Prambanan Jazz Festival 2026: From Lomba Sihir to MLTR Nostalgia

CANTIKA.COM, Jakarta - Indonesia's Prambanan Jazz Festival 2026 was officially opened with an epic kickoff on Friday, July 3, 2026. Set against the magnificent backdrop of Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, the first day of the festival successfully brought together various generations through a diverse and electrifying lineup.

From the dominating local indie bands to the batik-wearing Korean idol rock group, and the legendary pop-rock band from Denmark, all took turns to captivate the stage. Let's explore some interesting facts about the Prambanan Jazz Festival 2026 as compiled by Tempo.

1. Vibrant Afternoon with Funk and Intimacy with Ali & Lomba Sihir

The first day's excitement was led by two bands from Jakarta, Ali and Lomba Sihir, who took turns performing at the Guyub Stage.

Ali took the stage at 5:55 PM, instantly creating a relaxed atmosphere at Prambanan with their music infused with psychedelic and funk vibes. The lineup comprising of Arswandaru Cahyo (bass/vocals), Absar Lebeh (guitar), John Paul Patton (drums), and Keshia Aita (percussion) successfully mesmerized the audience with their hit songs like "Dance, Habibi", "Abyadh Aswad", "Downtown Strut", and "Blue Lotus".

"It's always fun to play in Jogja, and it's even more special to perform at Prambanan Temple with this lovely weather, not too hot and not too cold. Keep it funky," said Arswandaru addressing the audience.

At the end of their session, he added, "Once again, thank you to Prambanan Jazz and to everyone who's here tonight to watch us."

_{Vocalist of the music group Lomba Ajaib, Natasha Udu, performs at the Prambanan Jazz 2026 music festival in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, July 3, 2026. Tempo/Martin Yogi Pardamean}

At exactly 7:15 PM, Lomba Sihir took over the Guyub Stage. They opened with the song "Lomba Sihir!", and then heated up the crowd with songs like "Hati dan Paru-paru" and "Semua Orang Pernah Sakit". Unlike Ali who brought a relaxed vibe, Lomba Sihir succeeded in getting the audience to sing along.

"How's everyone at Prambanan? We are thrilled to finally perform here. There are so many cool musicians performing here, such as NIKI, MLTR, Salma Salsabil, and Barasuara," said guitarist Rayhan Noor.

The vocalist Natasha Udu also introduced their band, "Some of you might be watching us for the first time, and say 'oh, this is Lomba Sihir'. Nice to meet you all, friends."

While performing "Tak Ada Waktu Tepat untuk Berita Buruk" and "Mungkin Takut Perubahan", Lomba Sihir invited the audience to take photos together. "After this, I hope you all get to know each other across generations, let's get acquainted. But because this is our first performance at Prambanan Jazz, I want us to take a photo together first," said Udu.

The atmosphere became even more exciting when Salma Salsabil suddenly joined them on stage for a collaboration in the song "Nirlaba". Lomba Sihir finally closed their performance by covering the song "Melompat Lebih Tinggi" by Sheila On 7 and their original song, "Ribuan Memori".

2. Rock Distortion and Jun Han's Batik: Xdinary Heroes Shaking Rukun Stage

Moving to the Rukun Stage, it was the turn of the South Korean rock band under JYP Entertainment, Xdinary Heroes, to showcase their talents. Being one of the headliners on the first day, the group comprising of Jooyeon, Gaon, Jungsu, O.de, Jun Han, and Gun-il were welcomed with ecstatic cheers from fans who had been waiting since noon.

Aside from their energetic stage performance, their visual appearance also caught attention. At the beginning of their performance, the guitarist Junhan succeeded in melting the hearts of local fans by wearing an unbuttoned batik shirt.

Gaon, who stood in the middle of the stage, greeted the crowd, "Hello, everyone!"

Throughout their one-hour performance, Xdinary Heroes presented their hit songs such as "Freaking Bad", "Sucker Punch", and "Voyager". Their music, which combines distorted guitar riffs with grand synthesizers, complete with hardcore-style guitar riffs and the clean and scream vocals from Jooyeon, truly ignited the audience's spirit.

_{South Korean music group, Xdinary Heroes, performing at the 2026 Prambanan Jazz music festival in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, July 3, 2026. Tempo/Martin Yogi Pardamean}

This performance felt emotional, as it served as a sweet revenge for their failure to visit Indonesia in 2025.

"You guys were so sweet memorizing our songs tonight. Are you still excited? We'll be singing together again in the next few songs," Jooyeon exclaimed between songs.

Although they needed the help of a translator to interact, their close relationship with the fans who lit their lightsticks was incredibly warm. Gaon even stopped their performance mid-song to ensure a fan in the audience received assistance from security. Respect!

3. Magical Nostalgic Session: Michael Learns to Rock at Prambanan

For the first time, the legendary pop-rock band from Denmark, Michael Learns to Rock (MLTR), savored the magic of the Prambanan Jazz Festival.

Performing for 90 minutes, the band consisting of Jascha Richter (vocals/keyboard), Mikkel Lentz (guitar), and Kare Wanscher (drums) was greeted by a sea of cross-generational audience. The stage performance commenced with the gentle yet powerful tempo of their song "Someday". Richter then continued with another one of their iconic songs.

"This song is for all the children around the world," he said in Prambanan, Yogyakarta, on Friday, July 3, 2026, before singing "Sleeping Child".

Seeing the incredible enthusiasm of the audience at the jazz festival, Lentz made a playful remark that made the audience laugh. "It feels so awesome to play at the Prambanan Jazz Festival. Tonight, we became 'Michael Learns to Jazz'," he said as he continued to perform "Complicated Heart".

Next, the drummer, Wanscher, took the microphone to address their long-time fans. "Are you ready to go back in time? We will start from the very beginning, with a song that is special to us as it was our first released song. We hope you'll like it," he said, followed by the intro to "I Still Carry On" and "Blue Night".

The vocalist, Richter, also expressed his admiration for Indonesia, which he referred to as their favorite country.

"We are very happy to be in Indonesia again, it's our favorite country. When we started this band, we had cooperation with an American record label, and they wanted to include the song 'The Actor'. The song was played on radios by people from Indonesia and Asia, and it became very famous, influencing the continuity of our music career," reminisced Richter.

_{Guitarist of the music group Michael Learns to Rock (MLTR) when performing at the Prambanan Jazz 2026 music festival in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, July 3, 2026. Tempo/Martin Yogi Pardamean}

The ambiance became even more poignant when the set was transformed into an acoustic format in front of the magnificent Prambanan Temple. Using a grand piano, acoustic guitar, and cajon, they performed the songs "I'm Gonna Be Around", "Out of the Blue", "Nothing to Lose", and "25 Minutes".

After a short five-minute break, MLTR returned as a full-band to deliver mega hits like "The Actor", "Love Will Never Lie", and "You Took My Heart Away".

As the performance neared its end, the songs "Breaking My Heart" and "Paint My Love" successfully sparked an emotional mass chorus. Richter emphasized the strength of their emotional bond with fans in the homeland.

"We first came to Indonesia in 1994, and we have a special connection with you because you understand our music while others don't. Thank you for being a part of our musical journey," Richter said with emotion.

Lentz added, "Music is really magical because it's a universal language that can connect us all."

Although they briefly left the stage, the shouts of "we want more" from the audience made MLTR return to the stage to deliver a final encore of two songs: "Take Me to Your Heart" and "That's Why (You Go Away)". The first day of the Prambanan Jazz Festival 2026 ended with maximum satisfaction from the audience.

BAGUS PRIBADI

Read: NIKI, The Rose Set to Headline Prambanan Jazz 2026

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