Segoro Topeng Kaliwungu Festival showcases UNESCO-recognized mask dance

The 2025 Segoro Topeng Kaliwungu Festival has become the only cultural event from Lumajang Regency, East Java Province that successfully became one of 110 festivals listed in the Tourism Ministry's Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) 2025. This success puts Lumajang on the national stage and bolsters its cultural stature.

“Thanks to the synergy of all stakeholders, the Segoro Topeng Kaliwungu event was selected for the first time as part KEN this year,” stated Tourism Deputy Minister Ni Luh Puspa on Jul. 1, 2025.

KEN is an annual initiative of the Tourism Ministry to support and curate high-quality regional festivals. The program aims to empower local potential as well as expand the impact of sustainable tourism while creating authentic tourism experiences in various regions across Indonesia.

Ni Luh explained during her visit to Pecak Beach, Lumajang Regency, on June 29, 2025 that the festival held on 28-29 June 2025 is a combination of cultural preservation and coastal tourism development.

Segoro Topeng Kaliwungu Festival 2025 showcases the cultural wealth of the Kaliwungu Mask Dance, which has been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a colossal outdoor performance.

With "Mystical of Kaliwungu" as its theme, this festival is both a visual performance and a symbol of the Kaliwungu Mask artistic heritage's revival.

"This art is not only done as a performance, but also as a symbol of the strength of local cultural identity," he added.

With the support of Pecak Beach's natural beauty and the active participation of the local community, Segoro Topeng Kaliwungu Festival is a strategic forum to promote Lumajang culture while encouraging the growth of a sustainable creative economy sector.

Ni Luh hopes that the Lumajang Regency Government will continue to be consistent in working on the festival so that it can continue to be included in KEN. She also encourages other regions to continue developing their festivals to increase domestic tourist movement and foreign tourist visits.