Sawahlunto International Music Festival (SIMFes) 2025: "Heritage Continues – Passage of Time"

Sawahlunto International Music Festival (SIMFes) 2025 once again established this UNESCO World Heritage City as the center for a celebration of music, fashion, and culture. Carrying the grand theme "Heritage Continues – Passage of Time," SIMFes not only featured international music performances with main stars like Geisha but also special collaborations with the West Sumatra Batik Festival and discussions with renowned composer, Yovie Widianto. Through this article, let's review the series of events that took place over two consecutive days.

 

Uda Uni (Brother and Sister),

The grand event, Sawahlunto International Music Festival (SIMFes) 2025, made history on November 7 and 8, 2025. Under the grand theme "Heritage Continues – Passage of Time," this festival celebrated not only music but also featured a magnificent collaboration with the West Sumatra Batik Festival. Truly a cross-dimensional stage for art and culture.

This year's edition was dedicated as a sincere tribute to Orkes Gumarang, the legendary Minang group whose iconic album, "Kampoeng Nan Djauh di Mato," pioneered modern Minang music, coloring the history of Indonesian music.

The importance of this heritage was emphasized by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, "Minang music is an essential part of the Indonesian cultural mosaic. Within it resides the historical value of identity that has shaped the nation's character." 

Day One, November 7: Dual Power in Padang and Sawahlunto

The festivities of SIMFES 2025 simultaneously kicked off in two locations, ensuring the energy of inspiration and culture spread evenly from morning till night.

1. Symphony of Thought: Sarjanaria at UNP, Padang (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM WIB)

At Padang State University (UNP), the event opened with an intellectual discussion session titled ‘Sarjanaria’.

* Session 1 featured young figures such as David Tarigan, Esha Tegar Putra, Dea Anugrah, and Rio Jo Werry, discussing the vital theme: ‘Keeping the Old Rhythm: Preserving the Heritage of Orkes Gumarang and the Nusantara Music Archive’.

* The main highlight of Session 2 was the presence of national music maestro, Yovie Widianto. He shared his views on the theme ‘Weaving the Synergy of Art, Industry, and Government for Sustainable Creative Economy’, reaffirming SIMFES's commitment to building a creative ecosystem.

2. Textile and Music Party: Ruang Lagak x West Sumatra Batik Festival at Silo Park, Sawahlunto (08:00 AM – 10:15 PM WIB)

Parallel to the inspiring session in Padang, the heart of Sawahlunto City at Silo Park held a non-stop cultural celebration with the theme Ruang Lagak x West Sumatra Batik Festival.

This area was enlivened by the Final Batik Fashion Judging and a Batik Talkshow titled "Exploring Trends." Towards the evening, visitors were treated to a series of art performances, including a performance by the Srikandi music group, a dance troupe from Cut Meutia North Aceh, the "Batikku Batinmu" Batik Performance Art, and the launch of batik school uniform through a "Musical Drama." The fashion stage showcased charcoal batik works from Erims and a batik collection from Susi Haryati, which concluded with an energetic performance by the national music group, Nonaria.

Peak Event, November 8: SIMFes 2025 Celebration with Geisha!

After the tremendous double impact, all the excitement shifted to Silo Park, Sawahlunto. Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM WIB, marked the climax of SIMFes 2025.

The event began with the Sarjanaria Workshop before the stage officially opened with an Opening Ceremony in the form of a Musical Drama collaborating with the Sawahlunto Youth Movement.

Another significant moment was the presentation of the National Coal Committee Award to the Sawahlunto Youth Movement.

The stage heated up with a dazzling cross-genre music lineup: Sonic Gloom Percussion EDM, the explosive collaboration of Jaguank x Tomy Bollin, a characteristic musical presentation from Marka Semasa Grup, and an international touch from Evelyn Chen.

 The Grand Finale: Geisha!

This was the peak of the entire celebration! As a historical closing act, the top-chart music group Geisha also rocked Silo Park. Geisha's performance marked the success of SIMFes 2025 in connecting the legendary music heritage of Orkes Gumarang with the pulse of contemporary popular music.

The grand SIMFes 2025 event left an echo of Orkes Gumarang's rhythm along with the creative spirit of Yovie Widianto, Geisha, and other contemporary musicians. The festival once again proved that Sawahlunto is a crucial hub where cultural heritage meets contemporary energy.

For Uda Uni who missed the excitement of SIMFes 2025, we hope this festival returns with an even more vibrant and inspiring theme next year. Warm regards from Padang!