Jakarta has the potential to become one of the concert cities in Southeast Asia. As Singapore has successfully achieved, Jakarta too can utilize the music industry to drive economic growth and elevate its image as a global city.
But, can Jakarta succeed in becoming a concert city?
To answer this question, let us first discuss the definition of a concert city, why Jakarta deserves to be a concert city, and the factors that inhibit Jakarta from becoming a concert city.
A concert city is a city that regularly hosts various musical performances, from local artists to international acts. A concert city is also known as a music city.
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a music city or concert city, can be defined as a place that has a vibrant music economy that brings economical, cultural, and social benefits, including opening job opportunities.
To become a concert city, a city must have a supportive infrastructure, such as quality venues, high connectivity, as well as transportation access, wide parking areas, and other public services and facilities. In addition to that, concert cities often have active music communities and a culture that appreciates the performing arts.
Some of the best concert cities in Asia include: Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Jakarta already has several venues that can accommodate large-scale concerts, including Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK), Jakarta International Stadium, and Jakarta International Expo. Venues like these allow for concerts with large crowds with adequate facilities.
Holding concerts can contribute significantly to the regional economy, such as increasing hotel occupancy around concert venues, increased visitors to malls, restaurants, and more. Furthermore, Jakarta’s realisation as a concert city can provide new job opportunities for local citizens, such as stage building, audio-visual equipment management, ticketing, and more.
The vision of Jakarta as a concert city is aligned with the effort to elevate the competitive edge and international image of Jakarta as a global city. In addition, as a concert city, Jakarta’s cultural value will increase, thus attracting more tourists to visit. In other words, Jakarta as a concert city can support the journey of realising Jakarta as a global city.
The complex licensing and bureaucratic processes can hinder or delay the organization of concerts. The complicated bureaucracy that involves several separate institutions in Jakarta also increases the organization costs. This directly impacts the concert ticket prices, making them more expensive.
To actualize Jakarta as a concert city, there needs to be a simplified procedure and transparency in licensing. As a result, Jakarta can be considered a host for international artists’ concerts more often. Additionally, ticket prices can be much more affordable for domestic audiences, and more competitive with other concert cities, especially in Southeast Asia.
The Jakarta traffic is one of the challenges in realizing Jakarta as a concert city. A more effective public transport infrastructure and traffic management is thus needed to ensure easier access to concert venues. Additionally, the availability of parking areas still need to be improved.
The vibrant and culturally rich Jakarta has a great potential in becoming a concert city. And if the aforementioned challenges are swiftly resolved, in a few years, Jakarta can easily become one of the most popular concert cities in Southeast Asia. Now, are you Jakarta citizens ready to enjoy the perks of living in a concert city?