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Central Java Police Deny Canceling Andrea Bocelli Borobudur Concert
Central Java Police Chief Irjen Roy Hardi Siahaan stated that authorities have not recommended canceling the upcoming concert by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli at Candi Borobudur. Speaking in Semarang on Thursday, October 15, 2026, Roy clarified that regional police forces only evaluate and forward permit recommendations to the National Police headquarters, while the Intelligence and Security Agency (BIK) holds the actual authority to issue permits.
The status of the October 31, 2026 concert has faced intense public scrutiny following protests and demands for cancellation from religious organizations over the artist’s historical ties to Israel. While local police in Magelang previously announced they had revoked their permit recommendation, the regional police leadership maintains that they are checking the status of the recommendation.
How the Permit Controversy Unfolded in Magelang
The dispute escalated on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, when the Magelang City Police officially announced it had revoked its recommendation for the Andrea Bocelli concert. During an audience at the Taman Wisata Borobudur (TWB) office, Magelang Deputy Police Chief AKBP Bim Rekoaji told the gathered crowd that local police had rescinded the paperwork, drawing takbir chants from members of the Forum Bersama Rakyat dan Umat Islam (With the People and Muslims Forum). In addition to the Deputy Police Chief, the forum was also attended by the Commercial Group Head of PT TWB, AY Suhartanto, and the Head of the Youth, Sports, and Tourism Office (Disparpora) of Magelang Regency, Farnia Berliani Sri Tulodho.
Following the revocation, the local government removed two billboards promoting the event on Tuesday morning, October 13, 2026, before the audience took place. Farnia Berliani Sri Tulodho specified that the billboards were taken down in front of the Borobudur Tourist Information Center (TIC) and at the Kujon Field intersection. Head of the Satpol PP and Damkar of Magelang Regency Syarifudin stated that his agency secured the street during the removal and requested a crane from the Environmental Agency, adding that smaller banners were not found and that billboard permits fall under the Tourism Office. Separately, Head of Satpol PP and Damkar Syarifudin noted that he was unaware of the specific advertising board permits since they are handled by the tourism department.
The concert is part of a schedule that also includes a planned performance in Jakarta on November 3, 2026, involving cooperation with ministries to support tourism and creative industries.
MUI Protests and the Debate Over International Artists
Prof. Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, the MUI Head of Foreign Relations, argued that the government must remain consistent in opposing actions tied to Zionism, pointing to Bocelli’s past performances and fundraising activities, including a 2010 event for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Los Angeles, a 2022 concert in Tel Aviv, a June 2011 appearance at the Israeli Opera Festival closing concert in Masada where he met then-Shimon Peres, and a subsequent visit to Jerusalem and the occupied Old City.
The debate has also sparked friction among national figures. M. Cholil Nafis defended the council’s intervention through a statement on his official X account, stating that opposing foreign actions tied to military violence in Gaza aligns directly with the anti-colonial principles enshrined in the 1945 Constitution, while also clarifying that halal certification authority rests with the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) under statutory regulations rather than MUI, which operates as a forum for Islamic mass organizations rather than a government body.
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