The opening ceremony of Grebeg Suro 2025 in Ponorogo Regency delivered more than just a cultural celebration it marked a bold step in cultural transformation by combining tradition with modern technology to engage younger audiences.
Held at Ponorogo’s iconic Aloon-Aloon city square on Tuesday night (June 17, 2025), the event featured a captivating performance of the traditional Reog Ponorogo dance. Performed by hundreds of children and teenagers, the show was enhanced by a vibrant display of video mapping and cyber light effects, creating a spectacular visual experience for thousands of spectators.
Ponorogo Regent Sugiri Sancoko explained that this year’s concept was aimed at bridging tradition and innovation to attract Gen Z and millennial audiences to local culture.
“To make young people fall in love with our culture, we combined Reog with modern technology,” Sugiri told reporters after the event. “This is our way of ensuring the continuity of this cultural heritage across generations.”
Adding to the night’s significance, the event also saw the official handover of a certificate recognizing Reog Ponorogo as an Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by UNESCO, presented by a representative of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO (KNIU).
Sugiri emphasized that this moment aligns with Ponorogo’s broader vision to become part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). He noted that Reog has evolved beyond performance art — it now plays a key role in the region’s creative economy and is integrated into the local education system as an extracurricular subject.
“From preschoolers to creative entrepreneurs, Reog is part of daily life here. It drives our economy, shapes education, and strengthens our cultural identity,” Sugiri added.
Through this innovative approach, the Ponorogo government aims not only to preserve cultural heritage but to make it relevant in the digital era. Sugiri affirmed that further innovation and youth involvement will be key to safeguarding and growing Reog for the future. Man
