could be a new model in encouraging business growth and investment.

"If usually people sit at a formal table to talk about investment, this time it's enough in an open coffee shop. The results are more natural, more humane," concluded Heru Eko Pramono.