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Java Jazz Festival 2019
March 15, 2019
When I decided to attend the Java Jazz Festival back in 2018, I couldn't find any useful info on the web about the event. Most of the articles were about the lineups, venue, and dates, but what I was looking for was a breakdown of what to prepare or what to expect at the festival.
So here I am with this blog post to let all of you know about what are the processes and stuff that will be going on at the Java Jazz Festival so that you'll be prepared to have a great time.
Tickets
Java Jazz Festival is a 3-day event so it's either you buy a 1-day pass or a 3-day pass. I highly recommend a 3-day pass for first-timers. You can get your tickets HERE.
Special shows are special artistes that will be performing in the biggest indoor hall for each of the festival days. This year (2019), the special show on Friday was H.E.R, Saturday Raveena, and Sunday TOTO. All these performances require a different ticket to enter, which means if you've bought the day passes, you will need to pay another affordable amount to watch your chosen special show.
If you do not have a day pass but want to attend one of the special shows, you will still need to get a 1-day pass with the special show pass.
I thought having an e-ticket was going to be okay until a last minute announcement mentioned that we had to print the tickets out to redeem our wristbands. Thank goodness I have a very helpful Indonesian friend who helped us print it out. So print it before hand at home before flying over!
Getting In
The queue to get into the festival on the first day was very, very long as everyone came to redeem the wristbands for the first time. Fret not, as that will be the only time you need to queue to come in because once you have your wristbands on, the rest of the days will be just fine.
Payment Method
Upon entering the festival, you will notice many booths and helpful staffs around the area who are able to let you top-up your wristbands. Yep, you will need to top-up some amount into your wristband and use them at all food stalls and shops at the festival. It's a cashless event.
How Does The Festival Work?
For those who has never been to many current festivals, it might be very confusing when looking at the performance schedule.Yes, you did not see it wrongly, few artists are performing at the same time at different stages.
JiExpo is a big venue and if I did not recall wrongly, there were around 6-8 stages with one large hall. All these were occupied at the same time so make sure you check the schedule and figure out which performances you want to catch. Also, try to find out which halls are at which sides because trust me, it will be super handy for you.
Food
There are many food trucks and a large outdoor cafeteria (with a jazz stage of course) at the Java Jazz Festival, so you don't have to worry about filling up your tummy there.
What You Should Know
There are indoor stages and outdoor stages at the Java Jazz Festival. That means that if it rains, the indoors will be packed and it would be best to bring along a raincoat just in case the artist you want to watch is performing outdoors (the show must go on!).
Another tip is to go early if you want to get your hands on the Java Jazz Festival merchandise. I was in by 6PM and all the nicer T-shirts and tote bags were already off the rack!
Last but not least, don't be shy to move your body to those jazzy beats because everyone is there to have a great time! I had a great time with my other half and was really glad he wasn't bored to death by all the amazing performances.
Will I be back for another round of jazz? Definitely! I really enjoyed the vibe at Java Jazz Festival and I cannot believe that it's not a go-to festival for Malaysians yet. All of the Indonesian friends we met and contacted weren't even aware of this international jazz festival that had been running in Jakarta for 15 years!
If you love jazz and having a great time with amazing people from all over the world, you've got to come experience the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival.
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More Jakarta and Java Jazz Festival Stories:
Day 3 In Jakarta (first day of Java Jazz Festival 2019)
Day 4 In Jakarta (second day of Java Jazz Festival 2019)
Day 5 & 6 In Jakarta (last day of Java Jazz Festival 2019)
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Feel free to drop any questions at the comment box if you need more information on other things that I have missed out and I will try my best to answer them.
And yes, these photos were taken with my film cameras. You can have cameras inside but don't go overboard with the size of the lenses and you'll be fine!
And yes, these photos were taken with my film cameras. You can have cameras inside but don't go overboard with the size of the lenses and you'll be fine!
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