Indonesia's biggest creative festival returns to JICC this September with 500+ speakers and one loaded question: what makes us irreplaceable? 

Sixteen percent of working Indonesians now open an AI tool every single day. Another 53% have used one at least once in the past year. That's the backdrop for IdeaFest 2026, Indonesia's largest annual creative festival, which lands at Jakarta International Convention Center (JICC) in Senayan, South Jakarta, from September 4–6, 2026.

IdeaFest 2026 marks the event's 15th edition, and this year it's built around one theme: "Re:Humanize." The idea is simple to say and harder to live: as AI gets faster at doing our jobs, what part of creativity, work, and connection still needs a human hand? Over 500 speakers across 160+ sessions will try to answer that. 

What is IdeaFest 2026's "Re:Humanize" theme about?

The theme didn't come out of nowhere. Populix's audience evaluation of IdeaFest 2025 showed people wanted deeper conversations about where creative industries are headed  specifically, how humans and AI move forward together instead of competing.

The numbers back up the urgency. Indonesia's Ministry of Creative Economy reports the creative sector already contributes more than Rp1,500 trillion to national GDP and employs over 26.5 million people. With roughly 185 million internet users and 139 million social media users in the country, the room for AI to reshape design, gaming, apps, and digital marketing is enormous  and so is the risk of losing what makes creative work feel human.

"Through 'Re:Humanize,' we want to invite the public to look again at what makes humans matter as AI develops  and how technology can expand human potential without losing creativity, empathy, and meaning," said Ben Soebiakto, Co-Chair of IdeaFest, pointing to the festival's track record of more than 2,500 speakers and 200,000 visitors across 15 years.

Credit : Ideafest 2026 PR

Who is speaking at IdeaFest 2026?

The lineup mixes Indonesian public figures with international voices: Tom Lembong, Najwa Shihab, Tony Fernandes, Pandji Pragiwaksono, Kamila Andini, Dian Sastrowardoyo, Jovial da Lopez, Sherina Munaf, and Boon Ken Wong are among those confirmed, alongside Herald van der Linde and Vikram Sinha.

Firdza Radiany, Content Lead & BrainTrust at IdeaFest, says this year's curation started from one question: how does a human stay at the center while technology moves this fast? That's why sessions pull from different industries and generations rather than sticking to one lane.

Tech sponsor Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison frames its support around a philosophy it calls "Heartware Inside Hardware." As Ovidia Nomia, SVP-Head of Corporate Communications at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, put it: AI lets people do more, faster  but humans still decide the direction, purpose, and impact.

 

 

 

 

 

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What else is happening besides the talks?

IdeaFest 2026 isn't just a stage. A collaboration with JKTGo brings "IdeaFest Picks," a marketplace for local brands and creative entrepreneurs. Collect Con adds a space for creators and collectors to connect in person. And IdeaFest X, built with ESCAPE, turns visitors into participants through interactive installations rather than passive audiences.

"The best experiences happen when someone doesn't just see or hear an idea, but actually feels it," said Verren Ornela, ESCAPE's representative for the collaboration.