Pasar Senja celebrates Indonesian–Australian creative exchange at Melbourne's Fed Square
Presented by Nongkrong Festival, the event showcaes Indonesian culture as “both living, evolving and expansive” in a dusk-to-night celebration
On February 14, Nongkrong Festival lands in Fed Square with Pasar Senja, transforming Melbourne’s central public square into a literal “pasar senja” (meaning twilight market in Indonesian).
The event draws on the Indonesian tradition of gathering at dusk to eat, unwind, and “nongkrong” (hang out) together.
Part of Fed Square’s Open Air at the Square summer program, Pasar Senja features seven live music acts, three dance companies, five food vendors, 13 Indonesian makers, and a hands-on weaving workshop.
Executive Producer of Nongkrong Festival, Moira Tirtha, shares with Mixmag Asia: “Something that has evolved from our previous iterations of Nongkrong is that it isn’t just about gathering, but the quality and intention of gathering. Gathering during the day or morning is very different to the afternoon.”
They continue: “So this year we’re really putting thoughts into the timing, the lighting, the flow between sets, the way people walk through different parts of the event. It’s about creating the conditions so people can slow down and truly hang out, not just attend an event like going to a meeting or a doctor’s appointment.”
The music program brings Indonesian and Australian artists into direct conversation. Internationally touring Indonesian psych-rock group Ali and jazz/pop pioneer Candra Darusman making his Australian debut, headline the event.
They are joined by Lemes, Komang, Matahara, Gamelan DanAnda, and DJs Rah and Cristal No. 5.
Tirtha explains: “Pak Candra is a pioneer whose five decades of work helped define a generation of Indonesian jazz and pop music, while Ali has been bringing psych rock and Nusantara grooves to global stages. Both show that Indonesian artists have been creating sophisticated, genre-defying music across generations, and that evolution continues.”
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“The pairing shows lineage and breadth. It's not about one generation being more 'authentic' than the other - they're both expressions of Indonesian creativity at different moments. For audiences, we hope to show that Indonesian artists are part of contemporary global music conversations, not separate from them,” they add.
Dance performances from Suara Dance, Sanggar Lestari, Stale Biskitz, and Budaya (0) further reflect this cross-cultural exchange.
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As Tirtha notes, “It’s not about presenting Indonesian culture for Australian audiences to observe or spectate, it’s about creating a space where people actually nongkrong together.”
By programming Indonesian and Australian-Indonesian artists side by side, Pasar Senja positions Indonesian culture as “both living, evolving and expansive”, strengthening creative ties between the two countries through shared space, sound, and experience.
For more information on Pasar Senja, head here.
Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.
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