Indonesia’s first-time participation in the annual food and music festival, Gastrobeats 2024, attracted thousands of visitors with its diverse culinary and cultural offerings.
Indonesia made its debut at the Gastrobeats festival held from 31st May to 23rd June 2024, at Bayfront Event Space, Marina Bay Sands (MBS), Singapore. The event coincided with the “i-Light Singapore” installation festival and was officially opened by Singapore’s Minister for National Development, Mr. Desmond Lee, on 31st May 2024.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, Mr. Suryo Pratomo, explained that Indonesia’s participation in Gastrobeats 2024 was initiated by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore. The aim was to promote Indonesian culinary arts, creative economy products, and cultural performances in Singapore. The “Wonderful Indonesia” zone featured seven Indonesian culinary businesses, including Indo Express, IndoChili, Smile Martabak, Embassy 1967, J Co Donuts, Rejuve, and Ayam Bakar Taliwang.
The festival also included a retail experience booth showcasing Indonesian handicraft and fashion products, such as cloth bags, batik, kebaya, and sportswear. Weekly events, such as “Indonesia Night” with performances by Givo Dancers and Barika Band from Batam, and “Indonesia Saturday’s Tunes” featuring Indonesian diaspora musicians like Arnold Pontoh and Soukma, were held to entertain and engage the audience.
During his visit to Singapore for the World Cities Summit 2024, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Dr. Sandiaga Uno, attended Gastrobeats on 4th June 2024. He expressed hope that the participating brands would find international market opportunities for Indonesian creative economy products. The “Indonesia Night” performance on 9th June 2024, drew significant attention, with visitors competing for door prizes, including vouchers and Singapore-Indonesia flight tickets, as well as goodie bags from Garuda Indonesia and Citilink.
Indonesia’s participation in Gastrobeats 2024 was well-received, successfully raising awareness of Indonesian culture and cuisine among the Singaporean public. Vendors in the Indonesian zone appreciated the opportunity provided by the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore to promote their offerings. Visitors to Gastrobeats enthusiastically embraced the chance to experience Indonesian food and purchase products from the Indonesian zone.
